In high spirits

Look! A new cannabis shop! And another, and another…

On October 17, 2018, Canada became the second country in the world to legalize the production, distribution, sale, and non‐medical use of cannabis for adults.

Ever since, new cannabis shops have been popping up across the country. They really are all over the place: the number of legal cannabis stores in Canada has increased nearly eightfold from the fourth quarter of 2018 to the end of 2020.

By the end of 2020, nearly 6.2 million people aged 15 and older, or 20.0% of Canadians in that age group, reported having used cannabis in the past three months. This was higher than both the 14.0% reporting use before legalization and the 17.5% reporting use in the first months after the Cannabis Act was enacted.

In addition to the legislative change, there have been other changes, such as the rising social acceptability of cannabis in Canada and the United States, accompanied by an increased awareness of potential risks associated with consumption.

More Canadians are using cannabis products regularly. By the end of 2020, 7.9% of Canadians aged 15 and older reported using cannabis daily or almost daily, up from 6.1% in the first quarter of 2019 and 5.4% in the first quarter of 2018.

In October 2019, the legal sale of a wider array of products was introduced, including some more potent varieties (extracts) and edibles (which can pose special risks). Edibles became available legally in the Canadian market in December 2019.

Of those who reported using cannabis in 2020, 41.4% consumed edibles. Canadians also reported using other types of products, including cannabis oil cartridges or vape pens (23.2%), liquid concentrates (18.9%), and hashish or kief (15.9%). That said, smoking remains the most common way that Canadians consume cannabis: about 7 in 10 Canadians who reported using cannabis in 2020 consumed dried flower or leaf (70.9%).

In 2017, close to half (46.6%) of all Canadians aged 15 and older reported having tried cannabis. For the vast majority of consumers, occasional use will be without consequence. More frequent users, however, are at higher risk of experiencing cannabis-related harms. It is important to recognize that every form of cannabis consumption poses some health risks; choosing not to use cannabis remains the only way to avoid them.

Each province and territory is responsible for determining how cannabis is distributed and sold within their jurisdictions. Each also has the flexibility to set additional restrictions, including placing limits on possession, personal cultivation, and public use, as well as increasing the minimum age of use.

The policies governing cannabis production, distribution, sale, and consumption continue to evolve. While that evolution is ongoing, Statistics Canada will continue to track the health and economic outcomes of cannabis.