The majority of Europeans favor marijuana legalization, a survey finds

According to the Hanway Associates survey, which was sponsored in part by cannabis company Curaleaf International, a majority of Europeans support a change in marijuana policy in several countries in the region.

Specifically, the poll looked at eight European countries and asked residents whether they favor legalizing and regulating marijuana for adults over the age of 18.

The results of the survey showed that 55% said they support the legalization of cannabis use for adults, 20% were indifferent and the remaining 25% are opposed. It is worth mentioning that the international consultation involved interviews with 9,043 adults from February 24 to March 14.

According to Marijuana Moment, the questions were addressed to people from countries such as France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, of which, there was “absolute majority support for legalization in each of those countries, except in the Netherlands, where a plurality of respondents supported reform”.

On the other hand, the survey also found that 48% of people support regulated retail marijuana stores, 35% support home growing, and 32% said they favor cannabis social clubs. “Interestingly, auto-growing is the most opposed, with 41% against,” El Planter reviewed.

“We consider this survey significant because it suggests that widespread cannabis reform in Europe is now simply a question of when and how, rather than ‘if,'” Charlotte Bowyer of Hanway Associates, co-author of the report, told Marijuana Moment.

According to El Planter, numerous countries in Europe in recent years have moved around marijuana legalization, some for specific medical purposes, and “others have decriminalized general consumption.”

“This report demonstrates what Curaleaf has been saying for some time, that Europeans want access to safe, competitively priced, high-quality cannabis that is legal,” Joe Bayern, CEO of the U.S.-based company, said in a press release. “The next step is for legislation to catch up with consumer demand,” he said.