New York ranks as the world’s cannabis capital, producing 62.3 tons of weed a year, with seven US cities on the global scoreboard in the latest warning of breakneck legalization

New York City is ranked as the world’s cannabis capital, with residents smoking 62.3 tons of weed each year, significantly more than Sydney and Los Angeles in second place.

The scorecard from CFAH, a wellness group, placed five other U.S. cities in the top 20 — Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia and Denver — each consuming at least 6.8 tons of weed per year.

Europe and North America dominate the table. The only other country to come close to the US is Canada, with four cities – Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Annapolis – in the ranking.

The CFAH report, the Cannabis Global Price Index 2023, raises fears that cannabis legalization in 23 US states and Washington DC is driving consumption, especially among teens and young adults.

A pot smoker in New York’s Washington Square Park raises the city’s consumption record

Proponents say weed has health and social benefits, but critics say widespread use leads to more mental health problems, substance abuse, and even more stoned drivers causing car accidents.

Kevin Sabet, a former White House drug czar who now leads the Smart Approaches to Marijuana campaign, says New York and other cities that legalize cannabis will pose problems in the future.

“It’s a recipe for incredible damage,” says Kevin Sabet

“When drugs are legal, their price plummets, availability increases, and the commercialization and industrialization machines gain a foothold,” Sabet posted on social media this week.

“It’s a recipe for incredible damage.”

For their ranking, researchers also looked at the price of cannabis worldwide.

Tokyo residents pay the most for weed, almost $34 per gram. Users in Dublin, Ireland, Tallinn, Estonia and the Israeli city of Rishon LeTsiyon also pay far too much for a cigarette.

Bargain seekers should head to Montreal, where a gram of weed costs less than $6. Other Canadian cities, as well as India’s Bangalore and the Afghan capital of Kabul, are also good for a cheap buzz.

In the US, Washington DC, Seattle and New York are among the most expensive hits. In Denver, Los Angeles and Portland, weed costs as little as $7 per gram, says the report released this week.

Cannabis is relatively easy to purchase in New York City, as many stores sell the products without proper government approval

While marijuana is legal for recreational use in New York, unlicensed shops selling highly potent THC vapes are popping up everywhere. But the police are struggling to keep up

With legalization, the cost of weed drops by more than 11 percent, they found.

This could mean prices for Americans will fall to just $5.61 per gram this decade.

New York legalized adult recreational cannabis use in 2021 and launched its licensing and retail program in early 2023. This month it approved hundreds of additional retail licenses while cracking down on unlicensed stores.

Minnesota became the 23rd state to legalize recreational marijuana with a law passed earlier this year that went into effect Aug. 1.

Legalization in more and more parts of America is coming as scientists are increasingly sounding the alarm about the drug.

Experts at Stanford University revealed in February that cannabis users are up to a third more likely to have a heart attack than others.

Researchers backed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse warned in May that marijuana could cause a 30 percent rise in cases of schizophrenia among young men.

Joshua Jimenez committed suicide in December 2021 at the age of 22. Josh used marijuana since he was 14 and was hospitalized three times for psychosis related to weed

The above shows cannabis use in US states. Twenty-one states and DC have legalized it for recreational use in addition to medicinal use, with almost all of them now allowing its use for medicinal purposes.

That same month, relatives of three people who abused cannabis told DailyMail.com how their lives had been turned upside down by cannabis.

Sonia Jimenez, of Houston, Texas, lost her son Josh, 22, to suicide in December 2021, which she says was caused by chronic cannabis use.

Josh started smoking and vaping in 9th grade and soon developed a habit that resulted in three bouts of hospitalization for psychosis.

After he started using weed, Josh’s grades started to drop. He also became extremely paranoid, saying his friends had tried to kill him, adding that he saw “really scary things, like dark, almost demonic creatures,” according to his sister.

At one point, he fell asleep at the wheel, traveling at about 100 miles per hour, and got into a serious car accident. Another time, he fell asleep after smoking or lighting a candle, according to his sister, which caused a huge fire.

Josh’s sister Alex said he borrowed money from relatives before running away to California for the night. When he ran out of money, Josh’s family paid for a bus to take him back to Texas. But he never came home. Josh got off the bus in Pecos, Texas and jumped in front of a train.

His family blames the extremely potent cannabis strains Josh smoked. THC, especially in high doses, has been linked to the development of a variety of psychiatric disorders, from depression to schizophrenia and psychosis.