Health Canada releases new data on cannabis use in Canada
by CM Staff
Smoking remains the most common method of consuming cannabis, but it has declined, while vapourizing using a vape pen, drinking, and applying to skin have increased since 2020.
PHOTO: Cannabis Tours
OTTAWA — The Government of Canada takes a public health approach to cannabis regulation, which includes collecting data to better understand how Canadians view and use cannabis.
Health Canada published the results of its 2021 Canadian Cannabis Survey (CCS). Health Canada has conducted the Canadian Cannabis Survey every year since 2017. This is the fifth cycle of the survey. Data for the 2021 survey was collected from April to June 2021.
Health Canada stated that results of the Canadian Cannabis Survey will be used to evaluate the impact of the Cannabis Act; inform policy and program development; and to advance effective public education and awareness activities. This important survey complements Health Canada’s other national substance use surveys, including the Canadian Alcohol and Drugs Survey and the Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey.
Summary of key findings from the 2021 Canadian Cannabis Survey
Seven in ten Canadians feel they have access to trustworthy information to make informed decisions about their cannabis use. This increases to almost nine in ten among people who used cannabis in the past 12 months.
Frequency of daily or almost daily cannabis use among Canadians aged 16 and older who reported use of cannabis in the past 12 months remained virtually unchanged between 2020 when it stood at 25 per cent and 2021 at 26 per cent.
Daily or almost daily use was also unchanged among 16 to 19 year olds 21 per cent vs. 19 per cent and increased among 20 to 24 year olds 23 per cent in 2020 to 29 per cent in 2021.
The percentage of Canadians 16 years of age and older who reported using cannabis in the past 12 months decreased from 27 per cent in 2020 to 25 per cent in 2021.
Smoking remains the most common method of consuming cannabis, but it has declined, while vapourizing using a vape pen, drinking, and applying to skin have increased since 2020.
More than half of those who use cannabis choose to obtain it through a legal source.
Survey results showed that 53 per cent of Canadians reported a legal storefront as their usual source, an increase from 41 per cent in 2020, whereas 11 per cent reported obtaining cannabis from a legal online source.
Health Canada’s research also found that the COVID-19 pandemic has had some impacts on cannabis use. People who used cannabis in the past 12 months were asked if their cannabis use had changed due the pandemic, and to this 49 per cent reported using the same amount of cannabis, a decrease from 56 per cent in 2020. Another 29 per cent reported using more and 22 per cent reported using less.
