O-21 Examining the Prevalence, Quantity and Associated Factors of Severe Problematic and High-risk Cannabis use in Jamaica

Methods: This study involved a secondary data analysis of the first Jamaica National Drug Prevalence Survey. It included 786 participants who used cannabis in the past year. Respondents who dually reported scores equal to or greater than seven on the Cannabis Abuse Screening Test (CAST) and daily or near-daily cannabis use were noted to have met the criteria for severe problematic and high-risk cannabis use (PHRCU). Data generated were analyzed with SPSS version 25 using Pearson’s χ2 test and logistic regression.

Results: In the past year, 45.4% of Jamaicans who smoked cannabis reported severe PHRCU and smoked an average of 67.61 joints per month. Male respondents were twice as likely to have severe PHRCU as females. Young, middle-aged, and older adults were respectively 5, 7 and 4 times more likely to report severe PHRCU than adolescent respondents. Participants who began using cannabis at age 11 or younger, as well as between 12 and 17 years of age, were 7 times more likely to report severe PHRCU than those at 26 years and older. Moreover, respondents with a high perceived need for treatment and perceived escalation in national drug use prevalence were associated with increased odds of reporting severe PHRCU.

Conclusion: Nearly 50% of Jamaicans who used cannabis in the past year reported severe PHRCU and smoked at least two cannabis joints per day. Policymakers must look to improving treatment options at a clinical level and addressing the current national cannabis policy at a legislative level.