Do men and women in Australia use cannabis differently?
Australian men and women who used cannabis in the past 12 months were both most likely to smoke it as a joint. Men were relatively more likely than women to smoke it from a bong or pipe or inhale it through a vape, while women were relatively more likely than men to eat it.
Among Australian men who used cannabis in the past 12 months, 49% mainly smoked it as a joint, 38% mainly smoked it from a bong or pipe, 5% mainly inhaled it through a vape, 7% mainly ate it (e.g., hash cookies), and 1%* mainly used it by other methods.
Among Australian women who used cannabis in the past 12 months, 51% mainly smoked it as a joint, 30% mainly smoked it from a bong or pipe, 4% mainly inhaled it through a vape, 12% mainly ate it (e.g., hash cookies), and 3% mainly used it by other methods.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 2022-23 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NCETA secondary analysis, 2024).
Please note: Significance is established as p<0.05. Australians who identify as non-binary or a different gender identity were not able to be included in the current analyses due to small numbers.