Cannabis for recreational use remains illegal in most EU member states. While some countries are moving toward liberalization, the stigma of an illegal drug persists today. The European Union’s drug agency recently published statistics on consumption frequency among young adults for 2024.
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Approximately one in seven EU citizens aged 15 to 34 consumed cannabis at least once in the past year. In the general population aged 15 to 64, 8.4% reported cannabis consumption in the past year. 1.5% consumed daily or almost daily. Men consumed roughly twice as frequently as women.
Italy Takes the Lead
Cannabis consumption was most widespread in Italy. 21.5% of young Italians consumed cannabis in the past year. Italy has one of the EU’s strictest cannabis laws. Recently, even CBD flower was classified as a controlled substance, and penalties for driving under the influence were dramatically increased. Notably, despite Italy’s restrictive drug policy, consumption has risen. According to the EMCDDA’s European Drug Report from 2017, the consumption prevalence for the same age group was 20.9% at that time. Croatia follows closely with 20.3%, followed by Spain at 19.4%.
France also ranks high at 18.9%, well ahead of the more liberal Netherlands. France continues to pursue a restrictive drug policy today. Even medical cannabis use is only gradually and hesitantly gaining acceptance there. Germany ranks mid-range with a consumption prevalence of 17.2%. Recently published evaluation data showed that partial decriminalization had no impact on youth consumption. On the contrary: consumption among youth continues to decline steadily.
Portugal Far Behind
Only 4.9% of young adults in Portugal consumed cannabis in the past year. This places Portugal far down the rankings. Even less consumption occurred only in Greece at 4.5% and Hungary at 3.4%. Portugal is known for its highly liberal drug policy. In 2001, all drugs were decriminalized there. Not only cannabis, but also possession and consumption of so-called hard drugs for personal use are no longer subject to prosecution and punishment. Instead, users receive medical counseling.
Interestingly, this progressive model—proven effective for nearly 25 years—receives little attention in other countries today. Yet it clearly demonstrates that decriminalization does not correlate with increased consumption. There appears to be no causal relationship between legal status and consumption prevalence. Despite its liberal drug policy, consumption in Portugal has actually continued to decline in recent years. In 2016, consumption prevalence in the same age group was 8%.
Despite Bans, Cannabis Easily Available to Youth
A survey of young people showed that cannabis is easily available despite prohibition. Students aged 15 to 16 reported that cannabis is the most easily obtainable illegal drug. For 30% of respondents, cannabis was very easy to obtain. On average, 13% of surveyed students had consumed cannabis at least once in their lifetime. 2.6% reported first use at age 13 or younger. Overall, however, EU-wide trends show declining consumption among youth.
While consumption peaked in the early 2000s, it has declined continuously since then. These data speak a clear language: prohibition provides neither youth protection nor quality control. Instead, responsible adults continue to face sanctions purely on ideological grounds for their consumption. With a legal and regulated market featuring specialty retailers, youth protection could be ensured in the same manner as with alcohol and tobacco. The illegal cannabis market across the entire EU is estimated at approximately €12.1 billion—a substantial amount of tax revenue that could be generated if progressive drug policy were finally pursued.
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