Interviews with 18 stakeholders in Swiss cannabis pilot trials revealed that political pressures and stakeholder interests systematically shaped the research process, transforming evidence-based policy into "policy-based evidence."
Drug policy researchers, science policy analysts, and cannabis legalization observers
Political imperatives often took precedence over scientific considerations
What the researchers found
Social forces, including political imperatives and stakeholder interests, collectively shaped the Swiss cannabis pilot trial research. Informants committed to rigorous research while acknowledging that harm reduction discourse, power asymmetries, and political context influenced study design and implementation. The result was evidence production adjusted to align with contextual realities rather than purely scientific considerations.
Why it matters
Drug policy is increasingly claimed to be "evidence-based," but this study reveals how the evidence itself is shaped by political and social forces. Understanding this dynamic is crucial for interpreting drug policy research and designing truly independent studies.
The numbers in context
18 stakeholders interviewed across 6 professional categories. Social constructivist analytical lens applied. Multiple social forces identified: political imperatives, power asymmetries, harm reduction discourse, stakeholder economics.
How the study worked
Qualitative study using thematic content analysis of semi-structured interviews with 18 stakeholders including scientists, policymakers, pharmacists, physicians, cannabis producers, and public health officials involved in Swiss cannabis pilot trials.
What this study cannot tell us
Qualitative study from one country's specific regulatory context. Stakeholder perspectives may be self-serving or biased. The small sample may not capture all relevant viewpoints. Findings about Swiss pilot trials may not generalize to other countries.
How to read the evidence
Small qualitative study with a social constructivist framework; valuable for understanding research politics but not for generalizing.
When this study was published
2024 study
The bigger picture
The concept of "policy-based evidence" (where policy needs shape the evidence that gets produced, rather than evidence shaping policy) has implications far beyond cannabis. This case study provides a concrete example of how this works in practice.
Questions still open
- How can drug policy research be insulated from political influence while remaining policy-relevant? Are other countries' cannabis research programs similarly shaped by social forces? How should policymakers interpret research that they themselves influenced?
Common questions
Is cannabis policy research truly evidence-based?
What is "policy-based evidence"?
Read the original research
Social forces shaping evidence production: A study of the swiss cannabis pilot trials.
The International journal on drug policy, 134, 104623
Citation
Sznitman, Sharon R; Auer, Reto; Havinga, Jonathan Christopher; Casalini, Alessandro; Broers, Barbara. (2024). Social forces shaping evidence production: A study of the swiss cannabis pilot trials.. The International journal on drug policy, 134, 104623. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104623