The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime announced in its annual report on global drug use that "regular cannabis use appears to have increased due to certain regions, including U.S. states, legalizing its use, while the lockdowns caused by COVID-19 had a similar effect, increasing the risk of depression and suicide." It noted that "cannabis has long been the most widely used drug in the world, and its use is on the rise, while the potency of cannabis in the market is increasing in terms of its tetrahydrocannabinol content. Legalizing cannabis use seems to have accelerated the upward trends in recorded daily use of the drug."
According to the report, although the prevalence of cannabis use among teenagers "has not changed much," there has been a "notable increase in recorded frequent use of high-potency products among young people. Additionally, there has been an increase in individuals suffering from mental disorders and suicide cases related to regular cannabis use."
The UN report revealed that "approximately 284 million people, or 5.6 percent of the global population, used drugs such as heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, or ecstasy in 2020, which is the latest available data. Among these, 209 million used cannabis. However, the lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic led to increases in cannabis use in 2020."
It also pointed out that "cocaine production reached a record high in 2020, and maritime trafficking is on the rise, with 2021 seizure data indicating an expansion beyond the main markets in North America and Europe to Africa and Asia." Several U.S. states have legalized non-medical cannabis use starting with Washington and Colorado in 2012. Uruguay legalized it in 2013, followed by Canada in 2018. Other countries have taken similar steps, but the UN report focused on these three countries.
