Malta has one of Europe’s lowest lifetime cannabis usage

Malta has one of the lowest estimates for lifetime cannabis use, with only 3.5% of people aged 15-64 who profess using cannabis on a regular basis.

Malta is second to Romania (1.5%) and is followed Bulgaria (7.3%) and Hungary (8.5%) in Europe's rankings for cannabis users. The highest levels are reported in Denmark (32.5%), Spain (32.1%), Italy (32%), France and the United Kingdom (both 30.6%).

According to the first comprehensive analysis of cannabis production and markets in Europe, released by the EU drugs agency (EMCDDA) to mark International day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking, it turns out that Malta has one of the largest proportion of young people who report that they think regular use of cannabis poses a high risk to a person's health were the largest in Malta (77%).

Indeed, cocaine appears to be more predominant in Malta. The majority of cannabis offences are related to consumption in Malta. As a proportion of all drug offences related to consumption, cannabis comes after cocaine and heroin in Malta. And supply offences are largely dominated by cocaine.

"The market share of cannabis herb is increasing across Europe at the expense of cannabis resin" according to the first comprehensive analysis of cannabis production and markets in Europe, released today by the EU drugs agency (EMCDDA) to mark International day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking.

The report describes a cannabis market in a 'continual state of evolution' and how Europe, a major cannabis consumer, is now an important producer of this, its most popular illicit drug. Also documented is the wide variety of products on sale and how the rise in herbal cannabis cultivation inside Europe's borders is increasingly associated with collateral damage such as violence and criminality.

A sizeable 78 million Europeans (15-64 years) have tried cannabis, while around 9 million young Europeans (15-34 years) have used it in the last month. Today's European cannabis market contrasts considerably to that of the 1960s, when importation was mainly the pursuit of 'amateurs and enthusiasts'. The report describes how profits to be made from the cannabis trade have rendered it a mainstream activity of criminal organisations and one often linked to trafficking in other illicit commodities such as cocaine.

The two main products manufactured from illicitly grown cannabis are herbal cannabis ('marijuana') and cannabis resin ('hashish'). But these may be broken down into numerous sub-types with varying compounds and effects.

Inside Europe, indoor cultivation of herbal cannabis is limited only by access to electricity and water and sophisticated techniques (including hydroponics) are often used to increase the quantity and 'quality' (potency) of the product. Today 29 of the 30 EMCDDA reporting countries report some cultivation of herbal cannabis. in the other third). In 10 of these countries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia and Croatia), 90% or more of the cannabis consumed is herbal.

Of the 30 reporting countries, 29 provided information on the forms of cannabis cultivation; no information was available from Malta.

Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland and the UK have all experienced a steep growth in the levels of domestic herbal cannabis production in the last two decades.

Cannabis is the most widely cultivated illicit drug plant worldwide. Today's report describes the 'Big five' regions considered the main sources of cannabis products (mainly resin) imported into Europe. These are: North Africa (Morocco), South-west Asia (Afghanistan); the Balkans (Albania); the Middle East (Lebanon) and sub-Saharan Africa (South Africa).

Morocco consistently ranks first as exporter of cannabis resin to Europe, the product entering the region mainly via Spain and Portugal. Although some sources report vast decreases in Moroccan resin production between 2003 and 2009, these are called into question by European data suggesting that some production estimates for Morocco appear to be unrealistically low.