Cannabis: client demographics and treatment

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).

Figure CANNABIS1: Clients with cannabis as the principal drug of concern, by sex and age group, 2020–21 (per cent)

The butterfly bar chart shows that male clients receiving treatment for cannabis as the principal drug of concern were most likely to be aged 10–19 (30.8% of clients) or 20–29 (36.4%) in 2020–21. This was similar for female clients (29.3% aged 10–19 and 37.6% aged 20–29).

Treatment

In 2020–21, 43,600 treatment episodes were provided to clients for cannabis as the principal drug of concern (Table Drg.4). The median duration of these treatment episodes was just under 3 weeks (20 days) (Table Drg.30).

Among cannabis-related treatment episodes in 2020–21:

  • The most common source of referral was health services (30% of episodes), followed by self/family (27%) and diversion from the criminal justice system (25%) (Figure CANNABIS2; Table Drg.28). For more information on diversion clients, see Source of referral and diversion clients.
  • The most common main treatment type was counselling (48% of episodes), followed by assessment only (17%) (Figure CANNABIS2; Table Drg.27). Counselling remained the most common main treatment type between 2011–12 and 2020–21.
  • Over 7 in 10 treatment episodes took place in a non-residential treatment facility (71% of episodes) (Table Drg.29).
  • 2 in 3 episodes ended with a planned completion (66% of episodes), while 20% ended unexpectedly (Figure CANNABIS2; Table Drg.29).

Figure CANNABIS2: Treatment episodes with cannabis as the principal drug of concern, by main treatment type, reason for cessation or source of referral, 2011–12 to 2020–21 (number or per cent)

The line graph shows that counselling was the most common main treatment type among treatment episodes for cannabis across the 10 years to 2020–21, rising from 14,056 episodes in 2011–12 to 20,756 in 2020–21. Assessment only was the second most common main treatment type in 2020–21 (7,215 episodes), though this fluctuated over time. Filters allow the user to view data as the number or per cent of episodes for main treatment type, reason for cessation or source of referral.

Visualisation not available for printing

Clients referred via diversion programs

Diversion treatment programs

Throughout Australia, diversion programs have been developed to divert people who were apprehended or sentenced for minor drug offences away from the criminal justice system into drug treatment. Treatment services range from short-term assessment, information or education sessions to longer-term treatments such as counselling and withdrawal management. For more information, refer to the Key terminology and glossary.

Most treatment episodes provided to clients diverted from the criminal justice system are for cannabis, followed by amphetamines. Clients who are referred via diversion may also receive other treatment episodes with a source of referral other than diversion.

In 2020–21, just over 1 in 10 clients receiving treatment for their own drug use were referred via police or court diversion programs (13% or 16,500 clients) (Table SC.13).

Among these clients:

  • over 1 in 2 listed cannabis as the principal drug of concern that led them to seek treatment (54% of clients)
  • around 1 in 4 treatment episodes for cannabis as the principal drug of concern were provided to clients who had been referred via diversion (25% or 10,700 episodes) (Table Drg.26)
  • among diversion clients receiving treatment for cannabis, 17% of these clients also received referrals to treatment that were not related to diversion (Table OV.14).

Clients who are referred to AOD treatment via diversion (diversion clients) may receive multiple treatment episodes during a colleciton period. Some diversion clients may receive treatment with a different source of referral (non-diversion episodes) in addition to the episode where they were referred via diversion (diversion episodes).

In 2020–21:

  • more than 57% of diversion treatment episodes and 21% of non-diversion episodes provided to diversion clients were for cannabis (Figure CANNABIS3; Table OV.14)
  • this was followed by amphetamines (16% of diversion episodes and 36% of non-diversion episodes provided to diversion clients), alcohol (9.0% of diversion episodes and 19% of non-diversion episodes) and heroin (1.5% of diversion episodes and 5.1% of non-diversion episodes) (Figure CANNABIS3; Table OV.14) (see Key terminology  and glossary).

Figure CANNABIS3: Diversion treatment episodes, by client’s source of referral, episode type and selected principal drug of concern, 2020–21 (per cent)

The stacked horizontal bar graph shows that cannabis was the most common principal drug of concern (PDOC) among treatment episodes provided to clients referred via diversion in 2020–21 (57.5% of episodes). By comparison, amphetamines was the most common PDOC among non-diversion episodes provided to diversion clients (36.3% of episodes) and alcohol was the most common PDOC among non-diversion episodes provided to non-diversion clients (40.5%).