Brief report
Societal images of Cannabis use: comparing three countries
1 The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health & University of Toronto, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1, Canada
2 The Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs (SoRAD), Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
3 School of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
4 National Institute of Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
Harm Reduction Journal 2012, 9:21 doi:10.1186/1477-7517-9-21
Published: 18 June 2012Abstract
Background
Differences in beliefs about Cannabis were compared between Canada, Sweden and Finland using nationally representative population surveys containing similar items.
Findings
Compared to Finnish and Swedish respondents, Canadians were both more likely to have tried Cannabis and to view Cannabis as a less serious problem for society.
Conclusions
These findings emphasize the extent to which views about Cannabis can vary. It is possible that views about Cannabis are, at least in part, a social construction influenced by media, social policy and exposure to the drug that varies from country to country.
