Sociodemographic Trends in Daily, Weekly and Less Than Weekly Cannabis Use in Australia

In the Australian 2001-2013 National Drug Strategy Household Surveys (NDSHS), frequent cannabis use declined among higher socioeconomic groups while remaining stable among lower socioeconomic groups, suggesting a widening socio-demographic gap. This study examined trends in cannabis use frequency and sociodemographic disparities in Australia up to 2022/23.

Data were from eight waves of the NDSHS between 2001-2022/23 (total N = 197,484). Past 12-month cannabis use was categorised as daily, weekly, less than weekly and no use. Multinomial regression models assessed associations between cannabis use, year and sociodemographic factors. Interaction terms examined changes in disparities over time.

Daily cannabis use ranged from 1.25% [95% confidence interval 1.08-1.45] to 1.67% [1.41-1.98] between 2001 and 2019, then increased to 2.17% [1.92-2.46] in 2022/23. Weekly and less frequent use remained stable. More frequent use was observed among males, younger adults, individuals living in outer regional or rural areas, unpartnered individuals, those with lower educational attainment, and those from more socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. Year-by-age interactions indicated larger increases in daily use among middle-aged and older adults. No interactions were observed between survey year and other socioeconomic indicators. The increase in daily use was attenuated in sensitivity analyses excluding medicinal and prescribed cannabis use.

Daily cannabis use in Australia increased in 2022/23, with a smaller effect if we exclude medicinal use, while other patterns of use remained unchanged. Sociodemographic disparities remained. Continued monitoring is needed to determine whether this represents a sustained trend and to address underlying drivers of inequalities.