UBC Community, Partners, and Alumni Publications

Gender differences in cannabis use related characteristics in high frequency using Canadian university students : an exploratory study Nakamura, Nadine; Dawe, Meghan; McGuire, Fraser; Rudzinski, Katherine; Jones, Wayne; Rehm, Jürgen; Fischer, Benedikt

Abstract

Research suggests that women’s drug use commonly has distinct dynamics and features which require specific understanding. The present study assesses gender differences in cannabis use characteristics among a sample of high frequency cannabis users drawn from a Canadian full-time university student population. 134 respondents (32.8% female), who used cannabis at least three times per week in the past 12 weeks, were recruited from two universities in Toronto, Canada. Women were more likely to have three or more cannabis episodes per day in the past 30 days compared to men (43.2% versus 18.9%) and were also more likely to use cannabis for medical reasons (65.9% versus 46.7%). In this sample, women high-frequency cannabis users indicated more intensive use and problem patterns which reflect gendered observations from other studies. These finding highlight the need for more research exploring these gender differences as well as consideration for targeted intervention practices.

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International