Get Involved

Why cannabis yarns?

• According to the limited research available, cannabis use appears to be increasing in some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

• Indigenous Australians typically begin using from a younger age than other Australians and the earlier the onset of cannabis use and the more frequently it is used, the greater the likelihood of developing mental health problems.

• At the national level, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (2004–05) reported that 23% of non-remote Indigenous persons aged over 17 years reported using cannabis in the previous 12 months.

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples were almost twice as likely to be recent users of illicit drugs as other Australians (24.2% compared with 13.0%).

Yarning about cannabis and culture

Cannabis (gunja) is the most-used illegal drug in Australia, and it is damaging our communities. Cannabis Yarns is a project all about sharing stories of the effects cannabis has on people, culture, family and the future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. By talking more about cannabis and its harms, we can create solutions to a drug problem that is changing communities.

The project so far

NCPIC has worked with two communities to help locals record their stories about cannabis and how it affects people, families and opportunities. Themes emerging from these communities included: boredom and lack of interesting and accessible youth activities; feeling lost; needs of men and their healing to be able to be effective fathers; impacts on mental health, education and sport; and the importance of connection to culture.

Get involved

To change the conversation about cannabis in your community, start yarning about your experiences. Record people in your community sharing their stories, opinions and ideas and send to . We will put all the videos together so we can create one story and help share the solutions that different communities have come up with. Be part of the change.

Answer this survey

We want to find out information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and their relationships with health care providers and patterns of Gunja use. If you can spare five minutes to answer this anonymous questionnaire it will help to provide better services and support for people experiencing problems with drug use. http://bit.ly/1FgbDZH

 

Real communities

Members of the Wadeye community in the Northern Territory recorded this piece – Mi Ganja Yu for the 2025 song competition.