Legalised or not? Poor public communication causes confusion surrounding the new cannabis policy in Belgium.

Abstract

During the last three years, the newly announced drug policy, specifically cannabis, has been the subject of debate between the Government and the opposition parties within the Belgian Federal Government. Public communication by the Federal Government and the competent ministers was incomplete, untimely, inconsistent, tendentious and polemical. This caused confusion when discussing whether and when the possession of cannabis would be legal as well as what the criteria might be for determining prosecution for possessing cannabis. This article shows the way in which political spin dealing with policy intentions can negatively influence the public's knowledge of the policies and the way it can interfere with informational activities. The article is based on an analysis of policy documents, legal texts, media reports, call reports from the Association for Alcohol and other Drug Problems, secondary survey data and our own survey.