For those studying the prevalence of cannabis use in the Canadian population, Statistics Canada has published new figures showing one third of adults between 18 and 44 years of age and one in seven adults over age 45, have used cannabis in the 12 months prior to the 2023 surveys being collected.
The survey further shows that, in 2023, five years following the legalization of cannabis in Canada, 38.4 per cent of adults between 18 and 24 years of age and 34.5 per cent of those between 25 and 44 years of age reported having used cannabis in the previous 12 months. Among adults over 45 years of age, just 15.5 per cent report the same.
Daily consumption
Daily use is also examined, with 8.7 per cent of those between 18 and 24 and 10.3 per cent of those between 25 and 44 years of age reporting daily use. Over age 45, daily use is reported by only 4.8 per cent of survey respondents.
The Cannabis Act (Bill C-45) first allowed legal sales of marijuana in October 2018. Across all age groups, five years on, the most commonly used products are dried leaf and flower, used by 62.1 per cent of respondents and cannabis edibles, used by 57.1 per cent of those surveyed.
“Since cannabis legalization, Statistics Canada has conducted several surveys to measure the social, health and economic impacts of legalized cannabis. The 2023 National Cannabis Survey is the latest contribution to this effort,” the agency states. Data was collected in October 2023, across 10 provinces, from 2,251 adults between 18 and 24 years of age and from 5,185 adults over age 25.
