You are here
Home 🌿 Recreational Marijuana News 🌿 The UN says this is the World's most popular recreational drug 🌿News Categories
The UN says this is the World's most popular recreational drug

Cannabis continues to be the people's substance of choice across the globe, writes Calvin Hughes.
Recreational drug use in general has been on the rise in recent years according to the United Nations' most recent World Drug Report. The number of people aged 15 to 64 who consumed recreational substances around the world in 2017 hit 271 million - up 30 percent from the numbers the UN reported in 2009.
Far and away the most popular recreational drug continues to be cannabis, with an estimated 188 million people having consumed the substance over the course of 2017.
And as far as which locale houses the greatest number of cannabis consumers, that award goes to North America where there are an estimated 56.6 million cannabis consumers.
However, Asia came in a close second with an estimated 54.2 million cannabis consumers, proving that attitudes towards cannabis are changing in many parts of the world.
The fact that nearly a third of the world's cannabis consumers reside in North America can probably be largely credited to the increasing liberalization of cannabis laws across the continent. Going hand in hand with that is a 77 percent reduction in cannabis seizures across the continent since 2010.
Things are also starting to change for the opioid crisis as well. The use of prescription opioids has steadily fallen in the US and a record 693 tons of opioids were seized worldwide in 2017. That's a five percent increase over the amount confiscated in 2016.
Despite this, opioid-related deaths continue to climb. Over 47,000 deaths were recorded in 2017, that's a significant increase over the 33,000 recorded just two years earlier.
But, as an ever-increasing number of states begin to implement programs allowing patients to swap their opioids for safe medical marijuana, there is some indication that opioid use is dropping even further.
420 Intel is Your Source for Marijuana News
420 Intel is the leading source for cannabis news from around the world. Get the latest updates on cannabis legalization, politics and technology, as well as developments in medical and recreational marijuana news. Our commitment is to bring you the most important cannabis news stories every day of the week.
At 420 Intel we understand that effective marijuana industry news coverage is a constant endeavor. Every day stories develop regarding cannabis legalization, technological developments, and the medicinal benefits of marijuana use. Each new development carries the potential to impact the marijuana industry regionally, nationally, and internationally. 420 Intel is the marijuana industry news outlet that will keep you up to date on these developments and how they impact the world around you.
With the marijuana industry constantly evolving, you need a cannabis news outlet to keep you abreast of the pertinent information. At 420 Intel, we cover marijuana legalization news throughout the world, offer reliable information for cannabis business owners, detail technological advances that impact the marijuana industry, cover marijuana rallies from across the globe, and everything in between.
You can get 420 Intel news delivered directly to your inbox by signing up for our daily marijuana news, ensuring you’re always kept up to date on the ever-changing cannabis industry. To stay even better informed about marijuana legalization news follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.