Cannabis consumption in Australia is significantly declining. Why?
- According to fresh statistics by Australian academics, cannabis consumption in Australia appears to be significantly declining. But what are the reasons for this decline?
According to a statistic from a recent study at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, cannabis consumption across Australia has significantly dropped from 2001 to 2013. The statistics and numbers in this study speak clearly, however the matter becomes complicated when trying to understand the cause of this trend.
Between 2001 and 2013, cannabis consumption drastically decreased, especially among young people. Among teenagers aged 14 to 19, annual consumption dropped from 24.4% to just 14.8%. A slowdown in overall consumption was also observed among those in their twenties, falling from 29.1% to 20.8%. The only age group showing an increase was those in their forties.
Reasons for Cannabis Consumption Decline
According to a survey published in the peer-review journal Drug & Alcohol Review, the current downward trend might be caused by a combination of up to five significant factors. Researchers Alison Ritter and Oluwadamisola Sotade responsible for this survey encourage further comprehensive research into the reasons for cannabis consumption reduction in Australia.
"We have been aware of this downward trend for some time," explains Ritter, co-author of the study. "This time we are trying to focus more on answering why cannabis consumption is declining."
Researchers Ritter and Sotade agreed on five crucial variables that could help explain the downward trend. Specifically, these include changes in public attitude towards cannabis, regulation, supply, complementary drug use, and also 'an increase in healthy lifestyle trends'.
To better understand the entire matter, the authors believe it is necessary to deeply explore all these factors: "Currently, we need a completely new, multidisciplinary research agenda addressing factors such as new regulations and economics using econometric techniques and socio-cultural analyses capable of empirically testing and proving possible reasons for the downward trend in cannabis consumption."
Will the New Medical Cannabis Law Influence Overall Consumption?
"There are still many speculations around this topic," Ritter explains to Leafly, "but existing data from US states where cannabis has been legal for recreational and medical purposes for some time shows that cannabis usage rates among young people do not increase after medical cannabis legalization."
"In connection with adult cannabis usage, studies are currently quite contradictory," Ritter further describes. "Some studies show an increase in usage, others see no change. The most credible studies currently show an increase in people suffering from cannabis use disorder."
Consequences of Future Cannabis Decriminalization?
Ritter further explains that "in Australia, there has always been strong support for medical cannabis decriminalization" and adds that each country takes the definition of "decriminalization" slightly differently. In a scientific review prepared by academics from the University of New South Wales last year, we can see interesting data about medical cannabis decriminalization.
Research on cannabis decriminalization indicates the following consequences:
- Reduction of state costs and societal taxes - especially reducing costs required for criminal justice system execution
- Cannabis decriminalization does not increase drug consumption
- Cannabis decriminalization does not increase crime rates
Finding evidence that cannabis decriminalization does not increase drug consumption does not necessarily mean it directly reduces consumption. However, all these data are very valuable for all countries considering future cannabis decriminalization.