While it may be illegal in most countries, marijuana is still consumed by a large percentage of the population globally, as is evident by the 10 countries that consume the most marijuana. It is the most popular illegal drug in the world and is consumed by hundreds of millions of people around the globe. The drug is mostly consumed either through smoking, as an extract, vaporization and even with food.

The global popularity and demand of marijuana, or cannabis, lies in the fact that it allows a person to get high, resulting in a heightened mood, change in the person’s perception and the feeling of being hungry. On the other hand, marijuana can also result in some short term effects which can include the redness of the eyes, reduction in motor skills, short term memory loss, paranoia, nausea and dryness of the mouth among others. As you can notice, none of these are serious side effects, and as such, last only a short period of time. However, despite the fact that these are short term, anyone consuming marijuana should definitely avoid driving or operating machinery as the person will not be in full control of himself. Of course, carrying out the aforementioned acts while high may require you to visit a doctor. For this purpose, it would be safer to carry out these risky actions if you live in one of the 7 countries that produce the best doctors in the world.

Marijuana may be consumed for medicinal purposes, often to alleviate pain in patients. However, most people use the drug for recreational purposes, to escape the reality and indulge in the relief it provides.

Marijuana has always been a hotly contested topic in the global world. More specifically, the debate has been focused on whether the drug should be legal or not. Currently, it is illegal in almost every country in the world, bar a selected few. However, recently, it has gained significant traction towards legalization, with several states in the United States legalizing it recently. In fact, current candidate for president, Bernie Sanders, has actually declared that he would work towards the legalization of marijuana on a national scale.

Marijuana and its use are not as recent as some reports would suggest. It has been used from the 3rd millennium BC.

Marijuana’s sale and consumption will increase significantly in future years, due to the fact that it is being legalized in more and more countries across the globe. Furthermore, legalization will result in a reduction in the production costs, which in turn will lower the price of marijuana, which will also result in an increase in sales.

Estimates have suggested that for every 10 cents of reduction in the price of marijuana, the total users will increase by around 3%.

There are several benefits afforded if marijuana is legalized. For one, the money spent on taking down people who grow and sell the drug could be saved for better uses. Furthermore, the lives of many people are ruined due to the possession of a negligible amount of marijuana. In addition, the taxpayers’ money spent on housing these people in prison could also result in millions of dollars being saved annually. However, the biggest benefit has to lie in the ability to tax the industry. Estimates suggest that billions of dollars could be earned from taxing the marijuana industry while legalization would also allow addicts to easily obtain counsel to counter their addiction.

We used the World Drugs Report 2014 to determine the countries which consume the most marijuana. In order to conclude our ranking, we selected the countries according to the percentage of the population which has consumed cannabis. Of course, there is a possibility that these statistics may not be completely accurate mainly because the drug is illegal in most parts of the world and hence, people may not want to admit their association with the drug. Here is our ranking, starting with number 10:

10. Czech Republic

Percentage of total population of the country which has admitted to smoking marijuana: 9.10%

9. Zambia

Percentage of total population of the country which has admitted to smoking marijuana: 9.50%

8. Spain

Percentage of total population of the country which has admitted to smoking marijuana: 9.60%

7. Australia

Percentage of total population of the country which has admitted to smoking marijuana: 10.30%

6. Bermuda

Percentage of total population of the country which has admitted to smoking marijuana: 10.90%

5. Canada

Percentage of total population of the country which has admitted to smoking marijuana: 12.20%

4. Nigeria

Percentage of total population of the country which has admitted to smoking marijuana: 14.30%

3. New Zealand

Percentage of total population of the country which has admitted to smoking marijuana: 14.60%

2. The United States of America

Percentage of total population of the country which has admitted to smoking marijuana: 14.80%

1. Iceland

Percentage of total population of the country which has admitted to smoking marijuana: 18.30%

With nearly a fifth of the entire population consuming weed, Iceland tops the list of 10 countries that consume the most marijuana.

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