Consumption of cannabis is by far the first (+ 80% of all drugs) with 3.9 million customers, including 1.2 miliions regular consumers. More than half of them are episodic but use about 1 / 3 have a consumer problem and 10% are at stage of addiction. It affects mostly young people (30% of regular users among young adults, especially boys, about 80% -).
The ideological and emotional climate surrounding this book and the debate on its decriminalization for many years have not helped to inform the public and have certainly played a role in the development of consumption, which has doubled in ten years with all its health and social consequences.
At age 16, young French are currently the biggest consumers of Europe.
In young, educated or not, the figures are worrying. 38% of 15-16 year olds in education have experienced at least once cannabis, 22% reported consumption during the month. Students are on-cannabis users, compared to assets of the same age. Among 18-25 year old’s, 56% of men have tried cannabis, against 39% of women. In 15-64 years, 4.2% of men are in regular use, against 1.2% of women. In this age, cannabis use has become as common as alcohol and the combination of these two products is widespread, one seriously potentiating effects of the other.
The consumption of increasingly early (testing in minors has doubled in 10 years) increases the risk of progression to problem use or addiction. A growing number of users continues beyond the age of 30. However, in adult hood, most regular users abandon. If we rejoice, we must keep in mind that cannabis use has occurred during a crucial period of life crucial to the future is that of learning, including professionals. Finally, if among a certain proportion of the youth, who remains a minority, cannabis use has become commonplace on the entire French population, it affects about 5% of our citizens. In this sense we can say it really has become a cultural phenomenon on a scale comparable to that for alcohol or tobacco.