In this article, we are going to discuss the top 5 weed smoking countries in the world. If you want to check out our detailed analysis of the global cannabis industry, the largest cannabis company in the world, and the issues faced by the cannabis industry in America, head to Top 20 Weed Smoking Countries in the World.
5. Uruguay
Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 14.6%
Cannabis is legal in Uruguay and is one of the most widely used drugs in the nation. President José Mujica signed legislation to legalize recreational cannabis in December 2013, making Uruguay the first country in the modern era to legalize cannabis.
Pharmacies in Uruguay have sold 10,693,210 grams of marijuana between July 19, 2017, and July 19, 2023. There are three companies producing cannabis, and the sale of marijuana is authorized in 37 pharmacies distributed across ten departments throughout the country. Uruguay also started exporting weed in 2019.
4. New Zealand
Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 15.3%
Official statistics from Auckland University’s Alcohol and Public Health Research Unit show half of New Zealanders aged 15-65 have tried cannabis at least once, and almost one-in-six define themselves as regular users. That’s about 1.5 million ordinary Kiwis who have ignored the law and tried cannabis, and around 400,000 who continue to use it.
Roughly 74 metric tons of cannabis is consumed annually in New Zealand’s illicit market, with a retail value of up to $1 billion.
3. Jamaica
Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 18%
Ganja is deeply rooted in Jamaica’s history and culture, but it is not legal. The country legalized medical cannabis and decriminalized possession of under 2 ounces in 2015, after more than a century of prohibition that saw the plant weaponized to silence and disenfranchise dissenters. Illegal cannabis cultivation is rampant in Jamaica, with an estimated 15,000 ha of cannabis cultivated annually illegally, mostly for export.
2. Canada
Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 20.7%
The Canadian cannabis market has continued to grow at a double-digit rate since legalization – rising from a market size of $1.2 billion in 2019 to $4.7 billion in 2022 – with more than 3,000 retail locations in the country. As the first G20 country to legalize cannabis for adult use and create a national marketplace, Canada stands to set a regulatory blueprint for the rest of the world.
Ontario residents purchased more than $1.3 billion worth of legal cannabis products last year, an increase of 38% from 2021. There are currently 1,700 legal cannabis stores that currently operate in the province, with 400 situated only in Toronto.
1. United States of America
Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 22.8%
The U.S. legal cannabis industry took some hits in 2022, but according to top cannabis researcher Brightfield Group, annual revenue of the industry is estimated to reach $31.8 billion by the end of 2023, growing to $50.7 billion by 2028. The increasing legalization of cannabis and rising acceptance of its use for medical purposes are the key factors driving the growth of the market.
Growth is also expected to come from new states. In the first two months of 2023, three states have begun cannabis sales – two adult-use (Connecticut and Maryland) and one medical (Mississippi). With an annual weed consumption of 62.3 metric tons, NYC is the city that smokes the most weed in America.
The U.S. is the Country that Smokes the Most Weed in the World.
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