Impact
First survey of its kind indicates that Americans prioritize social equity over corporate interests in the development of national cannabis policy.
Objective
To gain a better understanding of U.S. adults’ values and beliefs about who should develop—and benefit from—national cannabis policy.
Approach
In partnership with the Parabola Center for Law and Policy, RTI International experts surveyed adults from across the United States to document their values and beliefs about cannabis legalization.
Impact
Data from a first-of-its-kind study show that most respondents value social equity, trust people with lived experience, and think people who use cannabis should benefit from legalization. The majority of U.S. adults surveyed indicated that they do not want large corporations—including alcohol and tobacco companies—to shape or benefit from cannabis legalization.
Novel study indicates that most Americans do not want large corporations to control national cannabis policy
Cannabis surveys to date have primarily documented public support for legalization. With national legalization increasingly likely, the focus is shifting to what legalization should look like. What values should be centered? Whose experiences should be prioritized? Who should benefit?
As a nation, we are poised to make decisions that will shape a new industry, making these questions essential. Decisions that we make today will determine who holds power in the cannabis industry and whether large corporations are allowed to maximize profit at the expense of consumers.
The question of who holds power is especially relevant considering the historical context of cannabis.
According to a report from the American Civil Liberties Union, a Black person is nearly four times more likely than a White person to be arrested for cannabis possession, despite similar rates of use. Latine and Indigenous people are also disproportionately arrested for cannabis. Additionally, despite the decline in the overall number of arrests in states that have legalized cannabis, racial inequities in arrest rates persist.
Urgent action is required to deliver national cannabis policy that reflects the values and beliefs of a majority of Americans. Large corporations—including tobacco and alcohol companies—are already lobbying the federal government to shape the cannabis industry to their advantage.
Study findings show that the “cannabis values” of Americans emphasize social equity
In fall 2023, in partnership with the Parabola Center for Law and Policy, RTI International conducted a study to document U.S. adults’ values and beliefs about national cannabis policy. The 404 survey respondents were asked about their cannabis values, who they trust to create good cannabis policy, and who should benefit from legalization. Key findings include the following:
Values
- When it comes to cannabis policy, survey respondents cared most about social equity (68 percent) and ending marijuana arrests (68 percent), followed by ensuring that people have access to cannabis (65 percent).
Trust
- Surveyed Americans were most trusting of people with lived experience (67 percent), cannabis users (56 percent), and individuals working for social equity (55 percent) to create good cannabis policy.
- Less than one-fifth of survey respondents trusted alcohol (13 percent) and tobacco company executives (18 percent) to create cannabis policy.
Benefits
- Most respondents believed that cannabis legalization should benefit people who use cannabis as medicine (85 percent) or for pleasure (63 percent). Surveyed Americans also believed that legalization should benefit people who work in the emerging cannabis industry (73 percent) and people who have been harmed by marijuana law enforcement (61 percent).
- Less than one-third of U.S. adults surveyed believe that cannabis legalization should benefit large corporations (29 percent), including pharmaceutical (40 percent), tobacco (28 percent), and alcohol companies (19 percent).
Americans believe that legalization should benefit people who use cannabis—not alcohol and tobacco companies
One of the most important takeaways from this study is that respondents did not want the cannabis industry to be controlled by large corporations that have historically prioritized profit over consumer well-being and public health.1 2 3 4 5 Findings show that many Americans believe that alcohol and tobacco companies are not trusted entities for cannabis policy development and should not benefit from legalization. After decades of predatory product development and marketing by these industries1 2 3 4 5, a majority of U.S. adults surveyed want something new.
Results indicate that most survey respondents want a new corporate model for cannabis that is shaped by people working for social equity and that benefits workers and people who have previously been harmed by marijuana law enforcement. It illustrates that many Americans are eager for cannabis policy that breaks from the harmful and racist past associated with cannabis and exploitive corporate practices and instead aligns with the health and financial interests of consumers.
About the study
The study consisted of an online survey, in which half of the 404 participants viewed advertisements about cannabis policy, and half did not. The findings presented here and in the report developed by Parabola Center are based on data from the 203 participants who did not view advertisements in the context of the survey. Another study, describing the impact of exposure to advertisements on cannabis beliefs within the full sample, will be published later.
Learn more about conducting research to support the development of evidence-based cannabis programs, policies, and regulations.
References
1 Rothman, D.J. (2012). Consequences of industry relationships for public health and medicine. American Journal of Public Health, 102(1), 55. 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300507
2 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022). Unfair and Unjust Practices and Conditions Harm African American People and Drive Health Disparities. Accessed September 16, 2024: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco-health-equity/collection/african-american-unfair-and-unjust.html
3 U.S. National Cancer Institute. A Socioecological Approach to Addressing Tobacco-Related Health Disparities. National Cancer Institute Tobacco Control Monograph 22. NIH Publication No. 17-CA-8035A. Bethesda, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute.
4 American Public Health Association. (2019). Addressing Alcohol-Related Harms: A Population Level Response, in Policy Statement. Accessed September 16, 2024: https://www.apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/public-health-policy-statements/policy-database/2020/01/14/addressing-alcohol-related-harms-a-population-level-response
5 U.S. Department of Justice. (2020). Justice Department Announces Global Resolution of Criminal and Civil Investigations with Opioid Manufacturer Purdue Pharma and Civil Settlement with Members of the Sackler Family. Accessed September 16, 2024: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-global-resolution-criminal-and-civil-investigations-opioid
