Majority for legalizing cannabis? It could be that the “Red Pothead Faction” falsified the result. Image: EPA
The city of Frankfurt, known for its troubled station district, surveyed 10,000 citizens about their attitudes towards cannabis. Most are in favor of decriminalizing the drug. But was the survey manipulated?
Around 70 percent of Frankfurters are in favor of no longer prosecuting the use of cannabis. This is the result of a study presented by Jakob Schlink, a member of the Frankfurt drug department’s cannabis project, at the Frankfurt Cannabis Talks on Saturday. The event in the health department was themed “What does Frankfurt need?”
At the beginning of the year, the Frankfurt drug department wrote to 10,000 citizens – randomly selected from the population register. About 30 percent returned the questionnaire. The aim of the study is to objectify the debate, said the Frankfurt health department head Stefan Majer (Greens). “We don’t act ideologically, but fact-based, pragmatic and geared to the needs of the people.” In addition, the interest in cannabis among the Frankfurt population is great, according to the head of the drug department, Artur Schroers. “People should be able to correctly assess their consumption. They should know where the risks lie and how to prevent them,” he said.