People - Cannabis use in english speaking nations

[superdupernaut]

I was browsing Nationmaster (a great site for world statistics) and I came across this:

#1 New Zealand:22.23%
#2 Australia:17.93%
#3 United States:12.3%
#4 United Kingdom:9%
#5 Switzerland:8.5%
#6 Ireland:7.91%
#7 Spain:7.58%
#8 Canada:7.41%
#9 Netherlands:5.24%
#10 Belgium:5.01%
#11 France:4.7%
#12 Italy:4.6%
#13 Greece:4.39%
#14 Germany:4.1%
#15 Denmark:4.02%
#16 Norway:3.82%
#17 Portugal:3.68%
#18 Czech Republic:3.58%
#19 Poland:3.38%
#20 Austria:3.01%
#21 Finland:2.49%
#22 Luxembourg:1.94%
#23 Hungary:1.19%
#24 Mexico:1.13%
#25 Sweden:0.98%
#26 Japan:0.05%





DEFINITION: Percentage share of people who have used cannabis, generally including people 15 and above. Different nations have, however, focussed their studies on different age groups. United States and Netherlands: data for years 12 and above. Greece: Data for ages 12 to 64. Australia: data for ages 14 and above. United Kingdom: data for ages 16 to 59. Germany: data for ages 18-59. Denmark and France: data for ages 18 to 69. Data for 1998 or 1999 in most cases. Germany, Poland, and Spain: data for 1997. Austria: data for 1996. Denmark, France and Ireland: data for 1995.

which makes me wonder, why the apparent correlation between having english as ones first language, and using cannabis?

any thoughts, comments....

Reputation Comments on this post:

Nice find! Wuould be better placed in the Cannbis forum, but still...

[Richi]

Because there are no middle-eastern countries in that list.

Other sources say that Canada leads the industrialized world in marijuana use with 16.8% of the adult population having used it in 2006.

[Nature Boy]

These are English-speaking nations? I only count six. Although a large amount of people can speak English in those countries, it's still far from a recognised state language and it isn't proportional to the overall population. Therefore grouping them under the umbrellas of national states is merely an exercise in statistical amusement (which is all fucked anyway because of different focuses on different age groups). Basically, a waste of time and a statistic that is likely to be manipulated by whatever pressure group gets their hands on it. Not exactly evidence I would endorse.

[gmeziscool2354]

yeah, all of those nations have a large amount of english speakers and bi or tri-linguals. Spain and Japan stick out as nations that have most of their signs and public announcements in national language and english.