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 120
- Downloads 0
Mechanisms of Stimulant Drug Dependence
Objectives: Current theories of severe substance use disorder (chemical dependence) have tended to focus on either the initial phases of the process when the individual experiences WANT or on the later phases when the pr...
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...
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 Trabecular Meshwork: A Basic Review of Form and Function
IOP is a consequence of aqueous humor inflow balanced against aqueous humor outflow and both are approximately 2.75 μl/min [10]. Inflow is relatively pressure insensitive until very high pressures are achieved [11]. IOP...
MDMA regulates serotonin transporter function via a Protein kinase C dependent mechanism
Serotonin (5-HT) is a neurotransmitter with an integral role in regulating mood and dysregulation of this system is implicated in disorders such as depression and withdrawal from drugs of abuse. 3,4- methylenedioxymetham...