Sociodemographic and Drug Use Characteristics of Treatment-seeking Cannabis Users at a Tertiary Care Center in India

Abstract

Background: Cannabis is a common drug of abuse that has got some religious and social sanction in India. It is often perceived as relatively harmless compared with other substances. The rate of treatment seeking is low among its users. Objective: To describe the sociodemographic and drug use profile of treatment-seeking cannabis users visiting a tertiary care center in northern India. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted over a period of 1 year for cannabis-dependent subjects who sought treatment and underwent laboratory investigations. Results: A total of 51 subjects fulfilled the DSM-IV-TR criteria for cannabis dependence. All subjects were male with mean age of 28±10.2 years. Among them, 37.3% subjects started substance use before 15 years of age. Although 94% subjects were literate, only 33.3% were employed and 82% were socioeconomically poor. Majority of the subjects initiated substance use with smokable tobacco (66.7%). Cannabis was the initial substance among 15% subjects. Among all 64.7% subjects were comorbid opioid dependent and 58.9% subjects were seeking treatment for the same. Ganja was the most common form of cannabis used (66.7%). Health risk due to cannabis was known to 35.3% subjects, 47% never made any abstinent attempt. Cannabis-related complication was present in 84.37% subjects. Conclusions: Treatment-seeking cannabis users are mostly codependent on other substances that become the main reason for their treatment-seeking. Despite high rate of cannabis-related complications, awareness about its health-risk, treatment seeking, and attempt to abstain remains low.