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ARCHIVED - Spain has the third highest cannabis use in Europe
The potency of cannabis in Spain is far higher than it was a decade ago
Regular cannabis use has increased exponentially in most EU countries according to a recent study carried out by the Department of Interdisciplinary Research on Addictions (ZIS) and Spain is now ranked in third place of countries that consume the most of this narcotic.
In general, cannabis use appears to be more common in Western countries than in Eastern ones. Data collected between 2013 and 2019 show that less than 1% of people in Malta, Hungary and Turkey reported having used cannabis in the previous month, compared to between 5% and 6% in Croatia, Italy and the Netherlands. The highest rates of use were registered in Spain (9.1%) and France (6.4%).
During the same period, the number of people who reported having used cannabis in the last month in the EU (United Kingdom, Norway and Turkey) increased by 27%. This change is more marked in those over the age of 35.
In France, the Netherlands and Spain, pronounced increases were identified among middle-aged adults, while in Germany, the surge was driven primarily by younger adults. Consequentially, the demand for drug treatment has also skyrocketed; however, the prevalence of cannabis use disorder has remained relatively stable.
The research has revealed that the increased use of cannabis has repercussions across all age groups, but that cardiovascular, respiratory and cognitive problems are more pronounced in those over the age of 40.
The experts agree that collecting data on cannabis use in Europe is a vital step to adapting treatment and developing appropriate legislation around drug use that reflects the needs of the population.
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