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Abstract

In the past two decades, the medical and recreational use of cannabis has been linked to an increase in cannabis- related harms, especially among frequent cannabis users. Amid the recent legalization of recreational use of cannabis in Thailand, this paper provides initial information regarding the frequency of usage, sociodemographic characteristics, reasons and patterns of cannabis use, as well as the characteristics associated with frequent usage among people who use cannabis. A cross-sectional anonymous online survey was conducted (July-August 2022) with 476 Thais who use cannabis recruited via the Line and Facebook apps. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression analysis were conducted to describe and identify respondents’ characteristics associated with frequent use. Respondents were predominantly male, employed full-time, and had a mean age of 32.2 years. Sixteen and 0.8% of respondents consumed cannabis several times per week or daily. The most frequent reasons to continue using cannabis were to “help sleeping/relax” and “get high.” “Smoking blunts” was the most commonly reported method of use, followed by using a “bong,” eating cannabis edibles, and using vape pens or e-cigarettes to consume liquid cannabis concentrates. Significant characteristics associated with frequent use were being of a younger age, having grown cannabis, initiating cannabis use to “get high,” and “help sleeping/relax.” Frequent usage was more common among younger males, who have already grown cannabis and who are consuming cannabis for recreational purposes. Although the recent Thai legalization initially aimed for Thai citizens to consume cannabis for medical purposes, recreational usage was one of the predominant reasons for continuing to use cannabis. Our data suggest that emerging potent forms of cannabis are consumed in Thailand, calling for additional prevention efforts. The impact of personal cannabis cultivation on usage frequency remains understudied, warranting additional investigation. Further research is needed to assess the impacts of cannabis legalization in Thailand.

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