Not Jamaica or Holland: Iceland is the Country Where the Most Cannabis is Smoked

The United Nations drafts an annual report documenting the trends in every area of the cannabis industry: production, distribution and consumption. With regards to the latter, it produces a list of the nations with the highest percentages of cannabis use.

The first is a land of volcanoes, glaciers and even northern lights. Iceland is a country that surprises people around the world for many reasons, particularly its stunning scenery. Now, believe it or not, this report has identified it as the nation with the highest percentage of marijuana smokers, ahead of others more renowned for their consumption.

The study, featuring data on people between the ages of 18 and 67, concluded that in this age range 18.30% of the population consumes cannabis. Iceland is followed by countries like Nigeria, with a rate of 16.84%, and Zambia, with 15.60%.

When analysing the uniqueness of the data, it was noted that this nation actually ranks above countries where marijuana is legal. As is the case in much of Europe, in Iceland cannabis is illegal: the possession of small amounts is punishable with economic sanctions, while reiterated violations can have more severe consequences. However, its use is widely tolerated.

One of the reasons why marijuana use among Icelanders is so widespread could be the measure that banned beer from 1915-1989. It is hardly far-fetched that during this time citizens looked into other substances, and discovered the charms of cannabis.

Among the arguments advanced to promote the legalisation of marijuana is that the passage of more permissive laws does not necessarily lead to an increase in consumption. In light of marijuana consumption's major impact on the island, and given the fact that Europe is moving towards legalisation (like Germany, which recently announced its intention to legalise medical use in 2017), it is to be expected that more voices will also be calling for a change of course in Iceland.