Report: 27.2% of Europeans Have Tried Marijuana

The German company CBD-ECKE has published a report on drug consumption in the European Union. According to the document, in 2020, the percentage of EU residents who have tried marijuana reached 27.2%. Last year, this figure was 0.2% higher.

Marijuana Is Much More Popular Than Other Drugs

The four most common illicit psychoactive substances in the EU are:

• Cannabis – 27.2% of Europeans aged 15 to 64 (91 million people) have tried it; 7.6% (24.75 million) used it this year.
• Cocaine – 5.4% (18 million) have tried it; 1.3% (3.9 million) used it in 2020.
• MDMA – 4.1% (13.7 million) have tried it; 0.8% (2.6 million) used it this year.
• Amphetamines – 3.7% (12.4 million) have tried it; 0.6% (1.7 million) used it in 2020.

Opioids were recognized as the most dangerous drugs. The number of high-risk opioid users reached 1.3 million people, with 35% seeking help for addiction treatment. Opioids accounted for 85% of fatal drug overdoses.

Western Europe Has the Most Marijuana Users

Spain and France topped the list of EU countries by the percentage of citizens who used cannabinoids in 2019. In both countries, 11% of residents aged 15 to 64 used cannabis. Italy ranked third with 10.2%, and the Netherlands came fourth with 9.6%. Despite progressive policies toward marijuana, Malta recorded the fewest marijuana users-just 0.9%. In Malta, possession of small amounts of cannabis has been decriminalized, and medical use is legal.

Cannabis Consumption Increased During the Pandemic

According to a survey by Statista, during the coronavirus pandemic, 19% of people reported smoking marijuana more frequently. Meanwhile, 18.5% of respondents reduced their alcohol consumption. Due to lockdowns, 19.4% said they used cocaine less often, and 28.9% increased the intervals between MDMA use.

Marijuana Sales Rose Sharply in the U.S. During COVID-19

In March, after the spread of COVID-19 in the United States, demand for recreational marijuana increased significantly. Cannabis sales rose by 80% in California, 23% in Oregon, 16% in Nevada, 15% in Washington, and 13% in Colorado. This positive trend continued throughout the spring in all states except Nevada. Due to the closure of casinos and entertainment venues, tourism in Las Vegas dried up, causing marijuana sales to drop by 10% in April and 25% in May.