Engagement with medical cannabis information from online and mass media sources: Is it related to medical cannabis attitudes and support for legalization?

Nehama Lewis; Sharon R Sznitman

doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.01.005

Engagement with medical cannabis information from online and mass media sources: Is it related to medical cannabis attitudes and support for legalization?

Int J Drug Policy. 2019 Nov:73:219-227. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.01.005. Epub 2019 Feb 21.

Authors

Nehama Lewis¹, Sharon R Sznitman²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Communication, University of Haifa, Rabin Building, room 8035, Mount Carmel, 3190501 Haifa, Israel. Electronic address: nlewis@com.haifa.ac.il.
² School of Public Health, University of Haifa, Eshkol Building, Room 705, Mount Carmel, 3190501, Haifa, Israel. Electronic address: sznitman@research.haifa.ac.il.

PMID: 30799152
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.01.005

Abstract

Background: The legalization of medical and recreational cannabis is a topic of continued debate in countries around the world. It has been suggested that medical cannabis legalization influences cannabis legalization for recreational purposes through increased media attention toward the positive health effects of cannabis. However, the nature of media coverage is likely to vary across mass media and online sources (internet and social media). In addition, effects of information engagement on attitudes may vary depending on whether information was actively sought or obtained incidentally during patterns of regular media use (scanned).

Methods: This study uses data from an online survey of Israeli adults (N = 554) to test the association between information seeking and scanning about medical cannabis (from mass media and online sources) and attitudes toward medical cannabis. Furthermore, we test indirect effects of media engagement on attitudes toward cannabis legalization through medical cannabis attitudes.

Results: Seeking and scanning for information about medical cannabis from online sources, but not from mass media sources, were associated with positive attitudes toward medical cannabis. Engagement with medical cannabis information from online sources was also indirectly associated with greater support for cannabis legalization, through positive attitudes related to medical cannabis.

Conclusion: The results suggest that one mechanism through which medical cannabis legalization is associated with cannabis legalization for all purposes is public engagement with information about medical cannabis in the media, particularly from the internet and social media channels. As increasingly more jurisdictions are expected to legalize medical cannabis, with resulting increase in media attention, support for recreational cannabis legalization may be expected to grow.

Keywords: Cannabis legalization; Information seeking; Medical cannabis; Online survey; Scanning; Social media.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Consumer Health Information / statistics & numerical data*
Female
Health Policy
Humans
Information Seeking Behavior*
Internet / statistics & numerical data
Israel
Male
Marijuana Use / legislation & jurisprudence*
Marijuana Use / psychology
Mass Media / statistics & numerical data
Medical Marijuana*
Middle Aged
Public Opinion
Social Media / statistics & numerical data
Surveys and Questionnaires
Young Adult

Substances

Medical Marijuana