About 6% of Australian Cannabis Users Met Criteria for High-Risk Use, With Daily Use and Early Start as Key Factors
A nationally representative Australian survey found that while most cannabis users were low-risk, 6.2% met criteria for high-risk use, with daily consumption, early initiation, and psychological distress as strong predictors.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Among 1,504 recent cannabis users, 71.6% were low/no risk, 22.2% were moderate risk, and 6.2% were high risk. Daily use was associated with 5.7 times the risk of high-risk classification. Starting before age 15 carried 2.5 times the risk compared to starting at 18 or older. Psychological distress tripled the risk.
Key Numbers
71.6% low/no risk, 22.2% moderate risk, 6.2% high risk. Daily use: RRR=5.70 for high-risk. Starting before 15: RRR=2.52. Starting at 15-17: RRR=2.25. Psychological distress: RRR=3.19. Sample: 1,504 past-3-month cannabis users.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional analysis of the 2022-2023 Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey. Cannabis use risk was measured using the WHO ASSIST-Lite. Multinomial logistic regression examined associations between risk level and use patterns, psychological distress, and demographics.
Why This Research Matters
With cannabis legalization debates ongoing globally, this nationally representative data helps quantify the proportion of users who develop problematic patterns and identifies the factors most strongly linked to high-risk use.
The Bigger Picture
These findings align with international data suggesting that most cannabis users do not develop problematic use, but a meaningful minority does, particularly those who use daily, started young, or have existing mental health concerns.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design cannot determine whether factors like psychological distress preceded or followed high-risk cannabis use. Self-report data may underestimate use. Survey response rates affect representativeness.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would targeted interventions for daily users and early initiators reduce high-risk use rates?
- ?How do these proportions compare before and after legalization in various jurisdictions?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Daily use was linked to 5.7x the odds of high-risk cannabis use
- Evidence Grade:
- Moderate: nationally representative survey with validated screening tool and robust statistical analysis, though cross-sectional design limits causal inference.
- Study Age:
- 2025 study using 2022-2023 survey data.
- Original Title:
- Proportions and correlates of high-risk cannabis use in Australia-A cross-sectional analysis of the 2022-2023 National Drug Strategy Household Survey.
- Published In:
- Addiction (Abingdon, England) (2025)
- Authors:
- Leung, Janni(7), Stjepanović, Daniel(11), Chan, Gary Chung Kai(2), Hall, Wayne Denis, Dawson, Danielle
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06926
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as high-risk cannabis use?
Scoring in the high-risk category on the WHO ASSIST-Lite, which assesses problems related to cannabis use including difficulty controlling use, health effects, and social consequences.
Does starting cannabis younger really matter?
Yes. Starting before age 15 was associated with 2.5 times the risk of high-risk use compared to starting at 18 or older, even after accounting for other factors.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06926APA
Leung, Janni; Stjepanović, Daniel; Chan, Gary Chung Kai; Hall, Wayne Denis; Dawson, Danielle. (2025). Proportions and correlates of high-risk cannabis use in Australia-A cross-sectional analysis of the 2022-2023 National Drug Strategy Household Survey.. Addiction (Abingdon, England). https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70234
MLA
Leung, Janni, et al. "Proportions and correlates of high-risk cannabis use in Australia-A cross-sectional analysis of the 2022-2023 National Drug Strategy Household Survey.." Addiction (Abingdon, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70234
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Proportions and correlates of high-risk cannabis use in Aust..." RTHC-06926. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/leung-2025-proportions-and-correlates-of
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.