Cannabis: client demographics and treatment
In 2019–20, cannabis was reported as a drug of concern in one-third (33%) of all closed treatment episodes, either as a principal or additional drug of concern:
- cannabis was the third most common principal drug of concern in nearly 1 in 5 (18% or 40,305) treatment episodes
- the most common additional drugs of concern reported with cannabis included alcohol (32%), nicotine (24%) or amphetamines (23%) but these drugs are not the subject of any treatment within the episode (Figure DRUGS1; tables SD.6–8).
Cannabis use and harm
Cannabis (also called marijuana or gunja) is derived from the cannabis plant (usually Cannabis sativa) and is used in whole plant (typically the flowering heads), resin or oil forms. Cannabis has a range of stimulant, depressant and hallucinogenic effects. The risks associated with long‑term or regular use of cannabis include dependence, damage to lungs and lung functioning, effects on memory and learning, and psychosis and other mental health conditions. Cannabis withdrawal is now listed as a discrete syndrome in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (NCPIC 2011).
According to the 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (AIHW 2020), more than 1 in 3 (36%) Australians aged 14 and over had used cannabis in their lifetime and 11.6% had used it in the previous 12 months. Both lifetime and recent use increased between 2007 and 2019 (AIHW 2020).
Diversion treatment programs
Among diversion clients, diversion episodes are most likely to be for cannabis, followed by amphetamines, alcohol, and heroin (Figure CANNABIS3). Throughout Australia, there are programs that divert people who were apprehended or sentenced for a minor drug offence from the criminal justice system. Many of these diversions result in people receiving drug treatment services. Services vary widely, ranging from short-term assessment, information or education sessions to longer term treatments such as counselling and withdrawal management, which are supported by Australian Government funding and a national framework. Diversion programs in the states and territories have led to the development of systematic approaches to diversion. Some states and territories have also incorporated their own additional drug diversion programs that have different priorities and target groups, including cannabis expiation notice schemes, youth programs and alcohol-related offenders, which have changed over time due to legislative, regulatory and policy frameworks related to drugs and drug use.
Client demographics
In 2019–20, 27,701 clients received treatment where cannabis was the principal drug of concern, two-thirds (66%) of clients were male and nearly 1 in 5 (19%) were Indigenous Australians (tables SC.6–SC.8, SCR.26).
For clients whose principal drug of concern was cannabis:
- male (68%) and female (67%) clients were most likely to be aged 10–29 (Figure CANNABIS1)
- the rate for Indigenous clients receiving treatment decreased from 973 per 100,000 people in 2015–16 to 893 in 2019–20.