SA youth not sold on legal dagga: survey

Three out of five South African youth do not support the legalisation of dagga, consumer insights company Pondering Panda said on Wednesday.

Spokeswoman Wendy Wakefield said a survey revealed that out of 5024 participants aged between 13 and 34, only 38% supported legalising the drug.

"However, men were more likely than women to feel that the use of dagga should be legalised," she said.

She said 45% of men were in favour of making the drug legal compared to 32% of women.

Wakefield said the debate about legalising dagga in the country was relevant as South Africa was already experiencing a serious drug problem.

"However, on the other hand, the legalisation and regulation of the sale of dagga could reduce the negative impact of the criminal drug trade in our country," she said.

The survey was conducted during January 31 to February 5 and interviews were carried out through mobile phones.