UCT launches a Marijuana survey
The University of Cape Town tackles a different angle surrounding the legalization of weed in their Marijuana survey: Economic impact.
The research project aims to contribute “meaningful and empirical evidence” to the current debate pertaining to the legalization of everyone’s favourite green.
Instead of going the “moral plight” route, they wish to analyse it from an economic standpoint and its effects on that sector.
This is particularly important as most arguments made by advocates of legalization are grounded in economics.
UCT has created a survey that seeks to establish cross-sectional marijuana prices throughout South Africa.
Their marijuana survey aims to estimate factors such as current demand, price and price elasticity of demand for weed in South Africa.
Price elasticity pertains to how demand changes due to price variances.
Establishing these factors will open the door to further analysis which will add much value to research on the matter of legalization.
The marijuana survey instrument
The requirements needed to complete the survey are simply to have purchased any unprocessed form of weed in recent times as well as honesty.
Completing the survey is voluntary and anonymous allowing transparency to flow.
Among the questions you can find personal queries such as age bracket, gender, race and your personal monthly income.
They then delve into your smoking habits asking questions like ‘how often you consume’, ‘how often you purchase’, ‘for how long you have been a smoker’, etc.
The ‘third section’ deals with the economic aspect of buying such as ‘how much you pay as a whole’, ‘how many grams’, the quality and the details of your purchase. (Where, when and difficulty.)
The last few questions pertain to the dealer and whether he sells other substances, if they are your exclusive dealer and what type of weed they offer.
All in all this marijuana survey is very extensive which opens doors to the economics of weed in our country.
To complete the marijuana survey, follow this link.
