When asked which country has the biggest percentage of cannabis smokers, you might think Canada or America. Or maybe even France, Holland or the UK. But you’d be wrong.
Rather, the country with the biggest proportion of cannabis users among its population is Nigeria – a West African nation with 190 million inhabitants (the UK has 60 million, for reference) and no legal cannabis industry.
Two new reports
As reported in Nigerian newspaper Business Day, two new reports on the cannabis industry have found that Nigerians enjoy their weed more than anyone else in the world.
The Global Cannabis Report and the Africa Hemp and Cannabis Report found that 19.4 percent of the country’s population over the age of 15 consumed cannabis in 2018, and at least 12 percent consume it monthly.
It was also discovered that Nigerians spent a total of $15.3 billion (£12.2b) a year of cannabis, which, by the way, is still very much illegal in the country.
Coming in second behind Nigeria is Canada, in which 15.8 percent of its population consume cannabis. The United States is third, with 15 percent.
Huge illicit market
In total demand for cannabis in Africa, according to the reports, is estimated at $37 billion (£29b). A huge chunk of this demand comes from Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, followed by Ethiopia ($9.8 billion), and Morocco ($3.5 billion).
The reports covered 13 of Africa’s nations; Lesotho, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Eswatini, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Morocco, and Kenya.
These countries are home to more than 565.4 million people, across which nearly 42.8 million are estimated to use cannabis at least once a year.
Jack could u try setting up a series of petitions for either decriminalising cannabis in the UK or calling for legalisation of cannabis light or medical grade cannabis fir medical needs and post them here?
It’s just ridiculous that are government or do old fashioned on the whole thing. The thing is it’s been used for millions of years yet they keep saying we need more research.
A these pharma drugs have only been around for a short yime. I withdrew from benzodiazipines and and antidepessents 8 months ago and believe me they are not suitable for human consumption.
Cannabis is restoring the damage caused to my nervous system and numerological pathways by those appaling drugs created by man.
I really thing there needs to start being an intense push for decriminalisation of cannabis. Here is a great platform to start.
Hi Andy, thanks for the comment.
While the idea of a petition to decriminalise cannabis sounds like a good plan and I would happily sign and support it, I don’t know what good it will do.
I find that you can rarely change the world by fighting it. ‘What you resist will persist’, and all that. Rather, it is my view, that we must act as if the world has already changed. That is why I am dedicating my time to educating people about cannabis and health, helping people find reliable cannabis products, and building businesses that do the same.
Cannabis has been used since the earliest days of mankind. It is an ally of the human race. We’ve written spiritual texts on it, we’ve used it to help us sail around the globe, it has healed us, clothed us and fed us.
Even while it’s been ‘prohibited’ for the last 60 years or so, it’s still had a huge cultural impact in this time and become one of the most popular commodities on earth.
There is no way it can be held back from us. It is inevitable that cannabis will continue to play a huge role in the development of mankind. No government in the world can prevent this.
With this in mind, I think my time is best spent helping people to access and use cannabis effectively. This is how we take cannabis back. No need to ask the government for permission 😉
I know. I just wish it was easily available rather than having high THC street weed. I love indica yet I can’t get it very easily. Grow my own is the best option!
Thanks Jack.