Prevalence of Cannabis Use in Spain, 2011

"Cannabis continues to be the illicit drug most used among the age 15-64 population legally residing in Spain, despite a slight detected in the three time-related indicators (sometime in their lives, within the last 12 months and within the last 30 days), having a bearing on the stabilization which had been noted over the last few years. This drop is of greater significance in experimental use, the only indicator which has risen considerably in the immediately prior edition and which had reach the highest levels since 1995, thus returning to the “sometime in one’s life” use data for 2007. (Fig. 2.11).
"In 2011, a total of 27.4% of the Spaniards within the 15-64 age range stated having used this substance at least once in their lifetime. This prevalences underwent an upward turn in 2009 (up to 32.1%), as a result of which the current figure means a drop in the use rate of 4.7 percentage points compared to the immediately previous measurement, thus returns to 2007 levels. Focusing on cannabis use within the last 12 months, the resulting prevalences is 9.6%, meaning 35% of the individuals who had used cannabis sometime in their lives, a percentage in keeping with that which had been found to exist in previous periods. Please note that the prevalence level for the last 12 months means a one-point drop compared to the immediately previous measurement, being the lowest since 2003 (the years in which maximums were recorded in this regard, with 11.3%).
"Analysing the results for use within the last 30 days, the resulting percentage of users is 7.0% of the population studies, meaning 73% of those who used this substance within the last 12 months and 25.5% of those who had used it at some time in their lives. In terms of prevalence, there is a 0.6-point difference compared to 2009, meaning the lowest figure since 2003.
"As regards daily cannabis use focusing on the last 30 days, a 1.7% prevalence is found to exist, without any substantial changes have occurred in this regard compared to previous years. Thus, it is found that one out of every four individuals who have used cannabis within the last 12 months, do so daily (24.3%). Furthermore, the age of onset of cannabis use is 18.7 years of age, thus following the past trend and thus being the illicit drug which is first used at the earliest age. (Fig. 2.11)."