Jennifer Mendoza
Research expert covering health, pharma and medtech
Cannabis in Europe - Statistics & Facts
In April 2024, Germany became the first European country to legalize the consumption, storage, and production of cannabis by private individuals. In 2024, the number of users of legal cannabis in Europe reached over 105 million and is predicted to follow a growing trend at least over the next five years. The leading products of this market are CBD products that are sold in most European markets. The consumption of cannabis can trigger strong side effects such as addiction, cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), and psychosis. Cannabis users entering treatment are mostly male, accounting for 82 percent of such users in 2022. Germany was the European country with the highest number of cannabis users in treatment because of side-effects related to cannabis consumption. When it comes to the illegal distribution of cannabis, Spain was the country recording the highest number of seizures for herbal and resin cannabis in 2022.
