Cannabis Use by Young Adults Rose After Legalization, With 1 in 3 Using in Past Year: StatCan

Leaves of a mature marijuana plant in a display at The International Cannabis and Hemp Expo at the Cow Palace in Daly City, Calif., on April 18, 2010. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Five years after legalizing non-medical cannabis, Canada is witnessing a rise in its use among young adults, with more than a third reporting consumption in the past 12 months, Statistics Canada said.

In a 2023 national cannabis survey, released on March 18, the agency found that over one-third of Canadian adults in the age groups of 18 to 24 (38.4 percent) and 25 to 44 (34.5 percent) had used cannabis in the previous year. This translates to about 5.3 million Canadians aged 18 to 44 who have been using it, according to 2023 population data.

StatCan also found that one in seven adults aged 45 and older (15.5 percent) reported using cannabis in the previous year, totalling 2.7 million Canadians.

“Younger Canadians are twice as likely to use cannabis than older Canadians,” the report stated, adding that “frequent cannabis use may be a sign of dependence.”

The StatCan survey revealed that roughly 1.5 million adults aged 18 to 44 reported daily or near-daily cannabis use in the past year, contrasting with 850,000 adults aged 45 and older. Among adults aged 45 years and older, men (6 percent) were more likely to use cannabis daily than women (3.6 percent), while no gender differences were found among adults younger than 45 years.

The Liberal government’s Cannabis Act first allowed legal sales of dried cannabis, fresh cannabis, cannabis oil, cannabis plants, and cannabis seeds in October 2018. A year later, it was expanded to include cannabis extracts and edibles.

Citing a June 2023 report, StatCan said nearly three out of four daily cannabis users (72.4 percent) experienced impaired control or addiction over their use of the substance.

This was also reflected in a recent article indicating an increase in children visiting emergency rooms after the legalization of cannabis five years ago. The article was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal last October.

An earlier study by Statistics Canada found significant growth in the cannabis industry after it became legal. The sector jumped from $6.4 billion in 2018 to $10.8 billion in 2023.

Chandra Philip contributed to this report.