Survey: Canadian Kids Smoke the Most Pot

Young folks in Canada smoke more pot than kids in any other developed nation, according to a new report from UNICEF. Out of 29 Western nations surveyed, Canada ranked first for youth cannabis use, with 28% of 11, 13 and 15-year olds reporting having smoked pot in the last year. In the US, the percentage falls close behind at 22%. Other nations with rates above 20% are the Czech Republic, France, Spain and Switzerland. Notably, the countries with more liberal drug laws show lower rates of youth marijuana use than countries with stricter policies. In the Netherlands, where pot laws vary from city to city, about 17% of kids reported smoking pot in the last year, whereas in Portugal, where marijuana has been decriminalized, only 10.5% of kids had recently used the drug.