How popular is marijuana in Canada?
The 2023 report showed that legalization has made drug users more law-abiding.
Health Canada has shared information from a 2023 cannabis survey. Similar surveys have been conducted every year since 2017 (right before legalization). Residents are asked how they feel about cannabis to know more about consumption in Canada.
Do a lot of people use?
In 2023, nearly half of young people (43%) report having tried cannabis at least once in the entire year. These figures are almost identical to those in 2019 and 2020, but noticeably higher than in 2018 and 2022. Around a quarter of those surveyed smoke cannabis every day or almost every day — and that number hasn't changed since 2018. Only 3% of people are at high risk of having problems because of cannabis. This number also hasn't changed for years.
Noticeably fewer people started smoking marijuana, but it is still the most popular way of using it (63%). This is followed by eating sweets with cannabis (52%) and vapes (33%).
Cannabis and the law
Many more people (73%) have started buying cannabis from legal stores. In 2019, there were only 37% of such people. Accordingly, the percentage of people buying from illegal sellers has decreased significantly.
The number of people who get behind the wheel after using cannabis has also decreased since legalization, from 27% in 2018 to 16% in 2021 — and that number hasn't changed since.
The results of the 2023 survey are based on online responses from approximately 11,690 respondents aged 16 and older across all provinces and territories. The information collected will help the Government of Canada understand how cannabis use habits are changing and assist them in creating regulations and programs to educate people. The data will also help revise the cannabis law with the help of experts.
