Mid-term election day wrapped Tuesday with a couple of big wins for marijuana. Alaska, Oregon, and Washington, D.C., voted to legalize marijuana. They’ll join Colorado and Washington state which voted yes in 2012.
Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have now enacted laws to legalize medical marijuana.
Oregon legalizes the personal possession, manufacture, and sale of marijuana for people 21 years of age and older. That’s similar to Washington state and Colorado. Alaska would tax and regulate the production, sale, and use of marijuana, making the use legal for people over 21.
According to a recent Gallop Poll, 51% favor legalizing the use of marijuana—similar to the 50% who supported it in 2011 and 2012, but down from a reading of 58% last year.
In 2016, marijuana ballot initiatives in California, Massachusetts, Maine, Nevada, and Arizona will likely be put to voters.
But even as the “Green Rush” spreads across the country, how does weed consumption in the U.S. stack up against that of other countries?
The United Nations released its annual drug report for 2014. The report, prepared by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, summarizes data on various illegal drugs around the globe, including marijuana.
According to the data, here are the top 10 weed-consuming countries. These numbers are for those that smoke on a consistent basis, not for those who just tried it.
Check out the list on the next page …