Legalization of cannabis usually leads to higher rates of daily marijuana consumption and consequently various health impacts, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)’s World Drug Report 2022, released Monday. The comprehensive report revealed growth in cocaine manufacturing, expansion of synthetic drugs to new regions and ongoing discrepancies in the accessibility of drug treatment, especially for women.
Some 284 million people aged 15-64 across the world consumed drugs in 2020, representing a 26% increase from the previous decade, with younger generations using more as compared to the previous generation. Per the report, people under 35 in Latin America and Africa are most commonly treated for drug use disorders. In Africa, cannabis is the substance for which most people (more than half) seek treatment for use disorders. As many as 40% of countries declared marijuana to be related to the highest number of drug use disorders.
