title: New Zealand Health Survey 2012/13: characteristics of medicinal cannabis users.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the characteristics of medicinal and non-medicinal cannabis users, and the conditions that were treated with cannabis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data comes from the New Zealand Health Survey 2012/2013, which sampled 13,009 people, aged 15+ years, living in private or non-private dwellings in New Zealand. Participants self-reported cannabis use and were put into groups: 1) non-users; 2) ex-users; 3) last year users-non-medicinal; 4) last-year users-medicinal. Prevalence was reported for the major demographic subgroups; sex, age and ethnicity. Regression models were then used to find associations between demographic characteristics and cannabis use for groups 3 and 4.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  About five percent (4.6%, 95% CI 4.1-5.1) of those aged 15+ report using cannabis medicinally. This use was associated with being male, younger, less well-educated and relatively poor. While Māori have the highest prevalence of medicinal use, European NZ/Others make up 67.9% (95% CI 62.7-72.6) of medicinal users. Reported medicinal use was associated with reported conditions that were typically hard to manage: pain, anxiety/nerves and depression. Medicinal users were more likely to report chronic pain and pain interfering, moderately or more, with housework and other work.
authors.affiliation: Health Services Research Centre, School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6140. Megan.Pledger@vuw.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pledger
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cumming
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D064086:Medical Marijuana / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000188:drug therapy; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D064086:Medical Marijuana