In this article, we are going to discuss the 25 most cannabis-consuming countries in the world. You can skip our detailed analysis of the global cannabis industry, the budding cannabis-based pharmaceutical industry and the interest of big pharma, and the offshore business activities of some US-based cannabis companies, and go directly to 10 Most Cannabis Consuming-Countries 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:
As we mentioned in our article – Top 20 Countries Where Weed Is Legal In 2023 – 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-Based Pharmaceutical Industry:
The FDA understands that there is increasing interest in the potential utility of cannabis for a variety of medical conditions. In 2018, the federal watchdog approved the country’s first-ever drug derived from marijuana – Epidiolex. Produced by GW Pharmaceuticals, the drug is used to treat two rare forms of epilepsy.
The $7.2 billion acquisition of GW Pharmaceuticals by the global biopharma giant Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc (NASDAQ:JAZZ) in 2021 is the latest sign of the growing legitimacy and increased receptivity of cannabis-based drugs in the pharma industry. With the new purchase, Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc (NASDAQ:JAZZ) – which has focused primarily on sleep medications and oncology – has augmented its neuroscience portfolio. Net product sales of Epidiolex reached $746.4 million in 2022 – an increase of 12% from the previous year – according to an announcement by Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc (NASDAQ:JAZZ).
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) has also entered the medical cannabis industry, betting on a promising cannabinoid-based bowel disease treatment. In December 2021, Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) announced the acquisition of the clinical-stage company Arena Pharmaceuticals for a total equity value of around $6.7 billion. By acquiring all shares of Arena for $100 per share in an all-cash transition, Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) has joined other big pharma companies in the cannabis space.
Offshore Business Activities:
The United States of America is a behemoth of the global cannabis industry, so much so that even just one of its states – California – is the single largest cannabis market in the world. Americans love a good buzz and they’re forking over big bucks for it. This provides a huge opportunity for companies and entrepreneurs everywhere, who want the lion’s share of the sweet green ganja pie and are thus coming up with more and more innovative solutions to bring about a paradigm shift in the industry. Large and mature consumer markets like LA and Chicago act as testing grounds for such innovators to test their ideas, before they bring them to the rest of the country and even across the border.
A great example is Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (OTC:CURLF) – a Massachusetts-based leading medical and recreational cannabis company serving over 350,000 registered customers across 23 states in the country. Curaleaf has worked to introduce new products in the American market, including the vape hardware system Cliq by Select, Select X Bites gummies, and even a cannabis-infused Seltzer brand. The company also maintains a presence in the U.K. and Germany – two of the countries that consume the most weed in Europe. Since Germany is in the process of drafting its adult-use cannabis framework, Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (OTC:CURLF) has already acquired a majority stake in the local pharmaceutical company Four 20 Pharma, thus positioning itself to take advantage of the upcoming adult-use opportunities. The company also anticipates that more countries will follow Germany’s lead in the coming years and adopt more liberal adult-use regulations.
Similarly, Tilray Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:TLRY) is a leading cannabis lifestyle and consumer packaged goods company with operations in Canada, the United States, Europe, Australia, and Latin America. Headquartered in New York, Tilray is one of the leading global companies in the production and research of medical cannabis. It was announced last year that the industry giant’s medical cannabis division, Tilray Medical and FL Group, has received authorization from Italy’s Ministry of Health to distribute three new medical cannabis compounds to pharmacies across Italy, further broadening its portfolio of pharmaceutical grade cannabis offerings. Tilray Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:TLRY) also announced a new strategic partnership with Pharmaidea, a Petrone Group company, to market and educate over 12,000 pharmacies across Italy on the benefits of medical cannabis and medical cannabis patient care.
With that said, here are the Countries that Smoke the Most Weed in 2024.
25 Most Cannabis Consuming-Countries in the World
A close-up shot of a cannabis plant, showing its intricate details.
Methodology:
To collect data for this article, we have referred to the UNODC World Drug Report, to determine Countries with the Highest Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use. The annual prevalence is the percentage of the youth and adult population who have consumed cannabis at least once in the past survey year. To make sure our list is up-to-date, we have only included countries with data available from 2013 and onwards.
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A close-up shot of a cannabis plant, showing its intricate details.
25. North Macedonia
Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 6.6%
In March 2016, North Macedonia legalized growing cannabis for medical purposes and to refine, extract, and produce hemp seed and cannabis oil. This has been a boon to the country’s economy worth an estimated $108.5 million per year that has attracted both local and foreign investors.
Since 2016, authorities in North Macedonia have issued more than 60 licenses to cultivate medical cannabis, however, the recreational use of marijuana is still illegal.
24. Belgium
Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 7%
Cannabis is illegal for recreational use in Belgium. However, simple possession of up to 3 grams has been largely decriminalized and will likely result in a mere fine.
However, there has recently been a great push to legalize ganja for personal use in the Western European country. Belgium Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy and Employment Pierre-Yves Dermagne recently endorsed modernizing his country’s cannabis policies to permit adult-use marijuana, stating that his country ‘must end the hypocrisy’. Philippe Close, the socialist mayor of Brussels, has also urged the creation of cannabis cafés on the lines of Amsterdam.
Belgium is placed among the Countries with the Highest Rate of Cannabis Use.
23. Germany
Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 7.09%
Germany is among the latest countries to approve a plan to liberalize rules on cannabis, setting the scene for E.U.’s most populous nation to decriminalize possession of limited amounts and allow members of ‘cannabis clubs’ to buy the substance for recreational use. If all goes well and there are no more delays, the legalization of cannabis possession and cultivation will take effect on April 1st, 2024.
With an annual consumption of 12.9 metric tons, Hamburg is one of the Most Cannabis-Consuming Cities in the World.
22. Ireland
Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 7.1%
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.
21. Liberia
Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 7.52%
Per Liberian law, cannabis possession, use, cultivation, and sale are illegal for medical or recreational use. However, due to underfunded law enforcement and corruption, the plant is grown widely across the country.
Cannabis is the most commonly used drug in Liberia and its consumption is also popular among adolescents, with around 9% having used it in the past.
20. Switzerland
Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 7.7%
Decades after pioneering prescription heroin and safe injection sites, Switzerland is now experimenting with decriminalizing recreational cannabis. It’s being done in a very Swiss way – taking things slow and steady to see how the population responds.
The federal government has now authorized trials to take place over the coming decade to experiment with decriminalizing recreational cannabis, taking small steps like it did for four years before introducing prescribed heroin in the 1990s.
19. Argentina
Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 8.13%
While possession of small amounts of weed is decriminalized in Argentina, the cultivation, distribution, and sale of cannabis remains illegal. The country has taken steps towards legalizing cannabis for medical purposes, and some provinces have also decriminalized the use of the drug for personal use.
18. Finland
Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 8.2%
Nearly 30% of adults in Finland admitted to having tried illicit drugs at some point in their lives, most commonly cannabis. Helsinki ranks among Cities with the Most Expensive Weed in the World.
17. Croatia
Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 10.2%
The most used drug in Croatia is cannabis, followed by cocaine, and amphetamines. According to a survey by the Sewage Analysis CORE Group Europe (SCORE) in 2021, the daily cannabis consumption in Zagreb was 132.9 mg per 1,000 people.
16. Italy
Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 10.21%
At present, cannabis is legal in Italy for medical and industrial uses – although it is strictly regulated – while it is decriminalized for recreational use. Over the course of 2021, approximately 17.7% of high school students in Italy consumed cannabis, with this figure reaching 20% when considering only male students.
Cannabis has been available for recreational use in Dutch coffee shops since 1976. Amsterdam has dominated cannabis tourism for 40 years, but now it’s stepping back from this multibillion-dollar industry. Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema announced last year that marijuana tourism is a blight on the city, fostering crime and public disorder, and proposed banning foreigners from its cannabis cafés.
The Dutch rank among the top weed smokersin the world.
14. Monaco
Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 10.47%
Monaco has very stern cannabis laws. Theoretically, individuals in possession of small quantities of marijuana are liable to a fine whereas bigger quantities are subject to jail terms and hefty fines. However, in practice, officers often fail to execute these laws especially in cases where the amount of cannabis is significantly small. It often gets waved aside as a misdemeanor. This has led to many people feeling relaxed to smoke weed in Monaco.
13. Morocco
Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 10.47%
Morocco has long been ranked as one of the world’s largest cannabis producers. In June 2021, the country’s Parliament adopted a law to regularize the plant’s production for medical, cosmetic, and industrial purposes, while production and consumption for recreational purposes remained strictly prohibited.
Morocco creates a considerable amount of the world's hashish and was the top producer of the resin from 2002 to 2010.
12. Spain
Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 10.5%
In Madrid, cannabis clubs aren’t strictly legal. Instead, they operate in a legal gray area in which ‘members’ join clubs and ‘share’ cannabis that they grow. ‘Donations’ are exchanged for tokens, which are then used to purchase products.
Cannabis is cultivated and produced in Nigeria for both domestic consumption and export. The cannabis produced in Nigeria feeds its large domestic market (an estimated 10.6 million cannabis users in 2018) and there is evidence for trafficking to other countries in Africa, too. In the past decade, a number of countries outside of Africa also have mentioned Nigeria as the source country of cannabis.
Nigeria is the Country that Consumes the Most Weed in Africa.
