Abstract
There is a confusion leading to the stigmatization of cannabis topics. Cannabis is referred to as ‘marijuana', weed, and dagga, among other names depending on the adjoining audience. Consumption of cannabis leads to social devaluation of the user within communities. The cannabis industry is known for being illegal, scheduled as an illicit drug, and associated with brain damage leading to criminal activities. There is zero to less information available for the public regarding the topic. Cannabis use is associated with negativity arising from the consequences of substance abuse. The researcher followed the commonly practiced stigmas toward cannabis. The stigmas accumulate from the familiarity of the topic following the media, word of mouth, and local experience. all of which affect the uneasiness and discrimination of users. RSA policies were used as a guide in addressing the cannabis stigmas. The names: cannabis, marijuana, dagga, etc. were clarified. The chapter aims to address the stigma by giving insights into the legislation, medical cannabis, and clarifying the commonly identified stigmas.
TopKey Issues
The following issues will be covered in this chapter
- •
Introduction: what are the stigmas around the topic
- •
Is cannabis unhealthy: Medical perspective
- •
Is cannabis legal: Legislation perspective
- •
General discussion: other stigmas
- •
Possibility: Future without cannabis stigma
TopIntroduction
The normal state of Cannabis is illegal unless the use is justified. There is a lot of confusion leading to the stigmatization of adjoining Cannabis. The conversation around the “cannabis” topic is not so easy to strike, definitely not around children and not even health practitioners. The term cannabis tends to automatically echo marijuana in the conversation of many people. Cannabis is a term used to describe a plant. Today cannabis is referred to as ‘marijuana’, weed, and dagga among other names depending on the adjoining audience. First and foremost, it is important to note that cannabis is not marijuana/dagga/weed. Cannabis remains the plant that has the ability to produce a variety of cannabis plants just like many other plants.
Cannabis has descendants and it can be used in different ways. The cannabis industry is on the rise throughout the world [United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC, 2022)]. From the 1970s cannabis became illegal in most countries up until the 21st century (Payan, Brown, & Song, 2021, p. 1149). In South Africa, a person found in possession of any raw cannabis species anywhere would be jailed (Perkel, 2005; National Prosecuting Authority, 2015), this was supported by parliament decisions through the medicines act and Drug act (Medicine and Related Substances Control act 101 of 1965 section 22a & Drugs and Drug trafficking act 140 0f 1992 section 4b) (Lubaale & Mavundla, 2019). On the other hand, Citizens were encouraged to report any illegal possession of raw cannabis of any form. This elevated an adverse impact on how the world views cannabis in the current age. The passage below aims to acknowledge the stigmas entangled.
To date, the cannabis industry is known for being illegal, classified as an illicit drug, associated with brain damage or increased productivity, and influencing criminal activities (UNODC, 2022). Common concerns discovered from cannabis legalization globally are public health, crime, illicit market, accidents, and the economy (Light, Orens, Rowberry, & Saloga, 2016; Farmer, Monfort, & Woods, 2022; UNODC, 2022). These concerns influence the stigmatisation of the industry, as a result, the address below will cover the concerns.
There is zero to less information available for the public regarding the topic, the information is not easily accessible, and the world is filled with different perceptions around the topic. The government of South Africa has developed policies, collaborated with United Nations (INCB), and employed a regulating body (SAHPRA) to regulate the cannabis industry. South African policies were used as a guide in addressing the cannabis stigmas. This chapter aims to address the stigma by giving insights into the legislation on cannabis and clarifying the commonly identified concerns about cannabis.
Key Terms in this Chapter
INCB: stands for International Narcotics Control Board
Cannabis Products: are anything made from the cannabis plant or synthetic cannabis composites ( Freeman, Hindocha, Green, & Bloomfield, 2019 )
Stigma: refers to discrediting attributes influenced by the societal identity ( Goffman, 1963 )
CBD: refers to Cannabidiol, a constituent of cannabis widely used for medicinal cannabis ( Fishera, Moorec, & Fogartyd, 2020 )
Tetra-Hydro Cannabinol (THC): is a type of cannabinoid that contains high stimulation constituents known as “high effects”, hail from the Cannabis Sativa plant ( Skliamis, Korf, & Benschop, 2020 ).
Cannabis: is a genus type of flowering plant ( Datta, et al., 2021 ).
Cannabis Stigma: refers to the perceptions of the cannabis topic
Marijuana: is a cannabis descendant plant that carries high content of THC, also known as Ganja, Grass, Hash, holy herb, Joint, Pot, Weed, etc. ( UNODC, 2012 )
Hemp: is a type of cannabis plant which contains low THC composites ( Callaway, 2004 ).
UNODC: stands for United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
SAHPRA (South African Health Product Regulatory Authority): is a regulatory body appointed by the department of health of the Republic of South Africa ( SAHPRA, 2020 )
Cannabinoids: are the active constituent found in the cannabis plant ( Fishera, Moorec, & Fogartyd, 2020 )
Medicinal cannabis: refers to products made from cannabis extracts, plants, or even synthetic cannabis for medical purposes ( Castro-Granell, Garin, & Jaen, 2021 ).