Up in smoke

Cannabis users burn cash

Cannabis users in remote Top End communities are spending up to 60 per cent of their weekly income on the drug, a report has found.

The Menzies School of Health Research study has also found some Arnhem land townships spend up to 10 per cent of the entire community income on the marijuana trade.

The Nhulunbuy-based author of the study, Alan Clough, said people in remote communities where paying up to $300 per gram - about 12 times the price paid in Darwin.

But he said the problem of marijuana use was not as grim as the figures suggested.

"The dealers have enormous flexibility to charge what the market is prepared to pay," he said.

"So the levels of use are not that high because the physical quantities are not huge. They are spending the money but they are not getting bang for their buck."

The research is based on interviews completed in 2001 and 2002 across several unidentified communities in Arnhem Land.

Mr Clough said it was the first time the cannabis use patterns of the region had been properly documented.

The findings are due to be published Australia's Drug and Alcohol Review in December.

Mr Clough said there was evidence to suggest cannabis problems were improving. He put this down to increased community resolve to tackle the problem, the creation of alternative recreational activities and improved policing.

"My brief follow-ups over the last six-months or so have shown me that we are over the pinnacle of the epidemic," he said.

"They suffer the withdrawal symptoms and become very demanding if their needs can't be met."

The study found cannabis use exploded in remote communities in 1998.

This is put down to improved trafficking.

It also found that cannabis was the drug of choice among the region's 13 to 36-year-olds.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Fri, 08 Oct 2004
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Copyright: 2004 Northern Territory News
Contact: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Website: http://ntnews.news.com.au/
Author: Paul Dyer