Lena Yannella

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Tags:  Cannabis; marijuana; public opinion.

 

The problem:  As the legalization of cannabis becomes more widespread, many policy advocates have begun to reject the term “marijuana” in favor of the seemingly more neutral term “cannabis.” More specifically, “marijuana” is believed to be associated with negative stereotypes due to sounding foreign, whereas “cannabis” is a scientific term with Latin roots.

 

Why do this study?  No research has evaluated whether applying the term “marijuana” versus “cannabis” actually triggers a significant difference in public opinion. At most, studies have shown that “medical marijuana” garners more positive attitudes than “recreational marijuana.” If calling it “cannabis,” as opposed to “marijuana,” changes public perception, it could be a way of changing public policy going forward.

 

The study:  In 2017, 1,600 surveyed adults were randomly assigned to answer questions about either “marijuana,” “cannabis,” “medical marijuana,” or “medical cannabis.” Questions addressed legalization as well as moral acceptability, tolerance of drug-related activities, perception of harm, and user stereotypes. Within each category of questions, using the term “cannabis” instead of “marijuana” did not affect public opinion. For instance, the choice of term had no effect on respondents’ views about legalization, public use, or an off-duty teacher’s use of it. However, its description as “medical” did consistently result in more favorable public opinion, even with respect to how harmful the substance seems. Respondents did not stigmatize “cannabis” users less than “marijuana” users. However, adding the term “medical” reduced stigma overall. So use of the term “medical” had far more impact than replacing the word “marijuana” with “cannabis.”

 

Conclusions:  Using the term “cannabis” instead of “marijuana” may not change public attitudes in terms of promoting understanding of and support for the drug. However, use for medical purposes does receive more support.

 

What does this study add?  This study suggests that policy advocates have misjudged the effect of terminology on public opinion.

 

Funder:  The study received financial support from Vanderbilt University, but the institution did not influence study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of manuscript.

 

Author conflicts:  None

 

Commentary: (David Casarett MD)  This is a little surprising, especially given how vociferously advocates insist on using the term “cannabis.” When I wrote a book on medical cannabis, for instance, and put “marijuana” in the title, I was taken to task by dozens of people. I still get angry email saying that I’m using a term that is outdated and reinforces notions of cannabis as an illegal recreational drug. That may be true, but it’s interesting that, if the goal is to promote an open dialogue about cannabis, the term we use doesn’t seem to matter as much as many people think.