Half of Jamaican cannabis users met criteria for severe problematic use, with early start age as the strongest predictor | Research

The takeaway

In a nationally representative Jamaican survey, 53% of past-year cannabis users scored at severe problematic use levels, smoking an average of two joints per day, with those who started before age 25 up to seven times more likely to develop problems.

Substance use treatment providers in the Caribbean, global drug policy researchers, and prevention specialists

53% of Jamaican cannabis users met severe problematic use criteria

What the researchers found

Among 786 past-year cannabis users, 53.3% scored 7 or higher on the Cannabis Abuse Screening Test (severe problematic use), smoking an average of 62 joints per month. Males were twice as likely to have severe problematic use. Starting cannabis use before age 26 increased the odds 3-7 times compared to later initiation, with the 12-17 and 18-25 onset groups showing the highest risk (7x).

Why it matters

Jamaica has deep cultural ties to cannabis, making understanding problematic use patterns critical for developing culturally appropriate interventions in a country where cannabis use is highly prevalent.

The numbers in context

786 participants; 53.3% scored severe on CAST; average 62 joints/month; males 2x more likely; early onset (age 11 and under): 5x risk; age 12-17 onset: 7x risk; age 18-25 onset: 7x risk; easy access, perceived treatment need, and awareness of drug agency also associated

How the study worked

Secondary data analysis of the Jamaica National Drug Prevalence Survey. 786 past-year cannabis users completed the Cannabis Abuse Screening Test (CAST), validated against DSM criteria. Logistic regression identified sociodemographic and psychosocial correlates of severe problematic use.

What this study cannot tell us

Cross-sectional design cannot determine causality; CAST screening tool may overestimate clinical diagnoses; national survey may underrepresent marginalized populations; cannot assess cannabis type, potency, or consumption method; self-reported data in a culture where cannabis is normalized

How to read the evidence

Nationally representative survey with validated screening tool and appropriate regression analysis, though cross-sectional and potentially influenced by cultural use norms.

When this study was published

2024 publication analyzing national survey data

The bigger picture

The extremely high rate of severe problematic use in Jamaica highlights how cultural normalization of cannabis does not prevent problematic use patterns and may complicate help-seeking.

Questions still open

Would culturally tailored interventions be more effective in Jamaica than Western-designed programs? Does the high rate of severe problematic use reflect truly problematic behavior or cultural differences in cannabis use norms?

Common questions

How common is problematic cannabis use in Jamaica?

Strikingly common. Over half (53.3%) of Jamaicans who used cannabis in the past year scored at severe problematic use levels on a validated screening tool. Users averaged about 62 joints per month, or roughly two per day.

What was the biggest risk factor for problematic use?

Starting young. People who began using cannabis before age 26 were 3 to 7 times more likely to develop severe problematic use compared to those who started at 26 or older. The highest risk was among those who started between ages 12-25, who were 7 times more likely to meet the severe criteria.

Read the original research

Prevalence and correlates of severe problematic cannabis use: analysis of a population-based survey in Jamaica.

Frontiers in psychiatry, 15, 1465963

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Lalwani, Kunal; De La Haye, Winston; Kerr, Kevon; Abel, Wendel; Sewell, Clayton. (2024). Prevalence and correlates of severe problematic cannabis use: analysis of a population-based survey in Jamaica.. Frontiers in psychiatry, 15, 1465963. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1465963