Abstract:
INTRODUCTION : Varying public views on cannabis use across countries may explain the variation in the
prevalence of use, policies, and research in individual countries, and global regulation of cannabis. This
paper aims to describe the current state of cannabis use, policies, and research across sixteen countries.
METHODS : PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for studies published from 2010 to 2020. Searches
were conducted using the relevant country of interest as a search term (e.g., “Iran”), as well as relevant
predefined keywords such as “cannabis,” “marijuana,” “hashish,” “bhang “dual diagnosis,” “use,”
“addiction,” “prevalence,” “co-morbidity,” “substance use disorder,” “legalization” or “policy” (in English
and non-English languages). These keywords were used in multiple combinations to create the search
string for studies’ titles and abstracts. Official websites of respective governments and international
organizations were also searched in English and non-English languages (using countries national
languages) to identify the current state of cannabis use, policies, and research in each of those countries.
RESULTS : The main findings were inconsistent and heterogeneous reporting of cannabis use, variation
in policies (e.g., legalization), and variation in intervention strategies across the countries reviewed.
European countries dominate the cannabis research output indexed on PubMed, in contrast to Asian
countries (Thailand, Malaysia, India, Iran, and Nepal).
CONCLUSIONS : Although global cannabis regulation is ongoing, the existing heterogeneities across
countries in terms of policies and epidemiology can increase the burden of cannabis use disorders
disproportionately and unpredictably. There is an urgent need to develop global strategies to address
these cross-country barriers to improve early detection, prevention, and interventions for cannabis use
and related disorders.
