The UN is concerned about the high level of drug use and the resulting costs. In the EU, hemp accounts for 30% of drug therapies.
The essentials in brief • The increasing consumption of cannabis leads to higher healthcare costs. • Increasingly stronger hash and marijuana are also on the market. • An estimated 284 million people use drugs.
Cannabis use:
According to a report by the United Nations (UN), the increasing cannabis use is putting additional strain on healthcare facilities.
In the European Union (EU), Cannabis uses are the cause of around 30 percent of drug therapies, according to the annual report of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna, which was published on Monday.
In Africa and some Latin American countries, most such therapies are related to cannabis addiction.
According to the UNODC, the increasing potency of hashish and marijuana on the market, together with regular use, has led to a rise in addiction and mental illness in Western Europe.
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The UN agency is also concerned that various stronger drugs will find new markets.
Seizures indicate that cocaine smuggling is expanding beyond the main distribution areas of North America and Europe to Africa and Asia.
Methamphetamine, which is also a stimulant, is no longer just a problem in East and Southeast Asia, but also in Afghanistan and Mexico.
The UNODC estimates that 284 million young people and adults use drugs . These calculations are based on the latest available figures from 2020.
