The latest study on marijuana use among the adult population by the French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Tendencies (OFDT) was published on Monday, December 19, painting a picture of marijuana users that sometimes goes against conventional wisdom.
The data from this survey, conducted among 23,661 adults aged 18 to 64 in partnership with the Santé Publique France agency, first confirms the stabilization of key consumption indicators, with 10.6% of the population having used marijuana in the past year, and 47.3% (nearly 18 million French people) having experimented with it during their lives. It also highlights the aging trend of the average marijuana user, with the average age increasing from 25.1 years old to 32.8 between 1992 and 2021.
Among under-25s, all indicators have been on the decline since 2017, whether they concern experimentation – down 5.5 points compared to the 2017 study, from 53.5% to 48% – or habitual use, which is down 2.1 points between 2017 and 2021, from 8.4% to 6.3%. Conversely, more people are reporting marijuana use over the age of 35, and even more so over 45: 3.4% of 45-54 year-olds used marijuana at least once a month in 2021 compared to 2.9% in 2017; and 2.5% of 55-64 year-olds used it within the year in 2021, compared to 1.6% according to the 2017 study.
"These elements raise questions about a rather naive view of marijuana use in the population," said Stanislas Spilka, head of the DATA scientific unit of the OFDT and co-author of the study. "At the end of the 1990s, it was thought that over the age of 25, among working people in a relationship, marijuana use would decrease. However, we can see that some of these young users of that time continued or resumed their use as they got older."
This data also raises questions about practices that seem further from the cliché party context traditionally cited in the youngest populations. "That image is probably not the same at 40," the authors said. "We need to start thinking about [what the new habits are]." An analysis of the context and motivations of these older smokers will be the topic of a qualitative study expected next year.
'Behavioral change'
This snapshot also shows the significant consumption differences between women and men: 54.9% of men compared to 39.9% of women have experimented with the substance. These figures are a world away from figures concerning other illegal drugs, which vary between 1% and 3%. Marijuana use in the past year is twice as high among men as among women: 14.2% compared to 7.2%.
The generational findings may, however, provide some future questions to analyze: according to the authors of the study, the lower prevalence among younger people could continue as they get older, therefore reducing the amount of users in the years to come. This is especially true because, as Mr. Spilka pointed out, "cannabis use cannot be disconnected from cigarette use. With the drop in smoking in the adolescent population, something is happening. These changes in usage behavior in younger generations are also linked more broadly to areas of interest or representations that are changing significantly."
In addition to this age disparity, there are geographical differences. The results vary greatly from region to region, along a North-South divide. For example, 55.1% of people in the southern Occitania region said they had experimented with the substance, eight points higher than the national average. Meanwhile, 7.4% had used marijuana within the month (compared to 5.9% nationally) and 3% were considered daily users (compared to 1.7 %). In contrast, with 38.8% of people having experimented, the northernmost Hauts-de-France region is nine points below average.
Results in overseas regions also differ widely from those in mainland France. Overall, their prevalence is lower – French Guiana, for example, has a level of experimentation that is half the mainland's – but the proportion of regular or daily users among these smokers is higher.
Nevertheless, it is difficult to establish explanations for these differences between regions. "There are certain correlations with the use and excessive consumption of other substances, notably alcohol. Different social behaviors can also be highlighted, according to the region or even their proximity to Spain, in some cases," said Olivier Le Nézet, co-author of the study and statistician at the OFDT. "But within these regional groups, there are more relevant disparities, for example between the city and the countryside, or Paris and the rest of the Ile-de-France region. These contexts create differences in perception and opinion about substances."
Purchase price up
But one thing is established: Marijuana is widely available, especially in mainland France, whether herbal or resin. According to the previous study in 2020, French users increasingly opt for herbal marijuana, with 61% having used this type on the last occasion, compared to 37% for resin. This figure is reflected in the increase in herbal marijuana seizures over recent years: 39.5 tonnes in 2021, according to the anti-narcotics police department, compared to 4.5 tonnes in 2010. The purchase price of both is rising, from €5 to €8 euros per gram of resin, and from €7.50 euros to €10 euros per gram of herbal marijuana, on average, between 2011 and 2020, according to specialized police units' findings.
According to an OFDT study conducted among users in 2019, purchases are still mainly made through an "acquaintance," often a dealer who the consumer is accustomed to using, although an increase in transactions facilitated by social media contacts was noted. Many dealers offer their goods there, using the latest marketing techniques and promotional tactics.
This level of circulation in society creates major health risks. "The striking fact is the increase in THC [tetrahydrocannabinol] content. This molecule, which has potent effects, was found in resin at concentrations of about 13% in 2010, compared to more than 20% today," Mr. Spilka added.
Despite the recent decline in the appeal of marijuana among under-25s, as highlighted by the study, France remains firmly established as one of the European countries where this drug is most widely used. According to the latest report on drugs by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, France still ranks first in terms of prevalence among the adult population and among 15- to 34-year-olds. Only the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Italy are ahead of France, by a few points, in the "school population" (15-16 years) category.