Cannabis use rises in indigenous areas...

[Guest Urbanhog]

Found this in Ninemsn's National Health News:

 

Cannabis use rises in Indigenous areas

 

Aborigines in remote Australia are increasingly using more cannabis than the rest of the community and there are fears amphetamine use might rise.

 

New research published in the Medical Journal of Australia shows a dramatic rise in cannabis use in the Northern Territory and concerns about rates in central Australia.

 

More than half the men in one area of Arnhem Land (55 per cent) and 13 per cent of women reported they used cannabis, compared to 31 per cent and eight per cent six years ago.

 

The rises were blamed on the rapid development of trafficking to eastern Arnhem Land communities from outside suppliers, Menzies School of Health Research senior researcher Alan Clough said.

 

"Data from one community suggests that between 1999 and 2000, men using cannabis doubled and cannabis use emerged among women in that community for the first time," he said.

 

Data from two other eastern Arnhem Land communities showed between 62 per cent and 76 per cent of men and nine per cent to 35 per cent of women, aged 13-36, used cannabis within the past year.

 

Ninety-four per cent of them used it within the past month.

 

The rates were higher than the rest of the NT population, at 34 per cent to 41 per cent of men and 33 per cent of women in the past year.

 

The effects included a likely increased risk of drug and alcohol psychoses, family violence and community disruption, self-harm and suicide, together with economic impacts.

 

Preliminary research suggested 44 per cent of users exhibited dose-related cannabis dependency, 41 per cent cannabis-induced anxiety disorders, and 19 per cent mood disorders.

 

The problem exacerbated other substance abuse and there were fears amphetamine use could rise in remote Australia.

 

"The rapid expansion of cannabis use has compounded existing patterns of other substance use," Mr Clough said.

 

"A majority of cannabis users use alcohol (65 per cent) and tobacco (92 per cent) and around half have a history of sniffing petrol (52 per cent)."

 

There was isolated evidence of amphetamine abuse in some people in the indigenous communities, all of whom used cannabis.

 

"Harder drugs haven't really taken hold, although there is evidence of isolated amphetamine use, mostly popping pills rather than injecting," Mr Clough said.

 

The researchers suggested educational intervention on the effects of cannabis use.

 

 

 

©AAP 2002 19:58 AEST Tue 8 Oct 2002

 

 

 

Well.... I would rather see the indigenous people smoking and eating cannabis than seeing them getting drunk on over-priced grog and sniffing petrol, I don't mean to be sterotyping or racist. But I think they should allow the indigenous smoking cannabis, and the government might notice a huge decrease in grog and petrol related domestic volience and it will be less burdon to the police and government and health department's paperwork..... since cannabis is supposely to be less harmful than petrol and grog and we might see more friendlier cannabis influnced indigenous people than putting up with these hopelessly drunks.

 

Again, I wish to repeat I am not sterotyping or being racist, I just think they are better off using cannabis and I think the governments are overreacting to the cannabis problem, they should worry more about these grog/petrol brain damaged people......

 

The governments should try to encourage the people to take cannabis alone, not mixing with grog, its the mixture that causes extra problems.....(that's my opinion)

 

Yes, they might see increase in so called "cannabis related mental illness" in the indigenous people, but it's only a small percentage of overall population of cannabis users...

 

Just my two cents......

 

cheers again guys

[Tom]

My thoughts as I read it too, why would anyone bother with some of those other things if mj was legal.

 

[Jim]

I am in total agreeance with both. If the Government could wake up just that little bit more...

I think the government is reluctant to legalise mj because they would have a hell of a time trying to profit from it, where as if they keep it illicit, they will get the money from fines, cultivation busts etc.

I think that if mj was legal, problems associated with alcohol, amphetamines and petrol sniffin would decline.

I think smoking weed by itself without mixing is pretty much harmless to you, if you can keep it under control. Im not a big drinker, alcohol sort of puts me off... the typical stereotype aussie yobbo, with a vb in his hand... grub.

where as a weed smoker who doesnt drink, you can hardly pick them out as a stoners.

well thats my...probably about 80 or 90 cents by now but oh well...

 

hooroo,

jim

[boe~pimp]

in two words > "I agree"

i don't really think i could elaborate on that anymore.

[Cronic_la_jar_jar]

Ive Always Said

 

 

Ive always said for years now the legaiztion of majuwana wont happen because The Money is in the

bust not the cultervation. We need to think of ways the

goverment can profit from making cannibus legal

[Guest Babybear]

What if they made it legal then they would want to grow it an put a tax on it ,Then you would get your surben dealers missin out on money because the gov would be sellin ie like smokes Or medication over the counter, I feel it should be legilized but should have a age limit Like ciggys started out at, 16 .But there is so many veiws on this , in my thoughts about 50% of teen users get bord with the high of mj an go to other things like chems, But no matter what law will have adults an teens will still go out of there why to find a High .Think it just the way socity has goon. Not just Aberigionals but whites an others to. the gov will just take there sweet ass time as usally .

[Guest Urbanhog]

I think the Dutch Government tax the coffeeshop's income not the weed, so the Dutch Government can get away from other countries hassling how Dutch making revune from "cannabis or drugs" but they aren't they are only taxing the coffeeshop's income.... Australia Government should look this up...... as other method....

[Dr Doug]

I think it is a one-sided arguement.I think that most cannabis use in Austalia wide is due to a backlash against the blatant way the alcohol industry is trying to turn every aussie into an alcoholic.The problems being blamed on cannabis use in indigenous communities were present before this increase in use.They have probably simply subsituted cannabis for alcohol.The powers that be are funded by taxes from alcohol sales so they produce statics that always make cannabis to seem to be the root of all the problems of society.At the end of the day to make cannabis illegal and alcohol legal based on the psycohsis arguement is hypocrytical. Alcohol abuse will result in a condition called wet brain.No publican in Australia will tell you that.

[Tom]

Welcome to Ozstoners Dr Doug, a thought occurred to me reading your post. If cannabis was legalised then the government would put a tax on it, growing your own mj would then be like distilling your own spirits. I think I would rather face the possibility of a 3 month suspended sentence and a $50 victims of crime levy than get busted for tax evasion.

[Dr Doug]

To Tom if it was legalised I would be paying my fair share of tax so I wouldnt have a problem with the law anyway either way.Send that $50 to a rehab unit.