Culture
Marijuana Remains Most Popular Drug in the World
Jul
By
While the big, bad world continues to spin the seasons, the populations that have come shooting out of the great human portal in the sky are learning that life on this planet is not all fun and games. There is ugliness all around. We see it each and every day, and now we’re just patiently waiting for this spot in the universe to jump off its axis and plummet into the fiery pit that some call hell. In the meantime, we fill our heads with a variety of intoxicating substances to get us through the roughest of the down. How could we not? It has become readily apparent, at least to some of us, that the life of the sober, that is to say, those minds left wandering aimlessly in the midst of the madness, is now more dangerous than a feel good journey into an altered state. We, whoever we have since become, insist on dulling the insidious nature of this existence. For when the Earth does finally come apart, we want to be in the right headspace to enjoy it.
Look, as far as we know, the world is not about to end anytime soon. But there is no doubt that the global population is on the deadeye mission to wasted years as if the devilish raucous of the apocalypse was right around the corner. The latest United Nations World Drug Report shows a society that appears to have lost all hope. Presumably, this is because they feel abandoned by the bogus gods, politicians and other pseudo saviors, and they are now convinced that the only redemption to ever come from the evolution of slime is through the indulgence of mind-altering substances.
But then again, maybe these people, people just like you, are only trying to find some fun whenever and wherever they can. And maybe, I’m one of those people too, and so stoned that I forgot that I’m only writing an article about global cannabis use and not some chunk of prose intended to enlighten the dead generations. I suppose the real point here, if there is one that should be emphasized, is that the planet is completely whacked out on drugs and its favorite, by far, is our good, old friend the cannabis plant.
The report shows that marijuana is the drug of choice all across the globe, with somewhere around 188 million people using it in 2017. The majority of this consumption was in North America, of course, where marijuana legalization has taken hold in Canada and several U.S. states. It is said that in this part of the world, there are approximately 56.6 million people that have pledged allegiance to the leaf. The next in line would be Asia, which comes with around 54.2 million stoned.
This might sound like a lot of folks are getting ripped up on weed these days, but the numbers really only represent about 3.8% of the global population. That’s right, not even 5% of the world is on the most commonly used substance on the planet. However, more of the world population is using marijuana more than ever before — 30% overall — which according to the study authors, is likely the fault of cannabis journalists. Or, at least we hope so.
“This is largely a result of a decrease in the perception of risk around cannabis use and of the national debate about legalizing non-medical use of cannabis,” the report said.
Another interesting tidbit of information detailed in the report pertains to drug seizures. It seems because marijuana legalization is gaining more ground in various parts of North America, less marijuana has been seized by law enforcement. In fact, cannabis seizures have decreased by right around 77% over the past two decades, the report shows. This probably explains the uptick in cannabis consumption in this neck of the woods. More weed is being grown in these areas, less is being seized, and well, that just translates to more high society. It’s not rocket science, kids.
The worldwide War on Drugs is off weed and now has its sights set on opioids. The report indicates that 693 tons of these substances were seized across the globe in 2017. This represents a 5% increase from the previous year. But as we’ve learned throughout the decades of cannabis prohibition, a ramped up police offensive is never going to stop the drug-addled population from going on the nod.
Not ever.
But that’s OK because I’m still not convinced that the planet is hanging around much longer. What can I say, we are in dark times and the weed is only getting danker. If I’m right, all of sober society will burn out without ever knowing what enjoying cannabis truly means. So, perhaps more of the world should embrace some kind of buzzed behavior right here and now and maybe, just maybe, if all of us survive long enough to see yet another U.N. drug report, we will notice that even more of the population is smoking weed.
Now, go forth, world, and live a little!
TELL US, do you know people who say they have never tried cannabis?
Read more from the source: CannabisNow.com
Photo by Gracie Malley for Cannabis Now
