PEOPLE living in socially disadvantaged and regional areas of Australia are consuming significantly more cannabis than their counterparts in wealthier metropolitan towns and cities, a new study has found.

Combining large-scale wastewater analysis with national survey data to track cannabis use trends from 2018 to 2025, researchers found that intake has steadily risen across all communities.

The study showed that the most disadvantaged communities, as well as outer regional and remote areas, recorded more than double the consumption rates of the wealthiest areas, with calls for harm-reduction strategies to be tailored to the communities most affected.

“Higher consumption in disadvantaged and remote communities likely reflects a complex mix of attributes such as access to services, economic conditions and social norms,” explained Dr Rory Verhagen of the University of Queensland.

“That gap has persisted over time, providing a rare, objective insight into population-level drug use and highlighting the need for targeted health responses,” he added.

The paper is available HERE.

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