Support for legalising marijuana in Australia nearly doubles over six years
More than 40% of Australians back legalisation of cannabis for personal use, National Drug Strategy Household Survey finds
Tuesday, December 28, 2021
Over 40% of Australians believe marijuana should be legalised, a figure that has nearly doubled since 2013, according to new analysis. Australian researchers have looked into changes in public attitudes towards drug use over time, as measured by responses to the National Drug Strategy Household Survey. The nationally representative surveys, last conducted in 2019, have been collating data on drug use and attitudes every two to three years since 1985. A review of the survey data showed that 41.1% of respondents supported the legalisation of cannabis for personal use in 2019 – a significant rise from 25.5% in 2013. Don Weatherburn, a professor at the University of NSW’s National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre and a co-author of the analysis, said the increase may be linked to growth in marijuana use.
