A survey of 2,637 Brazilian adults found that the well-being effects of marijuana use and its prohibition varied sharply by race, gender, income, and education, with Indigenous peoples and youth most affected by criminalization.
Drug policy researchers, social justice advocates, Latin American public health researchers
Indigenous peoples and youth most likely to face police trouble from marijuana use
What the researchers found
Among 2,637 respondents, using marijuana for fun was most common among self-identified males, trans/non-binary people, college graduates, and higher-income individuals. Indigenous peoples and youth were most likely to report trouble with police due to marijuana. Higher education and longer use predicted more harm reduction strategies. Women and higher-income individuals were less likely to report daily use. Living with family and less frequent use protected against negative effects of intoxication.
Why it matters
In a country where marijuana remains criminalized, the harms of prohibition fall disproportionately on marginalized populations, adding a social justice dimension to cannabis policy debates.
The numbers in context
2,637 respondents; Indigenous peoples and youth most affected by policing; higher education associated with more harm reduction; women and higher income less likely to use daily; living with family protective
How the study worked
Cross-sectional study using anonymous online questionnaire in Brazil with 2,637 respondents. Logistic regression analyzed predictors of well-being including use benefits, prohibition risks, and harm reduction strategies across socioeconomic characteristics.
What this study cannot tell us
Online convenience sample likely skews toward educated, connected populations. Self-reported well-being is subjective. Cross-sectional design cannot establish causation. Brazilian context may not generalize.
How to read the evidence
Large survey with regression analysis, but online convenience sample and cross-sectional design limit generalizability and causal conclusions.
When this study was published
Published 2023
The bigger picture
Cannabis prohibition does not affect everyone equally. When enforcement disproportionately harms Indigenous, young, and lower-income populations, the policy itself becomes a determinant of health inequity.
Questions still open
- Would decriminalization in Brazil reduce the racial and socioeconomic disparities in prohibition harms? Do harm reduction strategies mediate the relationship between marijuana use and well-being?
Common questions
Does marijuana prohibition affect everyone equally in Brazil?
Who uses marijuana for well-being in Brazil?
Read the original research
Use of Marijuana to Promote Well-Being: Effects of Use and Prohibition in the Daily Lives of Brazilian Adults.
Substance abuse : research and treatment, 17, 11782218231162469
Citation
de Lima E Silva Surjus, Luciana Togni; Dainesi, Natália Cavalcante; de Souza, Felipe Granado. (2023). Use of Marijuana to Promote Well-Being: Effects of Use and Prohibition in the Daily Lives of Brazilian Adults.. Substance abuse : research and treatment, 17, 11782218231162469. https://doi.org/10.1177/11782218231162469