A report published this week by The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) has found that 80% of Generation Z support the legalisation of cannabis in the United Kingdom.
The report, titled Society Watch 2024: Understanding the new generation of voters, provides insight into three key policy issues ahead of the upcoming General Election; law and order, social care and cannabis legalisation.
Data from the British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey, carried out by NatCen, was taken from 5,578 interviews carried out in September and October 2023. Answers to questions were grouped into five distinct generations; Generation Z (born 1997-2012), Millennials (born 1981-1996), Generation X (born 1965-1980), Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) and The Silent Generation (born 1925-1945).
Participants were asked to choose a statement which most closely aligned with their viewpoint on cannabis legalisation. Almost two-thirds of those in the Gen Z group (63%) supported the sale of cannabis in licensed shops. 17% believed the sale of cannabis should be legal with no restrictions. Only 20% believed that cannabis should remain illegal.
Across most generations, support for cannabis was higher than support for prohibition. 67% of millennials supported cannabis legalisation, while 58.3% of Gen X expressed they believe cannabis should be legalised in some way. Only 45% of Baby Boomers supported cannabis prohibition while just over half (51%) of the Silent Generation responded that taking cannabis should remain illegal.
The report also found that despite expressing far higher levels of support for allowing the sale of cannabis, Gen Z was reported as being significantly less likely to use cannabis than their Gen X parents were at their age. In 1996, 16.2% of 16-24 year olds, now Gen X, reported using cannabis in the previous month. In 2023, just 8.4% of Gen Z 16-24 year olds reported consuming weed.
It is estimated that by 2030, Gen Z will make up one-quarter of the voting population. For many in this cohort, the 2024 General Election will be their first opportunity to vote.
“Views on the sale of cannabis provide a case study of how Gen Z’s views on law and order are shaped by distinctively liberal social attitudes,” the report says. “On issues such as cannabis policy, Gen Z take a more liberal position than other generations, even though their self-reported use is relatively low.”
“If these views are upheld as Gen Z increasingly gain the right to vote and become a larger proportion of the electorate, it could contribute to a countercultural shift on a level with that experienced by their Baby Boomer grandparents in the 1960s.”
This story first appeared on leafie, view here
Author: Liam O’Dowd
