Canada: Cannabis use among 15-17 year-olds has fallen by 47% since legalization

Since the Legalization of cannabis in Canada in October 2018, Statistics Canada, the national statistical agency, conducts a survey every three months to collect data on Canadians' cannabis use.

Despite the inherent limitations of declarative statements, this data provide a glimpse into the effects of legalization on Canadians.

Cannabis Use by Age

So.., one year after legalization, more than 5.1 million Canadians aged 15 or older reported having used cannabis in 2019 during the three months preceding the survey, a higher percentage than in 2018 (4.5 million people).

Cannabis use therefore increased statistically between 2018 and 2019, particularly among people aged 25 and older and among men. Use remained constant among 15- to 24-year-olds and women, and decreased from 19.8% to 10.4% among 15- to 17-year-olds.

The proportion of Canadians who consume alcohol daily or nearly daily (TJP, every day or almost every day) rose from 5.9 to 6%. Men aged 18 to 44 are statistically more likely to be TJP consumers. The only age group in which TJP consumption increased was those aged 65 and older, even though they are the smallest group, accounting for 2.6% of the Canadian population.

Sources of Supply

Approximately 29.4% of Canadian cannabis users reported having legally purchased all the cannabis they consumed in 2019—three times as many as before legalization, when only medical use was permitted. By contrast, 52% of users purchased cannabis from a legal source at least once during the year.

The source of supply tends to change depending on how much is spent on cannabis every three months. For people who did not buy cannabis before legalization (growing their own or receiving it as gifts), the regulation of the cannabis market has not changed anything.

For heavy spenders, on the other hand (+2,50$CA over 3 months), who account for 20% of consumers, the proportion of those who purchase all or part of their cannabis legally increased between 2018 and 2019, from 16.6% to 24.3% for those who purchase exclusively through legal channels, and from 39.3 to 59.4% for the others.