China is facing a cannabis problem that has seen seizures of cannabis rocket up to 200% in 2017.
The amount of cannabis seized by Hong Kong police increased 238 per cent in the first 10 months of this year, sparking fears about a growing trend of abuse in the city.
One in seven of the Hongkongers arrested for possession in that period was aged 20 or below, the force has revealed.
The latest official figures on the problem also showed the number of people aged under 21 reported to have abused cannabis surged 50 per cent year on year in the first half of 2017, to reach 63.
Police and concern groups blamed the internet for the sharp increase in seizures of the drug, which totalled 757kg from January to October, saying false information was spreading online claiming the plant could boost creativity without causing harm.
Psychiatrists however warned that cannabis use could cause anxiety, hallucinations and manic behaviour, and a quarter of addicts suffered from such side effects years after quitting the drug.
According to the police narcotics bureau, the force saw 182 cannabis seizures in the first 10 months of the year – a 44 per cent increase on the same period in 2016.
The number of arrests jumped 54 per cent, to 228, with 32 of those detained aged under 20.
“About 90 per cent of them used cannabis at home or at friends’ places,” said Bertha Chung Man-ling, senior inspector at the bureau.
She said online platforms, games centres and other entertainment premises remained common channels through which to obtain the drug, while some scored it from friends.
The cannabis seized by officers came in the form of plants, buds, oil and resin. It was usually found to have been smuggled into the city from North America or mainland China. Some was cultivated locally.
One gram of cannabis costs about HK$220 in Hong Kong, while HK$85 will buy a gram of buds.
A joint in Hong Kong is way cheaper than other street level drugs in the city.