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Table 1 Demographic characteristics and other substance use among medical cannabis users

From: Medical cannabis use in Australia seven years after legalisation: findings from the online Cannabis as Medicine Survey 2022–2023 (CAMS-22)

Characteristic

Prescribed

Illicit

Total

Comparisons estimate (95% CI)a

Age, median (IQR), numeric (range:18–87)

42 (33,52)

42 (30,55)

42 (33,53)

P–I: − 0.2 (− 1.2, 0.8)

Gender, categorical polytomous, n (%)

 Female

794/2352 (34%)

386/871 (44%)

1180/3223 (37%)

P/I: 0.6 (0.5, 0.8)

 Male

1469/2352 (63%)

447/871 (51%)

1916/3223 (59%)

P/I: 1.6 (1.3, 2.0)

 Otherb

89/2352 (4%)

38/871 (4%)

127/3223 (4%)

P/I: 0.9 (0.5, 1.5)

In relationshipc, categorical binary, n (%)

1519/2352 (65%)

494/871 (57%)

2013/3223 (63%)

P/I: 1.4 (1.2, 1.6)

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, categorical binary, n (%)

99/2352 (4%)

64/871 (7%)

163/3223 (5%)

P/I: 0.6 (0.4, 0.8)

Attained tertiary qualificationd, categorical binary, n (%)

1859/2352 (79%)

631/871 (72%)

2490/3223 (77%)

P/I: 1.4 (1.2, 1.7)

Employede, categorical binary, n (%)

1423/2352 (61%)

426/871 (49%)

1849/3223 (57%)

P/I: 1.6 (1.4, 1.9)

How respondents heard of surveyf, categorical polytomous, n (%)

 Social media

799/2352 (34%)

554/871 (64%)

1353/3223 (42%)

P/I: 0.3 (0.2, 0.4)

 Online forum

391/2352 (17%)

117/871 (13%)

508/3223 (16%)

P/I: 1.3 (1.0, 1.7)

 Medical cannabis provider

415/2352 (18%)

36/871 (4%)

451/3223 (14%)

P/I: 5.0 (3.3, 7.4)

 Private cannabis clinic

44/2352 (1%)

10/871 (1%)

54/3223 (2%)

P/I: 1.6 (0.8, 3.6)

 Doctor/healthcare provider

21/2352 (1%)

9/871 (1%)

30/3223 (1%)

P/I: 0.9 (0.4, 2.1)

 Other sources

682/2352 (29%)

145/871 (17%)

827/3223 (26%)

P/I: 2.0 (1.6, 2.6)

Tobacco use in previous 28 days, categorical polytomous, n (%)

 None

1821/2351 (78%)

511/871 (59%)

2332/3222 (72%)

P/I: 2.4 (1.9, 3.0)

 Less than daily

162/2351 (7%)

91/871 (10%)

253/3222 (8%)

P/I: 0.6 (0.4, 0.9)

 Daily

368/2351 (16%)

269/871 (31%)

637/3222 (20%)

P/I: 0.4 (0.3, 0.5)

Alcohol use in previous 28 days, categorical binary, n (%)

 None

1001/2351 (43%)

359/871 (41%)

1360/3222 (42%)

P/I: 1.1 (0.9, 1.3)

  ≤ 3 days per week

1042/2351 (44%)

370/871 (43%)

1412/3222 (44%)

P/I: 1.1 (0.9, 1.4)

  > 3 days per week

308/2351 (13%)

142/871 (16%)

450/3222 (14%)

P/I: 0.8 (0.6, 1.1)

  1. Significant differences in bold. Missing values excluded from denominator when calculating percentages. Some percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Median (IQR) reported for count variables only. IQR = Interquartile range
  2. aEstimates are unstandardised effects size for numeric variables and odds ratios for categorical or ordinal variables: ‘P-I’ is estimated difference Prescribed group—Illicit group, ‘P/I’ is odds ratio Prescribed/Illicit
  3. bIncludes non-binary, ‘prefer not to say’ and other identified genders
  4. cIn relationship includes defacto and married; Not currently in a relationship includes separated, divorced, widowed
  5. dIncludes both trade/vocational and undergraduate/postgraduate university qualifications
  6. eEmployed include full-time and part-time work; Not employed Includes home duties, students, unemployed, retired, and on disability pension
  7. fSocial media = Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat; Online forum = Reddit, Whirlpool, Bluelight; Other sources = friend, consumer support group, Lambert Initiative website, traditional media (radio, tv, newspaper)
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