One of the most common claims made by cannabis opponents leading up to legalization is that usage rates among young people will spike. It is a claim that was consistently made in every jurisdiction prior to legalization being enacted, and it is also currently being made in other jurisdictions that are working to achieve legalization.

Malta became the third country to ever adopt a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure behind Uruguay and Canada, and was the first European country to adopt the public policy change. In late 2021, lawmakers approved the Authority on the Responsible Use of Cannabis Act, which permits Malta residents 18 and older to cultivate up to four cannabis plants in their private residences and possess a personal amount of cannabis. Additionally, adults can join one of the country’s licensed cultivation associations.

Malta is a great real-time example of what happens, and doesn’t happen, when a country adopts national cannabis legalization. Nearly five years after Malta became the first European country to legalize recreational cannabis, predictions by cannabis opponents of a doomsday scenario for usage rates among young people have failed to materialize.

“Malta has one of the lowest rates of cannabis use among young people in Europe, according to new EU data.” reports Lovin Malta in its local coverage. “Just 1.2% of people aged between 15 and 34 in Malta reported using cannabis in the past year, placing the country among the lowest in the European Union.”

“The figure stands in stark contrast to countries like Italy, where 21.5% of young adults said they had used cannabis over the same period, meaning more than one in five people in that age group.” the outlet also reported. It is worth noting that Italy has yet to adopt a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure.

The European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) recently announced the publication of the 2026 European Drug Report 2026. The annual report provides insight into cannabis usage rates and trends within the European Union.

“Cannabis is the most widely consumed illicit drug in Europe, with national surveys showing that an estimated 8.7% of European adults (25 million aged 15 to 64) have used the drug in the last year.” EUDA stated about this year’s findings. “In Europe, illicit herbal cannabis and cannabis resin remain the most widely available and consumed types of cannabis. However, new cannabis products and forms are available on both the illicit drug market and the consumer goods market.”

When it comes to adults who report having consumed cannabis at least once within the last month, Spain leads the way with an estimated 10.5% of adults reporting monthly cannabis use, followed by France at 6.3%, Czechia at 6.1%, and the Netherlands at 5.5%.

Spain also leads the way when the results are filtered by reported cannabis use within the last year. An estimated 12.6% of adults in Spain report yearly cannabis use, according to the EUDA 2026 report, followed by France and Italy, both of which reported 10.8%, and Germany at 9.8%.

France takes the top spot for reported ‘lifetime’ cannabis use. Over half of adults in France, 50.4%, report having consumed cannabis at least once in their lives. Coming in second is Spain at 43.7%, Denmark is third at 37.6%, and Italy is fourth at 34.8%.

For contextual purposes, an estimated 51% of adults in the United States report having consumed cannabis at least once in their lives, and an estimated 45% of adults in Canada report having consumed cannabis at least once in their lives.