Getting high Downunder is more common than anywhere else in the world, according to new research.



New Zealanders and their Australian neighbours have been found to have higher levels of marijuana and amphetamine use than any other region.



The findings, part of a study examining global drug use and law enforcement, will be published in the medical journal The Lancet today, according the to the West Australian newspaper.



The study found that up to 14.8 per cent of Oceania's population aged between 15 and 64 used cannabis in 2009, while up to 2.8 per cent used amphetamines, west.com.au said.



Globally, cannabis was found to be the most widely used illicit drug, with an estimated 155 - 250 million users, and heroin and other opiates were found to cause the most harm.



Study author Professor Wayne Hall, of the University of Queensland's Centre for Clinical Research, told the newspaper the most common harms resulting from illicit drug use were found to be drug dependence, overdose deaths, accidents, violence, HIV and other blood-borne infections.



Hall said researchers concluded that intelligent policy responses were urgently needed to address drug problems globally, particularly in high-income countries where rates of illicit drug use were found to be substantial.



Study co-author, Louisa Degenhardt, from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre and the University of NSW, told the Sydney Morning Herald Australia and New Zealand's similarity in drug-use patterns pushed Oceania so high.



"There are some countries with similar use to Australia but combined with other countries in their region their average decreases," she said.



The Americas averaged about 7 per cent, with North America on 10 per cent.



Professor Degenhardt said supply issues could effect which drugs were used in different countries, along with cultural attitudes. "The more negative the attitude in general the lower the level of use tends to be."



But while factors such as the numbers of people using drugs at younger ages were linked to harm, more use had not been shown to directly impact wellbeing.



Professor Degenhardt said getting accurate information could be difficult in some countries where people feared coming forward. For example, a drug survey in Burma was conducted by police.