A recently released report has ranked Nairobi as the region with the highest rate of Cannabis consumption in the country.
According to the “Status of Drugs and Substance Use (DSU) in Kenya, 2022” national survey, Nairobi has the highest prevalence of cannabis use at 6.3 percent, followed by Nyanza (2.4%) and the Coast region (1.9%).
The report released on Friday by Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo indicates that the number of people currently using cannabis countrywide has increased by 90 percent in the last 5 years.
“One in every 53 Kenyans aged 15 – 65 years (518,807) were currently using cannabis,” indicates the report.
Males were found to consume cannabis at a higher rate than females in the country.
“One in every 26 males aged 15 – 65 years (475,770) and 1 in every 333 females (43,037) were currently using cannabis,” adds the report.
According to the survey, the growing demand for cannabis, particularly among young people, is due to a “low perception of harm due to myths, misinformation, and misconceptions.”
Meanwhile, the most commonly abused drug in the country is alcohol, followed by tobacco, khat, and cannabis.
