Survey of Australian’s knowledge, Perception and Use of Cannabis for Medicinal Purposes
Journal Title: Journal of Addiction & Prevention - Year 2017, Vol 5, Issue 1
Abstract
Objective: Changes to national and some state’s policy on the cultivation and prescription of cannabis for medicinal purposes will soon directly impact Australian medical practitioners. We investigate differences in demographics, use patterns and the perceptions held by individuals who use cannabis for medicinal or recreational purposes and non-users. Method: Online survey advertised on the newsfeed of Australian Facebook users aged 18 years or over between March and May of 2016. A total sample of 1578 completed the survey, 199 (12.61%) were non-cannabis users, 489 (31.99%) were recreational-only users, 82 (5.20%) were medicinal-only users, and 808 (51.20%) used both recreationally and medicinally. Detailed questions regarded demographics, health, substance use, and knowledge and perceptions of medicinal cannabis use and policy in Australia. Results: The sample most commonly perceived cannabis to effectively treat pain and mental health conditions. Most medicinal users also reported frequently smoking cannabis for non-medicinal purposes. Overall, participant knowledge did not accurately reflect the current evidence base for medicinal cannabis. Differences by cannabis use motivation are discussed. Conclusions: This survey highlights important differences between non-users and current medicinal and non-medicinal cannabis users in demographics, patterns of cannabis use and regarding knowledge and perceptions of medicinal cannabis. The mismatch between the state of evidence to inform safe and effective clinical practice and beliefs of medicinal cannabis users must be addressed and may negatively impact clinical rapport and patient outcomes.
Authors and Affiliations
Jan Copeland
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP240150
- DOI 10.13188/2330-2178.1000034
- Views 126
- Downloads 0
Chronic Methamphetamine Increases Alpha-Synuclein Protein Levels in the Striatum and Hippocampus but not in the Cortex of Juvenile Mice
Methamphetamine is the second most widely used illicit drug worldwide. More than 290 tons of methamphetamine was synthesized in the year 2005 alone, corresponding to approximately ~3 billion 100 mg doses of methamphetami...
The Serotonin Link between Alcohol Use and Affective Disorders
Serotonin is imperative for the normal operations in the central nervous system. The serotonergic circuitry is implicated in many neuronal processes, and, especially so in mechanisms of emotional regulation and reward. A...
The Effects of Extended-Access Cocaine Self-Administration on Working Memory Performance, Reversal Learning and Incubation of Cocaine-Seeking in Adult Male Rats
Gold is sold in the form of coins, biscuits, bars, jewellery, artwork and watches since gold is one of the precious metals. Its value encourages the criminals to commit crimes like burglary, snatching cheating and even m...
Flexibility in Design, Outcomes and Analysis in “Evidence- Based” Drug Prevention Research: The Case of the Midwestern Prevention Project
Flexibility in study designs, definitions, outcomes and analytic models increases the chance that the results reported in an empirical study are untrue. Such flexibility in methodological and analytic practices has been...
Child Abuse, Autism and Excessive Alcohol Consumption
This report describes a co-occurrence of child abuse, autistic symptoms, impulsivity, hyperactivity and excessive alcohol consumption in the victim’s adolescence and early adulthood. The conclusion is that environmental...