ABSTRACT
The diversity of strengths seems to reflect the main differences in national responses to the drug problem. The analysis of opinions on the drug problem and related policies reveals the existence of a national as well as an organizational impact on the definition of the problem. When analysing social problems, one has to take into account that the specific conditions of a problem may be defined in many different ways by the various organizations and groups involved. Such definitions usually have a significant impact on the beliefs shared by public opinion. Opinions on dominant drugs are found to be another important characteristic of problem definition. Each organization was asked to come up with a structure of drug supply and its changes over a 5-year period. Cannabis occupies a central place among illicit drugs. Its share in total drug supply is estimated as one of the largest in each country.
