Survey analyzes the population's perception of the medicinal use of Cannabis

The adult population of Criciúma will be surveyed starting October 18, in a study aimed at understanding knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding the medicinal use of Cannabis sativa. The research is conducted by researchers affiliated with the Medicinal Plants Laboratory (LaPlaM) at Unesc and is part of Vanessa Nicolau Torres's doctoral thesis. A total of 600 people will participate in the survey, which will be carried out by a team of 18 interviewers. 

Data collection will take place on Saturdays, with activities conducted at Nereu Ramos Square in downtown Criciúma, and may also occur at other previously defined and authorized locations by the responsible team. The survey will be conducted using questionnaires with questions related to the safety, efficacy, risks, benefits, and social acceptance of cannabis medicine.

According to Vanessa, the study aims to understand how the population perceives the therapeutic use of Cannabis, contributing to a broader and more informed debate on the topic. “We chose to study Cannabis because it is a plant with many benefits. We will assess how the population perceives its use, and from that, we can have a clearer overview to help in the development of new strategies for promoting and using the plant medicinally,” she comments.

According to researcher Patrícia de Aguiar Amaral, supervisor of the work, participation is entirely voluntary and depends on the formal consent of each person approached, in accordance with the ethical procedures outlined in the research project. “During the approach, the researchers will be properly identified as members of the team affiliated with LaPlaM/Unesc, ensuring transparency and safety for participants throughout the process. Our request is for people to participate and help us build this analysis by interviewing the total number of desired participants,” she emphasizes.

The project follows the research line concerning Natural Environments of the Graduate Program in Environmental Sciences (PPGCA).