This Great Graphic was posted by the Economist and it draws primarily on UN data. Click here to access the interactive features. It shows the percentage of the population aged 15-64 that admit to smoking cannabis in the past 12-months.
The herb is most popular in New Zealand and Italy. The United States ranks fourth.
A couple of states have approved legalization (Colorado and Washington) and many other states allow for health reasons. The majority those seeking marijuana for health reasons are young and male and claiming to be suffering from the amorphous "chronic pain".
Uruguay recently legalized cannabis, and placed specific limits on production. UN data use in Uruguay has risen from 5.3% in 2006 to 8.3% in 2011. Worldwide, use was near 180 mln in 2011, up from 160 mln in 2006.
Cannabis use and regulation appears to be more an issue for high income countries, though data on Africa and most of the Middle East and Asia are not available. So-called sin taxes may be more attractive at during this period in which governments are seeking to bolster revenue.
Great Graphic: Cannabis Use
Reviewed by Marc Chandler
on
August 11, 2013
Rating:
Reviewed by Marc Chandler
on
August 11, 2013
Rating:
