Raising awareness of harm caused by frequent or regular use of soft drugs for recreational purposes

30.6.2022

Question for written answer  E-002378/2022
to the Commission
Rule 138
Matteo Adinolfi (ID)

Recent studies have shown that cannabis consumption in Europe is steadily on the rise, particularly among young people aged 15-24.

According to general population surveys, an estimated 1% of adults are daily users of cannabis in the European Union, the majority (around 60%) being below the age of 35 and around 75% being male.

Cannabis is currently legal in Luxembourg, while in the Netherlands the sale of quantities of less than five grams per person per day in authorised coffee shops is not considered illegal.

In Austria, it is legal for therapeutic purposes, but illegal for recreational use. In Spain and Germany, consumption is legal and the sale of small quantities is not sanctioned. Since 2021, Malta has allowed the consumption of cannabis, possession of up to seven grams and the cultivation of up to four plants.

Each year, around 135 000 people, many of them young, need to undergo specialist treatment for cannabis-related problems.

In view of this, what action does the Commission intend to take to limit cannabis consumption and raise public awareness in Europe of the harm caused by the frequent or regular use of soft drugs for recreational purposes?