In Europe, 1 in 5 Has Smoked Marijuana

The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) has just released its seminal volume on the state, past and present, of marijuana use in Europe.

Agency director Wolfgang Goetz introduced the report saying, "Cannabis is the most-used illicit drug in Europe, but it can also be a major source of division and debate among politicians, scientists, police, professionals and citizens." He explained that the report was intended to present a factual, neutral and authoritative picture of marijuana use and its implications, and help to drive informed and responsible public policy.

Some of the more interesting facts contained within the 700 page volume are:

One in five Europeans has smoked marijuana

13 million have smoked it within the last month

The average sale price varies widely, from a couple of dollars per gram in Spain to over 30 dollars per gram in Norway.

The research report also presents analysis of the routes marijuana takes on its path to market, and analyzes the effects of diverse law enforcement policies within the EU, where the drug has been decriminalized in some nations, and suffers zero tolerance in others.

The report is entitled, "A cannabis reader: global issues and local experiences".