Cannabis use: What's law got to do with it? Perceptions and knowledge of cannabis policy from the user perspective in Northern Ireland

Abstract

Aims: The past several years have seen changes and additions to drug policy in the UK; however, the opinion and attitude of those who use the drug is rarely discussed. The aim of this article is to examine attitudes to cannabis policy among adults who use the drug in Northern Ireland. The article also aims to consider these opinions in the context of the UK generally and draws parallels with other international regions.

Methods: Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 38 adults aged 18–59 with a range of levels of cannabis experience. The sample included 22 males and 16 females. Respondents were recruited using a snowball sampling procedure from both urban (city and small town) and rural locations in Northern Ireland.

Findings: The findings illustrate that the majority of the sample had some knowledge of cannabis policy but were unaware of the implications of possession for users. The results showed that people who used cannabis were relatively unconcerned about legal penalties.

Conclusion: Cannabis users tend to consume the drug irrespective of policy. The reclassification of cannabis resulted in confusion as to what the penalties were, users continued to use cannabis irrespective of the law prior to and following reclassification and they felt that policy was irrelevant to use.

Notes

Notes

1. Although Northern Ireland is officially part of the UK, this status has been contested by some segments of the population since its formation.

2. These are not precisely comparable as the age ranges surveyed are 16–59 for the BCS and 15–64 for the NI figures

3. PHIRB have informed the author that this survey is currently in the field and they are aiming to publish 2010/2011 prevalence rates for drug use by 11 November 2011.

4. A PND is an on the spot fixed penalty fine and encompasses a range of offences. In January 2009, cannabis was included on this list of offences. Other offences included on the list are underage drinking, drunk and disorderly behaviour and throwing fireworks in the street. Neither a PND nor a warning for cannabis possession will result in a criminal record; however, a PND is logged onto the Police National Computer and could be disclosed as part of an enhanced criminal records check (DrugScope, 2009).

5. There were two participants who reported that they had stopped using cannabis and a further two who had reduced their use to very occasional consumption. None of the quotations presented here however were from these users.

6. Self-reported age at first use at times differed from self-reported age at initiation. That is, some respondents defined initiation as the first time that they experienced the effects of cannabis, which was not necessarily the first time that they had consumed it. This topic is being explored further in a separate paper.