In this article, we are going to discuss the 20 cities with the highest weed consumption in the world. You can skip our detailed analysis of the global cannabis industry, the cannabis industry in Thailand, the current extinction event in the largest cannabis market in the world, and cannabis infused drinks, and go directly to 5 Cities with the Highest Weed Consumption in the World.
The medicinal properties of the cannabis plant have been known for millennia. The first documented case of its use dates back to 2,800 B.C., when it was listed in Emperor Shen Nung’s (regarded as the father of Chinese medicine) pharmacopeia. Cannabis is named as one of the five most sacred plants on earth in Hinduism and is believed to cleanse sins and unite one with Shiva. It is also revered for its medicinal properties and used in Ayurvedic medicine.
Global Cannabis Industry:
According to Fortune Business Insights, the global cannabis market was valued at $47.32 billion in 2022, and is projected to grow from $57.18 billion in 2023 to $444.34 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 34% during the forecast period.
Marijuana legalization is gaining momentum around the globe, driven primarily by the increasing recognition that the product may have a range of legitimate medicinal benefits and therapeutic applications. It is the most widely cultivated, trafficked, and consumed drug worldwide.
Cannabis Industry in Thailand:
In June 2022, Thailand became the first Asian country to decriminalize the cultivation, distribution, marketing, and consumption of all the parts of the cannabis plant. Legalizing the commercial sale and personal cultivation of cannabis products is the latest step in the Thai government's plan to monetize the plant as a lucrative cash crop.
Agriculture still employs nearly a third of the country’s workforce and the government plans to develop a larger export industry around the crop, expecting the national cannabis industry to exceed $2 billion.
Aside from helping alleviate rural poverty, legalizing cannabis could also reduce prison overcrowding in Thailand, with more than 80% of inmates in the country’s prisons incarcerated on drug-related charges.
Extinction Event in the Largest Cannabis Market in the World:
With $5.3 billion in legal sales in 2022, California is the single largest cannabis market in the world. However, the state’s cannabis industry could be on the verge of an ‘extinction event’, with pot shops going out of business as they miss tax payments and sink under millions of dollars of debt.
Debt problems have plagued the industry for years – a 2022 report estimated that the California cannabis industry was collectively sitting on over $600 million in debt – but a change in tax law that took effect this year could cause this mounting tax bubble to finally become fatal.
State law recently shifted the burden for paying cannabis excise taxes from distributors to retailers and it appears that many shops lack the funds to pay their dues. Over 13% of California’s retailers – or 265 pot shops – failed to make any tax payment on May 1st. These businesses are now facing a 50% penalty on the taxes they owe, which could be the final nail in the coffin for many shops.
Cannabis Infused Drinks:
The cannabis drinks segment is the fastest-growing area of the cannabis industry. Weed infused beverages are popping up in more places, with major drinks makers including Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) and Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) already looking for their piece of the pie. However, these efforts have not always gone to plan.
Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) invested $4 billion in Canopy Growth and launched its first CBD drinks brand called Quatreu in the U.S. five years ago. However, the move hasn’t had the positive impact the company hoped for and last year, Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) took a $1.1 billion non-cash impairment charge on Canopy and a $651 million equity loss.
Similarly, the beer behemoth Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) also entered the market for cannabis infused drinks in December 2018 in a $50 million joint-venture with Tilray Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:TLRY). However, things didn’t turn out so well for the venture – called Fluent Beverage Co. – and the two companies decided to part ways last year. With $57.7 billion in revenue in 2022, Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) is the Largest Beer Producer in the World.
With that said, here are the Cities with the Highest Consumption of Weed in the World.
20 Cities with the Highest Weed Consumption in the World
To collect data for this article, we have referred to the 2023 Cannabis Price Index by the CFAH, looking for the Cities with the Highest Weed Consumption in the World. To keep our list relevant, we have only selected larger cities with populations of 200,000 or more. When two cities had the same consumption of weed, we ranked them by their price per gram of weed instead.
As marijuana sales cool across the state, Denver reported a 22% decline in weed sales from 2021 to 2022 – the largest annual drop since legalization. Denver also reported lower marijuana tax collection in 2022, at $18 million.
Between 12-20% of Americans admitted to smoking weed at least once in the past year, making America one of the countries that smoke the most weed per capita.
19. Adelaide, Australia
Total Weed Consumption: 6.8 metric tons
Cannabis is only legal in South Australia with a prescription. Recreational use of marijuana remains illegal, as is personal cultivation of the substance. The city has also been ranked as the methamphetamine capital of Australia, according to the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program.
18. Dublin, Ireland
Total Weed Consumption: 7.1 metric tons
Cannabis is illegal for recreational purposes in Ireland, while its use for medical purposes requires case-by-case approval by the Health Ministry. Nevertheless, Ireland is among the countries that smoke the most weed in Europe. Around 17% of Irish people now use products containing cannabis, according to a 2021 survey by Eurobarometer.
17. Vancouver, Canada
Total Weed Consumption: 7.9 metric tons
British Columbia has been home to a number of high profile cannabis businesses since its legalization in 2018. One of those companies is Tilray Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:TLRY), which has recently made headlines after its $56 million acquisition of Hexo. While a Canadian company, Tilray Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:TLRY) has been positioning itself to be a leader in the U.S. adult-use cannabis market. Now headquartered in New York, Tilray Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:TLRY) ranks among theBiggest Marijuana Companies in the World.
16. Üsküdar, Turkey
Total Weed Consumption: 7.9 metric tons
Cannabis in Turkey is illegal for recreational use, but allowed for limited medical and scientific purposes. However, hemp is now being planted again in the country.
15. Philadelphia, PA, USA
Total Weed Consumption: 10.6 metric tons
Philadelphia decriminalized the possession and use of marijuana in 2014, which means that although weed is not legal in Philly, small amounts have been decriminalized and you won’t be arrested for minor offenses.
Philadelphia ranks 15th in our list of Top Weed Consuming Cities in the World.
14. Montreal, Canada
Total Weed Consumption: 11 metric tons
Nearly one in five Quebecers used cannabis in 2022 and cannabis use in the province has increased by 5% since its legalization in 2018. Quebec saw a 20% increase in sales in 2021-2022 compared to the previous year, bringing in $160 million in revenue for the province.
Canada ranks among the top 10 weed smoking countries in the world.
13. Melbourne, Australia
Total Weed Consumption: 11 metric tons
According to Greens senator David Shoebridge, Australia’s cannabis industry could be earning the black market up to $16.5 billion a year, while legalizing the substance can bring in around $18.5 billion in public revenue in the first decade.
The Greens justice spokesperson has announced that he would be introducing legislation to legalize cannabis in Australia, mirroring the Canadian model where it can be purchased by adults from licensed dealers and government-run stores.
12. Phoenix, AZ, USA
Total Weed Consumption: 11.4 metric tons
Arizona is one of the more progressive states when it comes to cannabis banking. However, It is a restrictive and expensive environment. Once a bank notifies regulators that it is working with cannabis-related businesses, the bank is designated as a CRB. The CRB banks are subject to more oversight by the FDIC, and hence charge higher fees for their services.
Legal cannabis sales brought in around $256 million in tax revenue for the Grand Canyon State in 2022.
Adults in Germany will be able to grow and consume recreational cannabis privately or through non-profit members’ clubs by the end of the year, scaling back previous government plans to make the drug distributable in shops or pharmacies nationwide.
10. Vienna, Austria
Total Weed Consumption: 15 metric tons
Austria is home to over 8.5 million people and one of the largest populations of medicinal cannabis patients in all of Europe, thus representing a potentially very large cannabis market.
Vienna ranks 10th in our list of Cities that Consume the Most Weed in the World.
9. Prague, Czech Republic
Total Weed Consumption: 15.5 metric tons
After a decade of progressive liberalization, the Czech Republic is preparing to introduce a fully legal and regulated cannabis market with the approval of the 2023-2025 Addiction Policy Action Plan in April this year.
Czechia is riding a European-wide wave that could possibly make it one of the first EU countries to introduce a legally regulated cannabis market. The Czech Republic counts among the top 20 weed smoking countries in the world.
8. Toronto, Canada
Total Weed Consumption: 16.7 metric tons
Ontario residents purchased more than $1.3 billion worth of legal cannabis products last year, an increase of 38% from 2021. There are currently 1,700 legal cannabis stores that currently operate in the province, with 400 situated only in Toronto.
7. Tokyo, Japan
Total Weed Consumption: 16.7 metric tons
CBD is legal in Japan and has been sold in the country since 2013. As the substance is becoming increasingly popular, analysts estimate that the Japanese legal cannabis industry could be worth $800 million by 2024. However, recreational marijuana remains illegal in the Land of the Rising Sun.
6. Houston, TX, USA
Total Weed Consumption: 18.5 metric tons
The Texas House of Representatives in April gave preliminary approval to a bill decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana . As for legal marijuana, it’s still restrictive in Texas and requires prescription. There are currently about 50,000 Texans registered but experts say only about 10,000 actively use medical marijuana. Houston ranks 6th among the most weed-consuming cities in the world.
