Public perceptions on the legalisation of cannabis

Abstract

Cannabis legalisation debates have been going round in many countries. The subject is indeed very debatable: there are different perceptions related to cannabis use, some view it favourably as they see benefits while others condemn and advocate against legalisation. Recently, Malta changed its law to make cannabis medically legal. This study explored different opinions about perceptions regarding legalisation of cannabis both for recreational use as well for medical use. Data was collected through the administration of questionnaires. These were distributed through the Registrar’s Office of the University of Malta. The questionnaire was designed to elicit different perceptions and reasoning on the use of cannabis. The findings showed that the majority of the participants were in favour of the legalisation of cannabis for medical use whiles the number of those who were in favour of the legislation of cannabis for recreational use was smaller. The study suggests that the state would benefit from legalisation such as more taxes and less money spent in courts but there will still be illegalities. The results showed that the prevailing opinion was that cannabis was less harmful than alcohol and tobacco. However, participants showed the concern that legalisation could create the problem of having people driving under influence of cannabis.