Cannabis use and harms in Central and South America
Cannabis use has risen over the past 20 years in South and Central America but is showing signs of stabilization
South and Central America account for around 30 per cent of global cannabis herb seizures quantity. Over the past 20 years, use among the general population aged 15-64 has increased – with wide variations across countries – but shows signs of stabilizing since 2017.
Among adolescents, a similar trend was observed, with a decrease in use after 2020.
Cannabis-related harms remain significant: in Central America and some countries in South America it is the drug that brings the highest number of persons to drug-related treatment and its share of admissions increased slightly over the past 7 years compared with earlier periods.
In the two countries with available data (El Salvador and Panama), cannabis is also responsible for the highest number of non-fatal poisonings.
