Quebec study: Not all cannabis users are ‘problematic’

Not all cannabis users are “problematic,” according to a Quebec study, which helps identify strategies to prevent consumption from becoming problematic.

As a general rule, researchers found that non-problematic cannabis users are women; consume it only occasionally; and consume it in a social context, at the same time as they consume alcohol.

“The scientific literature often focuses on the problems and consequences of cannabis use,” said Guillaume Dubé, who conducted this study at the Université de Montreal before pursuing his doctoral studies at the Université de Sherbrooke.

“I found it a bit inconsistent that there weren’t many studies on people who use it in a non-problematic way. There is a kind of stigma surrounding the substance, a kind of generalized belief that it automatically causes problems, which is not the case. Of course there are risks, but they are not universal.”

Risk reduction strategies encourage cannabis users to adopt less risky behaviours, such as refraining from daily or heavy use, or limiting the simultaneous use of other psychoactive substances, the study authors note.

However, they say, “little is known about the characteristics of people who use cannabis but are at lower risk of developing a cannabis use disorder.”

Dubé and his colleagues therefore studied the responses of 731 adults aged around 35 who participated in a study on nicotine addiction in 2022 and 2023. Sociodemographic factors, mental health, lifestyle, and cannabis use patterns were compared between participants who did not use cannabis, those who used it at low risk, and those who were at higher risk for problematic use.

Approximately 44 per cent of subjects reported using cannabis in the past year, of whom 63 per cent were classified as low risk and 37 per cent as high risk for problematic use.

Compared to other participants, those at high risk of problematic use were more likely to be male and have lower levels of education. Several mental health indicators were less favorable among participants at higher risk of problematic use, who also reported a higher prevalence of smoking.

Being female and the simultaneous use of cannabis and alcohol were associated with a higher prevalence of low-risk cannabis use, while a higher frequency of cannabis use, the simultaneous use of cannabis and tobacco, and smoking were associated with a lower prevalence of low-risk use.

“Our results indicate that a majority of users will not develop a cannabis use disorder,” Dubé pointed out. “From a socio-demographic perspective, the majority of people who use it in a non-problematic way are very similar to those who do not use it.”

These findings, the authors believe, “highlight the importance of harm reduction strategies and evidence-based education for cannabis-related policies.”

They point out that the use of psychoactive substances carries risks, regardless of the substance, but “for adults who wish to use cannabis, there are practices that can maximize the benefits and reduce these risks.”

It is first and foremost a matter of education, says Dubé, who calls for a “de-dramatization” of the situation, since we have the scientific knowledge necessary to know how to consume cannabis while reducing the risks.

The goal, he added, “is to reduce the risks associated with cannabis as we do with alcohol.”

“If there is one variable to definitely target, it is the frequency of consumption,” Dubé said. “When you consume every day, the risks of problems with this substance skyrocket. If you consume a few times a month, less than once a week, the risks seem to be drastically reduced.”

The findings of this study were published in December by the Journal of Cannabis Research.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews