Cannabis use on the rise post legalisation & Covid-19 lockdowns: UN report

According to a recent UN report, Cannabis use has widely increased in countries that have legalised the drug. The regular intake of the drug also rose during the Covid-19 lockdowns, raising the risk of depression and suicide, the report added.

Various U.S states have legalised non-medical the use of cannabis including Washington and Colorado. Other countries including Canada have taken similar steps.

While cannabis has been the world’s most widely used drug, the content of the drug is also getting stronger. As per the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) annual World Drug Report, roughly 284 million people or 5.6 per cent of the world’s population consumed drugs such as heroin, cocaine and ecstasy in 2020. Of those, 209 million used cannabis.

The consumption of cannabis among teenagers has not changed much but the drug use has majorly increased among young adults, the report concluded.

Also watch: Indian Ayurveda and the traditional use of Cannabis