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60 per cent of Aborigines smoke marijuana
ABOUT 60 per cent of Aborigines smoke marijuana regularly and most of those get stoned every day, a Northern Territory study shows.
11-19 -`07 | News.com.au | by Tamara McLean

New figures on cannabis rates among indigenous people show a drug use rate far higher than the Australian average, with researchers saying it is "firmly entwined" in the society.

Researchers at James Cook University in Cairns and the University of Sydney surveyed 164 people in Arnhem Land in 2006 and found 61 per cent of men and 58 per cent of women used cannabis at least weekly.

In-depth interviews with 60 users found that 92 per cent of the men and 78 per cent of the women smoke it daily, according to the study published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

Almost 90 per cent appeared to be dependent on the drug, compared with just 20 per cent of dope users generally.

They were also likely to use dope in far greater quantities, smoking an average of seven 'cones' in one session, more than double the Australian average.

"Quantities of cannabis used appear to be higher than in the general population, unemployment among users is higher and violence related to diminished supply is common," the authors wrote.

One indigenous community leader interviewed by the team was quoted saying 'if there's a bowl of it on the table it is smoked until gone, morning to night'.

Some said it could have good effects, calming people down and "preventing them from engaging in criminal behaviour".

However PhD student Kylie Lee and her senior colleagues said local elders were increasingly realising the significant social and mental health impact of the drug.

"Resources are urgently needed for prevention programs and targeted interventions for chronic cannabis users and those with (co-existing) psychiatric problems," she wrote.

"If these patterns of use continue the implications for ... the potential mental health burden is disturbing."

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Passage

Great idea. Let's tell a people who've been here much longer than we have that their culture is wrong and they should act like civilized people and only partake in matters that we deem appropriate, such as ourselves. Remind you of something that happened in America?

Viper420

It could be worse.....they could be drinking fire water.

Buzzby

There's a parallel there. Just as alcohol was not a traditional recreational drug for Native Americans, cannabis is not a traditional recreational drug for Australian Aborigines. It seems that the Aborigines are using it the same way as Native Americans use alcohol: to try and forget about how fucked-over they've been by the European invaders.

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troublemaker_42

This has nothing to do with their "culture". Weed wasn't historically used by this group, as Buzzby pointed out. It was introduced to them. Exactly how does their "culture" have anything to do with the fact they smoke a lot of weed? Your comparison to the Native Americans is poor, in the sense that alcohol abuse isn't endorsed by their "culture" any more than cannabis use is part of the Aboriginies' culture. Had both gorups been using the substances in question before exposure to to those of European descent, maybe an argument could be made that we are indeed interfering with their cultural beliefs. The Native American Church was successful in that regard as they were granted permission to use peyote (which contains the psychadelic mescaline) by the US government, as it was historically used by American Indians. Do you see why the insinuation we're stripping people of their culture with drug laws is flawed?

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unknown- Gun control theory: Those who are willing to ignore the law and rights of others i.e. murder, robery, rape etc will obey a law which prohibits the possesion of a firearm.

 

dinkydew1

well said Buzzby. Having been to Austrailia recently I have a couple observations. Ya gotta see this beautiful country! Beautful yes, but for the majority of abs there is nothing for them to do but smoke weed. There is a study out that says booze is the cause of rampant child rape and molestation among the abs.What do ya want to bet weed will be the next cause? On the other hand, ya want to see an Austrailian town where everyone (almost) smokes weed, it`s served in all the town restaurants,bars and sold on the street. This town is called Nim-Bin. It is tucked into the middle of a volocano. It`s the oldest hippy commune in the world (1973). And best of all, it really functions well. Byron Bay is no slouch either.

Passage

My comparison wasn't with the alcohol of the Natives, but the idea of the government who stole their land telling them what to do to a certain extent. Yeah I see how it's not a very strong argument but this article is using this tribe to demonize a substance and I just find that poor.

Viper420

If you're a nomad with no concept of land ownership, how does one steal your land?

troublemaker_42

No one is demonizing the substance. Anything is bad in excess, and it merely points out that these people use cannabis at a much higher rate than other groups. How can stating the facts regarding an ethnic group's cannabis usage be "demonizing" the drug? If anyone is demonzing cannabis, its the Aboriginies themselves with their lack of self-control regarding the drug. The article didn't demonize cannabis in any way, it merely reported the findings of a study. What did you find "poor"? The idea that cannabis can be abused? It CAN be, just like one can abuse food, alcohol, gambling, etc. ANYTHING can be psychologically addicitive. Exactly what was said that offended you? I personally didn't see anything all that offensive here....just an article relating the findings of a study

Ganjika

we were talking jsut recently about people suffering from add/adhd are more prone to becoming psycologically addicted to things, easiler. is this true for marijuana (which ive heard it is, but i dont know if this is true or not) this could have an impact on the rate of which the people use cannabis, i see no harm in it either way, cannabis is a harmless substance.

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