UN flags cannabis explosion in Africa on World Drug Day
That figure represents 4.6% of the world's population aged between 15 and 64.
According to the report, cannabis use has increased by 34% over the past decade, with the highest rates seen in North America, where 20.2% of people used cannabis last year.
This information comes as the world marks International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, commonly known as World Drug Day. The day, which is observed annually on June 26, raises awareness of the global drug crisis and calls for multilateral co-operation in prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.
The theme for 2025, 'Break the Cycle. #StopOrganisedCrime,' urges long-term, focused action to disrupt the deadly link between drug trafficking and organised crime, both of which fuel violence, corruption and regional instability.
The report revealed that about one woman for every nine men uses cannabis, highlighting a significant gender disparity in consumption patterns.
It also showed that Southern, West and Central Africa recorded especially high use of cannabis, with about 10% of the population aged 15—64 reporting cannabis use in the past year.
The report revealed that Africa also accounts for a large share of global drug enforcement activity.
'Africa accounted for 44% of the total cannabis herb and resin seized worldwide in 2023, ahead of the Americas, Asia and Europe,' the report stated.
It said that cannabis remains the most common drug behind treatment admissions across the continent.
'Cannabis remains the main drug of concern for 32% of people in treatment in Africa. The majority of those seeking treatment for drug use disorders in Africa are under the age of 35, with cannabis and opioids being the substances most often involved,' the UN said.
Africa is also a significant trafficking corridor with West Africa for cocaine, East Africa for heroin, and much of the continent for cannabis, which is largely produced in the region.
The UN report estimated that 316-million people worldwide used a drug (excluding alcohol and tobacco) in 2023, which is 6% of the global population and up from 5.2% in 2013.
The report broke down other uses of substance abuse in the world showing that 61-million used opioids, 31-million used amphetamines, 25-million used cocaine and 21-million used ecstasy-type substances.
Among women globally, drug use rates show that 24% used cannabis, 14% used opioids, 25% used cocaine, 29% used amphetamines and 32% used ecstasy.
'Cannabis accounts for a substantial share of drug-related harm globally. An estimated 42% of drug use disorder cases worldwide are cannabis use disorders. In 2023, 41% of countries reported cannabis as the main drug of concern for people in drug treatment,' the report said.
South Africa has seen its own dramatic changes, as in 2023 authorities destroyed large quantities of seized drugs, including 700kg of cannabis with a street value of R21m, intercepted in Durban Harbour.
These enforcement actions are occurring alongside major legal shifts as in 2018 a Constitutional Court ruling decriminalising private use, possession and cultivation of cannabis in South Africa. The Cannabis for Private Purposes Act of 2024 formalised the legal framework around personal use.
And recently as a response to public pressure, the government also lifted its ban on cannabis and hemp foodstuffs, a move welcomed by civil society groups and the local cannabis industry after the health minister Aaron Motsoaledi had temporarily banned it.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
15 hours ago
- The Citizen
Syria coastal massacres show signs of war crimes, UN says
More than 1 700 people were killed in March violence along Syria's Mediterranean coast. A UN commission investigating sectarian bloodshed in Syria's Alawite heartland documented systematic violence at the hands of government forces and allied groups, warning Thursday that some of the acts could constitute war crimes. The violence in March unfolded along Syria's predominantly Alawite Mediterranean coast, where security personnel and their allies were accused of carrying out summary executions, mostly targeting civilians from the religious minority, with a war monitor saying more than 1 700 people were killed. The Syrian foreign ministry said it was committed to 'incorporating the (commission's) recommendations into the ongoing process of institution-building' and of consolidating the rule of law. War crime-like acts The UN commission said in its report on Thursday that the violence committed by 'members of the interim government forces and private individuals operating alongside or in proximity to them… followed a systematic pattern across multiple, widespread locations'. 'The violations included acts that likely amount to war crimes,' it said. The commission documented cases of 'murder, torture and inhumane acts related to the treatment of the dead, widespread looting and burning of homes all of which displaced tens of thousands of civilians'. Syria's new authorities have accused gunmen loyal to ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad of instigating the violence by launching deadly attacks that killed dozens of security personnel. The UN commission also found that pro-Assad forces were implicated in the violence. 'Deeply disturbing' Human rights groups and international organisations have said entire families were killed, including women, children and the elderly. ALSO READ: Syrians protest Sweida killings in London, Paris Gunmen stormed homes and asked residents whether they were Alawite or Sunni before killing or sparing them, they said. The UN commission documented similar cases involving the killing of Alawite men. During his rule, Assad — himself an Alawite — cultivated an image as a defender of minorities, even as his authoritarian tendencies plunged the country into civil war. Since his December ouster at the hands of Islamist-led rebels, the violence on the coast and in south Syria's Druze heartland have raised questions about the new authorities' ability to provide security and manage sectarian tensions. The UN commission — which said it had been granted 'unfettered access' to the area by the post-Assad government — based its findings on more than 200 interviews with victims and witnesses. It said there were 'reasonable grounds to believe' that members of the security forces and other private individuals engaged in 'serious violations of international human rights law'. 'The scale and brutality of the violence documented in our report is deeply disturbing,' said commission chair Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, urging accountability and expanded efforts to arrest perpetrators. ALSO READ: New Syria PM says all religious groups' rights 'guaranteed' 'Serious note' The commission said it 'continues to receive information about ongoing violations in many of the affected areas, including abductions of women, arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances'. It said it had 'found no evidence of a governmental policy or plan' to carry out the attacks, though their systematic nature 'in certain locations may be indicative of an organisational policy within certain factions or groups'. In a letter to the commission, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said the government took 'serious note of the alleged violations', saying they 'appear to be consistent with the findings' of the Syrian inquiry. US envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack called the report 'a serious step towards definable and traceable metrics to the Syrian government's responsibility, transparency and accountability'. Investigations into recent violence The commission said it was also investigating recent violence in Syria's Druze-majority Sweida province that it said highlighted the urgency of implementing the report's recommendations. In its own inquiry, the committee formed by the Syrian authorities documented 'serious violations against civilians' in March. The committee confirmed 'the names of 1 426 dead, including 90 women', and identified '298 individuals by name' who were suspected of involvement in the violations. NOW READ: 'Tread carefully': What fall of Assad regime in Syria means for SA
TimesLIVE
18 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
WFP suspends flights to Burkina Faso town after explosion
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Wednesday it has suspended flights to the northwestern Burkina Faso town of Solle after an explosion near a helicopter it chartered injured a crew member and a government official. The WFP is trying to reach more than 300,000 people during the West African nation's lean season, which runs from June to August and in which "families' food stocks are exhausted," a spokesperson for the UN agency said. The blast occurred shortly after the helicopter landed in Solle on Tuesday and was being investigated, the spokesperson said. The injured were receiving medical care and the helicopter, though lightly damaged, had been "safely relocated". There was no immediate claim of responsibility. "WFP calls on all parties to adhere to their obligations under International Humanitarian Law, including the protection of aid workers and humanitarian assets," the spokesperson said.
TimesLIVE
19 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
At least 26 die in Libyan migrant shipwreck off Italian island
At least 26 people died in a migrant shipwreck off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa on Wednesday and 60 were brought ashore, the coastguard said, adding that the death toll was still provisional amid ongoing search operations. The disaster, in this case involving people travelling from Libya, is the latest to befall migrants making the perilous Mediterranean crossing from Africa to Europe. An Italian law enforcement aircraft spotted a capsized boat with bodies in the water about 23km off Lampedusa on Wednesday morning, triggering a rescue operation, the coastguard said in a statement. Based on initial accounts from the rescued migrants, they departed from the Tripoli area in Libya in the early morning aboard two boats. One of the boats began taking on water and they transferred to the other vessel, which later capsized in choppy water, a source close to the matter said. The coastguard said five ships, two aircraft and one helicopter were operating at the rescue site. Initial tallies from the UN refugee agency UNHCR indicated that the group of migrants comprised some 92 to 97 people.
