In 2020–21, cannabis was reported as a drug of concern (either principal or additional) in 3 in 10 treatment episodes (31% or 70,600 episodes) (Table Drg.4).
Cannabis was the third most common principal drug of concern, recorded in nearly 1 in 5 treatment episodes (19% or 43,600 episodes) (Table Drg.4). This has remained consistent since 2015–16, when cannabis was surpassed by amphetamines as the second most common PDOC (Table Drg.5). In the 10 years to 2020–21, treatment episodes for cannabis fluctuated, peaking at 45,000 episodes in 2015–16. In relation to all other drugs of concern cannabis treatment episodes were most prominent in 2014–15 when they constituted 24% of all episodes (Table Drg.5).
In 2020–21, over 1 in 3 cannabis-related treatment episodes had at least 1 additional drug of concern recorded (35% or 15,200 episodes) (Table Drg.2). The most common additional drugs of concern were alcohol (32% or 7,700 episodes), amphetamines (22% or 5,300 episodes) and nicotine (22% or 5,200 episodes) (Figure DRUGS1; Table Drg.3). These drugs may not have been the subject of any treatment within the episode.
For information on cannabis use and harms, please see:
Client demographics
In 2020–21, 28,500 clients received treatment for cannabis as the principal drug of concern. Of these clients:
- Nearly 2 in 3 were male (64% of clients) (Table SC.9).
- Over 2 in 3 people were aged either 10–19 (30% of clients) or 20–29 years (37%) (Table SC.10). This was consistent for both males and females (Figure CANNABIS1).
- Nearly 1 in 5 were Indigenous Australians (19% or 5,500 clients) (Table SC.11). This represents a crude rate of 929 Indigenous clients per 100,000 population (Table SCR.26).