Cannabis isn’t recreationally legal in Australia, but there’s news that Greens might legalize it before 2023.

Weed aside, what other drugs are Australians using, and how easy is it to access these substances? The Australian Drug Trends 2022 report found that drug users in the country prefer three commonly used drugs, but the frequency of using them is changing yearly.

This report has been conducted annually since 2003 and provides interesting insight regarding the drug trends and varying popularity of substances as time goes on. The group surveyed was between the ages of 20-31.

Let’s see which drugs Australia preferred in 2022 and if there have been changes in drug usage over the years.

The drug that came in third was cocaine, clocking in at a record-breaking 79% of participants saying they had used cocaine in the past six months. Individuals reported that they usually paid around $350 per gram, but they’re also aware that what they’re buying might not be the purest stuff.

And then, we have cannabis. 79% of participants reported that they had used cannabis in the last 6 months. Interestingly, the country’s cannabis use seemed to decrease from last year by 5% (84%).

Individuals said they were paying anywhere from $300 for an ounce of high-quality weed and around $250 for an ounce of mediocre weed. Not only did national cannabis use remain somewhat consistent, but individuals reported it is one of the easiest drugs to access.

It looks like Australians are favoring ecstasy. What’s interesting is how the 2022 report highlighted that 88% of participants reported using the drug in the last six months, but overall ecstasy use dropped 7% since 2021 (95%).

Funny enough, even though 88% of participants used ecstasy this year, this was the smallest percentage of ecstasy users since these reports first started in 2003.

So, regardless of how many people are using it, reports show that ecstasy use in Australia is declining. Might cannabis take the #1 spot next year? We’ll have to wait and see.