Cannabis consumers in Poland

Andrzej Matczak,Przemysław Adam Pawlicki

doi:10.26881/jpgs.2019.2.04

Andrzej Matczak, Przemysław Adam Pawlicki

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.26881/jpgs.2019.2.04

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is an attempt to answer the following questions: (1) Is there a regional differentiation of cannabis consumers in Poland? (2) What is the scale of this differentiation? (3) What factors affect this differentiation? Our empirical study is based on the analysis of an anonymous online survey. The coefficient of variation, taxonomic measures of similarity, synthetic index and Spearman correlation coefficient are used in the analysis. It is observed that cannabis consumption in Poland is most popular among men, youth and young adults (Generation Y), as well as among those who are well-educated, relatively well-off and live in cities. The structure of selected demographic and socio-economic features of the respondents is poorly differentiated regionally. Regional differentiation in the structure of cannabis consumption frequency is at an average level. The spatial distribution of features characterizing the respondents is highly consistent with the spatial distribution of city dwellers aged 15–44, their sex and 5-year age ranges, the level of education, the size of cities and the level of gross domestic product.

Highlights

Nowadays, consumption of various psychoactive substances has become a mass phenomenon (Motyka, Marcinkowski, 2014)
In Poland, the scale of cannabis-based products consumption is close to the European average and this consumption is highest among youth and young adults. 16.3% of Polish residents aged 1564 admit to using cannabis at least once in their lifetime, 4.6% during the preceding year
Cannabis consumption in Poland was more popular among men, youth and young adults (Generation Y) and among the well-educated, relatively well-off and living in cities

Summary

Introduction

Consumption of various psychoactive substances has become a mass phenomenon (Motyka, Marcinkowski, 2014). Cannabis is one of the most popular in the world. In the EU countries, slightly more than a quarter (27.4%) of their residents aged 15–64 (i.e. 91.2 million) declared that they consumed cannabis at least once in their lifetime and 24.7 million of them (7.4%) used cannabis in the last year (EMCDDA, 2019). The global population of cannabis consumers is estimated to be over 180 million, amounting to 3.8% of the world’s population (UNODC, 2016). In Poland, the scale of cannabis-based products consumption is close to the European average and this consumption is highest among youth and young adults. 16.3% of Polish residents aged 1564 admit to using cannabis at least once in their lifetime, 4.6% during the preceding year In Poland, the scale of cannabis-based products consumption is close to the European average and this consumption is highest among youth and young adults. 16.3% of Polish residents aged 1564 admit to using cannabis at least once in their lifetime, 4.6% during the preceding year

Objectives

Results

Conclusion