How cannabis use in Canada is changing: less smoke, more sweets

The number of Canadians who reported smoking cannabis in the country continues to decline, according to new data, and while it remains the most common method of consumption, eating and drinking it is becoming more popular.

The new data comes from Health Canada’s 2024 Canadian Cannabis Survey, with more than 11,600 people surveyed between April 4 and July 2.

Overall, cannabis use has remained relatively steady since 2018, with 26 per cent of people 16 years and older reporting consumption for non-medical purposes in the past year. That number is up four points from what was seen in 2022, however the overall range in the past six years has ranged from 22 to 27 per cent at most overall.

While there’s been a slight increase of use, the most common method for consuming cannabis — by smoking it — has substantially dropped from 89 per cent six years ago to 69 per cent in 2024.

Eating or drinking something that contained cannabis, such as a gummy or brownie, has seen a jump in use — hitting 57 per cent last year and staying there in 2024, increasing from 43 per cent six years ago.

Vaping saw very little change from the 33 per cent in 2018, hitting 37 per cent this year.

0:34 Cannabis-impaired driving on the rise in Ontario, CAA study finds

The data also showed driving while under the influence has seen a significant decline, with just 18 per cent who used cannabis in the past 12 months reporting driving, a drop of nine per cent from 2018.

Even as the methods of consuming cannabis are changing, the survey showed the age groups using the drug for non-medicinal purposes have adjusted slightly since 2018.

Those aged 20 to 24 remained the highest users with 48 per cent having consumed cannabis in the past 12 months, no change from last year and only up four points from 2018.

Use by teenagers 16 to 19, however, has jumped five per cent since 2018, though the 41 per cent seen this year was two points lower than 2023.

Those 25 and older have seen slight changes from the 19 per cent seen after legalization, hitting 23 per cent this year but remaining unchanged from a year ago.

In the years since legalization, the survey shows the illegal market has dropped with only three per cent purchasing it using non-legal methods such as a dealer.

That’s a drop from the 28 per cent seen in 2018.

In fact, a large majority of Canadians, 72 per cent, purchased their cannabis through either a legal storefront or website.