In this article, we are going to discuss the 5 cities with the highest weed consumption in the world. If you want to check out our detailed analysis of the global cannabis industry, the cannabis industry in Thailand, the current extinction event in the largest cannabis market in the world, and cannabis infused drinks, head to 20 Cities with the Highest Weed Consumption in the World.
5. Rome, Italy
Total Weed Consumption: 21.9 metric tons
At present, cannabis is legal in Italy for medical and industrial uses – although it is strictly regulated – while it is decriminalized for recreational use. The country has a flourishing retail industry around ‘cannabis light’ – weed so non-buzzy it’s essentially the decaf coffee of marijuana – which surfaced as an unintended by-product of a law meant to restore Italy as a top producer of industrial hemp.
4. Chicago, IL, USA
Total Weed Consumption: 24.9 metric tons
As of January 1st 2020, recreational possession, consumption, and sales of cannabis products are legal in Illinois. Recreational marijuana sales in Illinois finished 2022 with more than $1.5 billion, up 13% more than 2021.
Illinois is trying to level the playing field in the cannabis industry and since last November, more two dozen operators have won social equity dispensary licenses – designed to create space in the industry for entrepreneurs from disadvantaged backgrounds. Chicago is among the most drug-consuming cities in the country.
3. Los Angeles, CA, USA
Total Weed Consumption: 35 metric tons
California is the place with the best weed in America. The Sunshine State generated $5.3 billion in legal sales last year, and tax revenues from cannabis reached over $1 billion in 2022, the highest in the country. However, the state’s excessive taxes are a problem for weedheads and currently 2 out of every 3 cannabis purchases are made in the illicit market. About two-thirds of California communities don’t allow legal marijuana activity, which helps the tax-free illegal market to flourish.
According to the City of Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulations, there are 238 approved cannabis dispensaries in the city.
2. Sydney, Australia
Total Weed Consumption: 45.8 metric tons
Australia’s legal marijuana (cannabis and hemp) industry is in its infancy and was valued at $51.8 million in 2021, with an expected CAGR of 30.1% from 2022 to 2030.
Australia ranks among the countries that smoke the most weed in 2023, with 36% of people over 14 admitting to have consumed it in their lifetime. A gram of weed in Sydney would set you back around $10.7.
1. New York, NY, USA
Total Weed Consumption: 62.3 metric tons
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul earlier this year projected $1.25 billion in revenues from a legal weed market over the next six years, with $56 million in revenues in the first year alone – after statewide legal sales began in December 2022.
Legal cannabis is expected to generate 63,000 jobs across New York by 2025, according to an estimate by CannabizTeam, an industry executive search and staffing firm. The creation of new jobs would be a boon for The Big Apple, which has lagged behind the rest of the country in recovering employment lost during the pandemic.
New York is the City that Consumes the Most Weed in the World.
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