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Photo: Carlos Ramírez / imago images/Agencia EFE
According to a report by the United Nations, the increasing use of cannabis is putting additional strain on healthcare facilities.
In the European Union, hemp drugs are the cause of around 30 percent of drug therapies, according to the annual report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna.
It was released on Monday.
In Africa and some Latin American countries, most such therapies are related to cannabis addiction.
The levels of the psychoactive substance tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in cannabis increased, according to the report.
According to the UNODC, the increasing potency of hash and marijuana on the market, combined with regular use, has led to a rise in addiction and mental illness in Western Europe.
The UN agency is also concerned that various stronger drugs will find new markets.
Seizures indicate that cocaine smuggling is spreading beyond the main distribution areas of North America and Europe to Africa and Asia.
Methamphetamine, which is also a stimulant, is no longer just a problem in East and Southeast Asia, but also in countries like Afghanistan and Mexico.
The UNODC estimates that in 2020, 284 million adolescents and adults worldwide used drugs - 209 million of them cannabis.
These calculations are based on the latest available figures from 2020.
The UN office also attributes the increase in cannabis use to the corona pandemic: "Lockdowns during the Covid 19 pandemic led to an increase in cannabis use," says the current report.
The UNODC reported last year that demand for cannabis and tranquilizers had increased during the pandemic.
aar/dpa