Geneva overtakes Amsterdam on the cannabis consumption podium

According to the latest findings from the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction, Geneva has overtaken Amsterdam in terms of average cannabis use.

To reach this conclusion, the Observatory analyzed wastewater from 104 European cities as part of the study « Wastewater Analysis and Drugs—A European Multi-City Study«, published by the European group SCORE, in collaboration with the EU’s drug agency (EMCDDA).”.

In 2022, nearly 181 mg of cannabis residues were found—per day and per thousand residents—in Geneva’s wastewater.

Three other Swiss cities were tested: Zurich and Basel come in 5th and 6th place, while Bern is far behind Swiss standards, ranking 11th. This makes Switzerland the top cannabis consumer in Europe according to this ranking.

Ranking of Cannabis Use in Europe

As a study by the University of Geneva has shown, our Swiss neighbors smoke about 750,000 joints every day, generating an estimated total annual revenue of one billion Swiss francs.

Amsterdam ranks second and Barcelona third.

It should be noted, however, that neither France nor the United Kingdom (with the exception of Bristol) were included in the 2022 study. Based on the 2021 results, Paris would rank 9th, ahead of Prague.

The analysis also reveals an increase in the detection of cocaine and methamphetamine.