Cannabis remains the most consumed illicit drug in France by nearly one in ten adults, according to the 2020 health barometer of Public Health France unveiled on Thursday, December 2 by the French Observatory for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT).
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In 2020, 11% of French people aged 18 to 64 reported having used cannabis during the year.
Cannabis thus remains the most widespread illicit drug in the country, since the last study which focused on 2016 when the proportion was the same.
Teenagers are particularly fond of it.
At 17 years old, more than 40% of them indicate having consumed it during the year, as in 2016. Among 18-24 year olds, they are almost 26%.
The figure decreases with age and only concerns about 2% among 55-64 year olds.
The profile of smokers reveals, moreover, a male prevalence: 15% of men are concerned, against 7.5% of women.
The number of regular users in "slight decline"
The OFDT indicates an evolution among cannabis users since 1992 with on the one hand an "
increase in the proportion of women who have already consumed cannabis
", and on the other hand "
an aging of users in the year who are more and more often in their thirties and forties
”.
The number of regular users (at least ten drinks per month) is “
down slightly
”, “
from 3.6% in 2017 to 3.2% in 2020
”.
More generally, nearly half of French people (46%) admit to having used cannabis in their lifetime.
According to the OFDT, this figure is "
stable since 2017
", after a period of increase since 2000.
The joint remains the most common form of cannabis use, in 94% of cases.
Some prefer to vape it (2.3%) or ingest it in the form of food or infusion (2.2%).
The hookah and the "
bong
" remain uncommon (less than 1%).
61% of users consume the herb of the plant, while 37% prefer the resin.
In 95% of cases, they are not taken pure but mixed with tobacco.
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France is the country with the most cannabis consumers among the countries of the European Union, where the proportion of those who have already smoked it is on average 27%.
The OFDT study does not specify the consumption of other drugs.