Cannabis vote came down to politics & personal perspectives - not demographics

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-09-27 11:35

New Zealand

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NZ researchers surveyed more than 1,000 people about their intended 2020 referendum vote on legal recreational cannabis. They found voting was not based on demographics like age, ethnicity, education or religion - but specific views about the medicinal benefit of the drug, its moral acceptability, health risks of frequent cannabis use, and political ideology. Personal experience of using medicinal cannabis - and support for allowing it - was a strong predictor of support in the referendum, as was left-wing voting, living in a small town, and being familiar with the referendum’s draft legislation.