Daily users account for over 80% of all cannabis consumed in Australia
A new study published in the scientific journal Addiction estimates that in Australia between 2007 and 2016, 81% to 85% of all cannabis was consumed by the 16% of all Australian cannabis users who used daily. Weekly users and daily users together accounted for an estimated 98% of all cannabis consumed in Australia between 2007 and 2016.
This argues against the common assumption that the pattern of consumption observed with alcohol in high-income countries (in which a minority of heavy drinkers account for most of the drinking) does not apply to cannabis, which has a lower dependence risk than alcohol and many intermittent users.
Other interesting findings from this study:
- Prevalence of past cannabis use in Australia increased from 8.9% in 2007 to 10.5% in 2016.
- Among all past year cannabis users in Australia, 1 in 6 was a daily user.
Lead author Dr. Gary Chan, of the University of Queensland, comments: “Our study shows that the population distribution of cannabis consumption is likely to be much like alcohol, in that daily users account for the majority of total consumption. This suggests that jurisdictions with legalized cannabis should discourage heavy cannabis use by taxing cannabis products, strengthening social norms that discourage heavy consumption, restricting marketing practices that target heavy users, and screening and intervening with the heaviest cannabis users in primary care medical settings.”
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