Washington Drug and Alcohol Addiction Statistics

Marijuana is by far the most used drug in Washington state. Cannabis use, sale (with licensing), and transportation is legal in Washington, while growers require a license for cultivation, except for personal medicinal use. Marijuana is grown locally and imported to Washington from both Canada and Mexico.
Washington has some of the highest rates of prescription drug abuse in the country, most of which are opiates. Deaths related to prescription drug and heroin abuse doubled in many counties in Washington from 2010 to 2011. Many prescription drug abusers turn to heroin once regulations make prescription drugs too difficult to obtain, but others simply cannot afford prescription drugs over the significantly cheaper heroin.
Methamphetamine is also a problem throughout the state. Due to the rural nature of much of the Northwest, meth labs are able to go undetected and import the drug to Washington state fairly easily. Crack cocaine is a smaller problem than meth and usually isolated to urban areas.