3 things to remember from the UN World Drug Report 2022

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has published its World Drug Report 2022, which provides an in-depth analysis of the various legal and illegal world drug markets, and paints a comprehensive picture of the measurable effects and impact of the COVID-19 crisis and various legalizations.

He is also examining this year's the links between drugs and the goals of sustainable development, climate change and environmental sustainability. The report covers all drugs, but here we focus on cannabis.

Report highlights

Here are the main points concerning cannabis of this report.

Overall cannabis consumption on the rise

Cannabis remains the most widely used drug in the world. In 2020, more than 4 % of the world's population aged 15-64 (209 million people) had used cannabis in the past year. The prevalence of cannabis use in the past year increased by 8 %, compared with 3.8 % in 2010, while the number of people who used cannabis in the past year increased by 23 %, compared with 170 million in 2010, partly due to the increase in the world's population.

In the United States States that have or have not legalized, As in Canada and Uruguay, the trend is upward.

The report notes that «legalization itself does not explain the greater increase in cannabis use in states where cannabis has been legalized. In states that have legalized the non-medical use of cannabis, such as Colorado, cannabis use has traditionally been higher than the national average.»

Cannabis use among teenagers has increased in Uruguay, while it has either fallen or remained stable in the various US states and Canada.

The pandemic has benefited cannabis

No surprises here: the Covid pandemic and the various confinements have led to an increase in all uses of drugs, both legal and illegal. Cannabis trafficking has also weathered the crisis well, with seizures at an all-time high in 2020, a sign of increased police activity and possibly increased production.

In 2019 and 2020, reported growth in indoor cannabis cultivation appears to have again outstripped growth in outdoor cultivation globally, with the net number of countries reporting an increase in indoor cultivation three times greater than the net number of countries reporting a decrease in outdoor cultivation.

The cannabis seized is high in THC and low in CBD, confirming a trend in illegal markets in recent years, These are the reasons why we have been forced to produce fast and use potent varieties, in order to evade arrest as much as possible, or to reduce production areas while maintaining a similar level of pure THC production.

The black market retreats in the face of legalization

UNODC recognizes that various legalizations have an impact on the black market.

«Illegal cannabis markets still exist after legalization, but to varying degrees, in the different countries and jurisdictions that have legalized cannabis. In some countries, the size of the illegal market has decreased since the introduction of the new regulations», explains the report.

In addition, «the tax revenues from the legalized cannabis market continued to grow. A variable portion of these revenues was invested in the prevention of drug addiction and the treatment of drug-related disorders.»