Why are Brits so opposed to cannabis

[Simple Jack]

Why are Brits so opposed to cannabis

Cannabis use is a contentious topic and although public opinion around the drug is changing, there is still significant opposition to it. Drug reform is a morally charged topic, so the public tends to have a strong opinion on either side of the spectrum, leading to a lot of polarisation. 

And although support for cannabis legalisation in the UK is at an all time high of 52%, socially there is still work to do around normalising the drug and combating stigma. 

I’ve always thought that British people (generally speaking) are opposed to cannabis use more compared to other jurisdictions which have liberalised their laws and use of the drug.

Why is this? What are some of the reasons behind this resistance and opposition to cannabis? 

I’m going to lay out some of the common reasons for why the British public are still opposed to the use of cannabis in this piece. It’s worth noting that this article makes some sweeping generalisations about British people, but it’s hard to not make generalisations when you are speaking about a population of 68 million people. This piece is broadly opinion based on my perceptions of the situation and commentary I’ve received from people on Twitter when I asked about this topic. Now, let’s dive in. 

1. One sided arguments in the media

Across the board, British media does not cover cannabis in a balanced manner. Though sentiment is changing, the stories I see on my Google Alerts daily, still love cannabis-induced psychosis and illegal cannabis farms up and down the country getting busted. Many of the stories that are written about cannabis focus on a sensationalist and gritty tone, making the drug feel less ‘mainstream’ than it is with a countercultural feel. In reality, sentiment is changing but this isn’t fairly reflected in the media. 

I do believe that mainstream media is no longer as impactful and influential as it once used to be, particularly amongst Gen Z and Millennials – who are also the generations most supportive of cannabis reform. For older generations who still rely on the mainstream media as their voice of reason, we see stronger resistance to cannabis reform. Coincidence? I think not.

2. Social conservatism

Very much linked to the point above, Brits are across the board socially conservative. It’s no wonder that we’ve had a conservative government for the last 13 years. From a moral standpoint, conservatives find it very difficult to get behind drug reform traditionally. The idea that people should be allowed to consume drugs is often seen as something “degrading” and “chaotic”. 

This is of course not the case for the vast majority of people that use drugs recreationally but it is an important factor to consider when we are trying to change opinion. Drug policies need to look and feel sound to a social conservative. Policy changes cannot simply focus on reducing harm, showcasing individual liberty. They need to address aspects of fairness, loyalty, authority and sanctity too.

3. ‘The smell’

This comes up time and time again. Brits really seem to hate the smell of weed and this feels like an exclusively British thing. Cannabis does clearly have a very distinct smell, which is of course subjective in whether you like it. Smell is however, also associated with previous experience, which creates a bias. This is why certain perfumes remind us of people we know and we either have a positive or negative association to a smell. 

So, although Brits complain about the smell of cannabis, this dislike may be linked more so to the stigma, racism and classism that is associated with the drug, rather than the actual smell of the weed.

4. Racism and classism

There is an inherent association between cannabis and racist classist judgements of individuals in the UK. Although white and people of BAME backgrounds consume the drug at a similar rate (there is not a significant difference statistically). But cannabis use across the board isn’t associated strongly with the mainstream. There is a stigma associated with cannabis consumers for being “lazy” or outcasts socially, which is untrue and based on a conservative perception of the drug. Though acceptance is changing with a generation who is increasingly more in tune with liberalised drug policy, cannabis culture still has some way to go to be accepted in mainstream society in the UK. 

 

5. Lack of information about cannabis

The lack of education, awareness and accurate information about cannabis use creates a massive discrepancy in people’s opinions about the drug. The fact cannabis is illegal recreationally creates a perpetual vicious cycle that ‘if it is illegal it must be bad’. Also, through such a misconception around the harms and effects of the drug, this creates further fear and stigma.

Again, with the democratisation of information on the internet this is changing. 

However, factors such as medical cannabis being legal in the UK has the potential to help shift the dial around this, creating a new image of a cannabis user and demonstrating actual benefit to patients. Still though, so much of the public don’t know that medical cannabis is legal, including police officers. So this misinformation and lack of awareness feeds into this stigma.

6. Prevalence of skunk

Research indicates that skunk weed is the most prevalent type of cannabis being sold across the UK. Skunk is cannabis that is extremely potent with a high amount of THC. Skunk obviously has a lot of concerns surrounding it given the potency of THC and impact this can have on mental health outcomes. There are genuine concerns around the prevalence of skunk in the UK and the impact this is having on consumers. However, the fears around cannabis that exist amongst the Brits are heavily overinflated based on the impact the illicit market and prohibition are having on consumers, rather than the benefits the plant can have when it isn’t skunk.

 

7. Brit’s relationship with alcohol

Last but certainly not least is the relationship Brits have to alcohol. I think we are all pretty aware of how normalised drinking culture is in this country.

And although recreational drug use is pretty rife across the UK, it remains on the side lines and not talked about in the mainstream. Whereas alcohol is readily accepted. There seems to be this rhetoric that drugs are bad and kill you – but we don’t seem to have the same view around alcohol. A lot of this stems from poor drug education and a lack of education around the harms of alcohol and drinking culture.

So there we have it. Seven explanations for why the Brits (generally) are opposed to cannabis consumption. Hopefully all of these points will stick out when you see discrimination of cannabis taking place. This article is not intended to be exhaustive, as I imagine there are a whole bunch of other reasons but these stuck out most to me. 

I do think that each of these reasons are slowly decreasing in importance with younger generations being more aware of the failures of drug policy and becoming more interested in sensible education around cannabis use.

 

https://volteface.me/brits-opposed-cannabis/

[KC]

I think points 1 and 7 are the main causes myself. Hopefully times will change this as I can't imagine the Daily Mail or newspapers in general are sold as much as they were as media moves away from paper products. Do Daily Mail readers have the abilty to use the internet even? It takes a lot of effort just to breath through ones mouth after all

 

Thankfully the younger generations don't have the unhealthy relationship with alcohol that previous generations have from what I can see so that's something else we shouldn't have to worry about too much in the future.

 

 

British views are changing, but I still don't think I'll see anything major happen in my lifetime sadly. I do hope I'm incorrect of course

[Boojum]

For me 1 and 5 are the main culprits, too many people have swallowed the propaganda (because lack of education, or incorrect education, is a form of propaganda). Though I'd question whether British attitudes are really behind the attitudes in other countries, it all depends on who you ask, almost everyone I know smokes weed and (with a very few exceptions, all in my parents' generation) those that don't aren't against it, they just choose not to use it but don't mind if others do.

[stu914]

The demonisation of cannabis is well ingrained into the public's psyche so change will be slow, if at all.

Not mentioned is money, probably the main reason keeping it illegal and all the time certain people

in positions of power are cleaning up nothing much will change.

[mikeydoughnut]

People I’ve met primarily don’t like it mainly coz it pongs. It doesn’t put them off smoking it per se. They have no interest in having a joint. They just don’t want to smell it. Secondly they just like getting pissed. Now I can’t figure out how people can drink when they’re not even thirsty. It’s the weirdest shit ever.

[KC]

Just now, mikeydoughnut said:

how people can drink when they’re not even thirsty

You should see people getting all angry because service is slow in a pub. I always say, "you can't be thirsty mate, you've just drank 4 pints"

 

dicks

[mikeydoughnut]

Not been in a pub for a long long time. Does waving yer pound note still get yer served faster? 

[HazyDaze]

15 minutes ago, mikeydoughnut said:

They just don’t want to smell it

Thus is a HUGE part of it, it's offensive AF for good distances, smells offend people more than most things.

[mikeydoughnut]

It’s an inbuilt defence mechanism innit @HazyDaze. Promotes a disgust response. They’re not arsed that yer getting baked. In the same way someone isn’t offended you had curry last night. They just don’t want to smell it once it’s been processed. 

[KC]

1 hour ago, mikeydoughnut said:

Does waving yer pound note still get yer served faster? 

I remember pound notes

 

But no waving your money is the equivalent of clapping your hands at a waiter in my eyes. It's only the christmas wankers who do that though luckily

Edited January 21 by KC
spelling

[stu914]

I reckon waving a pound note might just get you half a bag of roasted nuts...eventually...

Last time in a pub I was on stage guitaring...never did get discovered...

[mikeydoughnut]

Ey up @stu914 theres some YouTube function or summat on this new uk420. @Joolz said he’ll go on wearing the belly dancer outfit I sent to the PO Box. You should do us a few numbers on the owd banjo while the bossman shows us his moves  

Edited January 21 by mikeydoughnut

[stu914]

@mikeydoughnut

 

Bit rusty now bud, I'm somewhere on the 'tube' performing an acoustic set...never did manage to

get anyone belly dancing though...

[j.o.i.n.t]

It's not that contentious, not in my world. And the lazy cunt only asked on twitter.

 

Not news is it, then, or reporting. Blog spam.

Edited January 21 by j.o.i.n.t

[Simple Jack]

Point 6 is an example of 5 and the result of 1. Doesn't do much for the credibility of the author, but it does illustrate what a number they have done on cannabis.