Public hearings on cannabis/marijuana in the Brazilian House of Representatives, 1997-2020

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyze the public hearings on marijuana/cannabis held in the Chamber of Deputies between 1997 and 2020. We conducted a census of public hearings on the subject and an automated content analysis of the speeches made in them. The legislative debate on cannabis/marijuana regulation in Brazil via public hearings expanded in recent years, focusing on the medicinal and industrial uses of the plant. As main results, we observed that there was a change in the profile of guests over time, since researchers, representatives of patients/users and regulatory agencies gained prominence. We also note that there is polarization surrounding the debate over the pair medicinal use vs. abuse/addiction. Other themes also stood out in the speeches analyzed, albeit less centrally, related to cultivation, products derived from cannabis, and the production chain and its regulation.