Graham, SimonHeris, Christina L.Gubhaju, LinaEades, FrancineWilliams, RobynDavis, KatiskaWhitby, JustineHunt, KerryChimote, NeerajaEades, Sandra J.2025-06-242025-06-240955-3959PubMed:33930633ORCID:/0000-0003-3857-6817/work/172180891http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85117431432&partnerID=8YFLogxKhttps://hdl.handle.net/1885/733764850Background: Being young is a period of experimentation which can lead to increased vulnerability to poor health choices and outcomes. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal) people have a long and strong history of resilience; however, a deficit approach is often taken with messages of poor health and low socioeconomic status. This study takes a strengths-based approach and examines the demographic factors and behaviours associated with never using marijuana among young Aboriginal people in Australia. Methods: Overall, 521 Aboriginal people aged 16–24 years from Western Australia, Central Australia and New South Wales participated in the Next Generation: Youth Wellbeing Study. The baseline survey examined demographics, health-related behaviours and clinical indicators of young Aboriginal people. We calculated the number and proportion of young Aboriginal people who never used marijuana by demographics and behavioural factors. Logistic regression was used to assess the demographic and behavioural factors associated with never using marijuana. Results: Of the 521 participants, 458 (87.9%) answered the question about marijuana use of which 220 had incomplete demographic or behavioural questions, leaving a final cohort of 301 participants. A total of 174 (57.8%) had never used marijuana. A higher proportion of young Aboriginal people who never used marijuana were younger (16–19 years old), female, queer, single, lived in Central Australia, were students, had never smoked tobacco, had never drank alcohol, never had anxiety and never had depression. Never using marijuana was independently associated with being a parent or carer of a child (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 2.80, 95% CI: 1.03–7.59, p = 0.043), never smoking tobacco (AOR: 29.73, 95 CI: 13.32–66.37, p < 0.001), never drinking alcohol (AOR: 2.78, 95 CI: 1.12–6.93, p = 0.028), not having anxiety (AOR: 3.49, 95 CI: 1.19–10.23, p = 0.022), and having lower levels of distress (AOR: 2.63, 95 CI: 1.20–5.77, p = 0.016). Conclusion: Our study shows that more than half of young Aboriginal people did not use marijuana, smoke, or drink alcohol and that those who had not used marijuana had lower levels of distress.Overall, 70% of the authors are Aboriginal people in Australia, including the first and last authors. Three of the authors are young Aboriginal people who were peer recruiters for the Next Generation Study. The authors would like to acknowledge the ‘Next Generation’ investigators and research team which include the following: Ricky Mentha, Roxanne Highfold, Jodi Lennox, Danielle Woods, Bronwyn Silver, Elizabeth Hillmann, Bobby Porykali, Anne Staude, Robyn Williams, Darlene Davis, Justin Trounson, Francine Eades, Kerry Hunt, Dennis Gray, Edward Wilkes and Liz Stack. The authors would like to acknowledge the advice provided for the survey tool from the following people: Ray Lovett, Naomi Priest, Christina Heris, Melanie Anderson and Patricia Cullen. The authors would also like to acknowledge the support from our community partners: Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service, South West Aboriginal Medical Service and Mingaletta Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Corporation. This study was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC, grant number: 1089104). The first author's salary was supported by a NHMRC fellowship and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity.enPublisher Copyright: © 2021 Elsevier B.V.AlcoholAnxietyCannabisFirst nationsIndigenousSmokingYouth202110.1016/j.drugpo.2021.10325885117431432