European cannabis surveillance: what the indicators show

This page reads selected indicators from the European Drug Report 2026 alongside their populations, reporting systems, and limits. It addresses cannabis use and related public-health indicators, not the botanical classification of Cannabis sativa.

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EUROPEAN UNION DRUGS AGENCY · 2026

Four indicators with distinct limits of interpretation

Survey estimates, treatment entries, sentinel-hospital presentations, and analyses of seized material answer different questions. Their values cannot be combined into a single measure of prevalence, harm, or market size.

Selected indicators from the European Drug Report 2026.
Indicator	Reported value	Scope	Interpretive boundary
Last-year use	8.7%; approximately 25 million people	European Union adults aged 15–64	Aggregate survey estimate. National survey years, age ranges, methods, and trends are heterogeneous.
Treatment entry	33% of reported treatment demands; approximately 104,000 clients, including 62,000 first-time entrants	European Union, Norway, and Türkiye; 2024	Counts entry into specialist services, not the incidence of cannabis use. Coverage and referral pathways vary.
Hospital presentations	Median of 20% involving cannabis	Euro-DEN Plus sentinel hospitals; 2024	Sentinel-network indicator, not a population estimate. Cannabis was typically reported with other substances.
THC in seized material	Resin 24.6%; herbal cannabis 12%	European Union seizure data; 2024	Mean values for seized material, not for all products consumed or sold in regulated markets.

Source: European Union Drugs Agency, European Drug Report 2026: Cannabis, updated 9 June 2026; DOI 10.2810/8266522.