Using the pharmacy retail model to examine perceptions and biases of a UK population sample towards regulation of specific psychoactive drugs
Drug Science Policy and Law January 1, 2019 Edward James, Thomas L Robertshaw, Michael Pascoe et al. 3 citations
A survey of 105 UK nationals found that perceptions of relative harm for alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, MDMA, and psilocybin did not match the harm rankings reported in scientific literature. Participants ranked tobacco as most harmful, followed by MDMA, psilocybin, alcohol, and cannabis, whereas the literature ranks alcohol as most harmful, then tobacco, cannabis, MDMA, and psilocybin. Objections to legal pharmacy sales included concerns about sending the wrong message, danger, and disapproval of psychoactive drug use for entertainment or mystical experiences. Most male participants considered legal access to alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and psilocybin a human right, while most female participants considered only alcohol a human right. Misperceptions and biases likely sustain policies misaligned with research.