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Health Canada Releases 2022 Canadian Cannabis Survey

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Policy.

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Canada was not the first country to pass a nationwide cannabis adult-use legalization measure, however, it was the first G-7 nation to do so, and remains the only country on earth where anyone of legal age can legally purchase cannabis regardless of residence status.

The only other two countries that have passed national legalization measures are Uruguay and Malta. Uruguay is the only country to pass such a measure prior to Canada doing so, yet, legal sales are only permitted to residents. Malta does not currently have a regulated industry.

With all of that in mind, Canada provides the best legalization model for industry research purposes, particularly regarding how a regulated industry affects usage rates in society. Canada’s annual survey results are out, with more information about it below via a government news release:

OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 16, 2022 /CNW/ – The Government of Canada collects data to better understand how Canadians view and use cannabis. Through this data, we can better monitor Canada’s national framework for controlling the production, distribution, sale and possession of cannabis under the Cannabis Act.

Today, Health Canada published the results of the 2022 Canadian Cannabis Survey. Health Canada has conducted the Canadian Cannabis Survey every year since 2017. The 2022 survey is the sixth cycle of the survey, and data were collected from April to June 2022.

Key findings from the 2022 Canadian Cannabis Survey include:

  • Past 12-month cannabis use among youth aged 16-19 has returned to pre-legalization levels in 2021 and 2022, after increasing between 2018 and 2020.

  • Overall, proportions of those reporting daily or almost daily cannabis use among those who use cannabis (an indicator of problematic or high-risk cannabis use behaviour) have been stable since 2018, including among youth aged 16-19.

  • The percentage of those classified at ‘high-risk’ of developing problems from their cannabis use has remained stable since 2018.

  • The proportion of respondents smoking cannabis have continued to decline since 2018 while vapourizing cannabis using a vape pen has increased since 2021.

  • Smoking is still the most common method of consuming cannabis, followed by eating and vapourizing with a vape pen or e-cigarette.

  • A greater proportion of respondents reported a legal source as their usual source of cannabis compared to 2021, with legal storefronts being the most common source since 2019. A smaller proportion reported illegal storefronts and illegal online sources in 2022 compared to 2019.

  • Among those who used cannabis, driving after recent use decreased between 2018 and 2021 and remained unchanged in 2022.

  • More than a quarter of those who used cannabis for medical purposes said they did so with a document from a healthcare professional, an increase since 2021.

Results of the Canadian Cannabis Survey will be used to inform policy and program development, and help target public education and awareness activities. The data from the survey will also help inform the legislative review of the Cannabis Act, which is being led by an independent expert panel.

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.

Quick Facts

  • The 2022 CCS results are based on online responses from approximately 10,000 respondents aged 16 years of age and older from each province and territory.
  • Data were collected across five themes:
    • knowledge, attitudes and behaviours;
    • cannabis use and products used;
    • sources of cannabis and purchasing patterns;
    • driving and cannabis use; and
    • cannabis for medical purposes.
  • The 2022 survey collected new data on the following topics:
    • accidental consumption of cannabis products by individuals and pets in the household (to note: while the percentage people reporting accidental consumption in their home is small (1%), this would still result in a large number of events throughout the population);
    • exposure to advertisements or promotions of cannabis; and,
    • changes in cannabis use over the past 12 months in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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SOURCE Health Canada

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