Strong support for medical cannabis trial in ACT: survey

About 80 per cent of Canberrans support the idea of a clinical trial for medical marijuana use, a survey has found.

The data showed support for medical cannabis trials was higher in the ACT than in any other state or territory, outstripping the national average of 74.7 per cent.

It also found 74.4 per cent of ACT people said they supported a change in legislation permitting the use of marijuana for medical purposes, compared with a national average of 69.1 per cent.

The figures are detailed in the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)'s national drug survey of 24,000 people across Australia in 2013.

It comes as the ACT Legislative Assembly committee considers draft legislation and a discussion paper on the topic from Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury.

If passed, the laws would allow terminally and chronically ill people to grow cannabis and use it as part of their treatment.

Earlier this month, the committee asked the public to comment on the draft laws, with submissions open until February next year.

Less than 10 per cent smoke daily, but binge dinking high

The AIHW report also showed the ACT had the lowest smoking rate of all the states and territories.

Less than 10 per cent of Canberrans smoked daily compared with a national average of more than 13 per cent.

The territory also had the highest percentage of people who have never smoked at 65.3 per cent, compared with a national average of 60.1 per cent.

However, people in the ACT are more likely to take part in risky drinking and people in many other states.

Almost a third of people surveyed binge drank at least once a month, compared with 26.4 per cent of people nationally.

More than 15 per cent of people in the ACT said they had used an illicit drug in the past 12 months.