Among those who have used cannabis in the past 12 months, 68 per cent reported having seen Health Canada’s warning messages, an increase of 10 per cent from 2019. 

New for 2020, Canadians were asked about growing their own cannabis. For those who have consumed the plant in the past 12 months, 15 per cent reported growing plants in or around the home in 2020. The average number of plants was three. 

When it comes to social acceptability, Canadians responded that among alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis, booze remains the most socially accepted, followed by cannabis and tobacco. The social acceptability of occasionally smoking and eating cannabis increased slightly compared to 2019. In general, the majority of respondents felt occasional alcohol or cannabis use carried little to no risk, whereas smoking tobacco or e-cigarettes was seen as having a moderate risk profile.

Cannabis use and products used

Fewer students were consuming cannabis this year, with 29 per cent of college, CEGEP, or university students reporting using cannabis in the past 12 months, compared to 40 per cent in 2019. The age of initiation, or the age at which respondents first started using cannabis, also increased slightly, rising from 19.2 years in 2019 to 20.0 years in 2020. 

Among students who consumed cannabis in the past 12 months, 74 per cent reported not consuming before or at school, an increase from 50 per cent in 2019. 

The pandemic led to 22 per cent of respondents increasing their cannabis consumption over the previous 12 months. While 22 per cent reported consuming less and 56 per cent said their consumption was unchanged. The most common reasons for increasing cannabis use were to relax (73 per cent), boredom (65 per cent), stress (53 per cent), and anxiety (53 per cent).

Among respondents who had consumed cannabis in the previous year, fewer reported smoking (79 per cent in 2020 compared to 84 per cent in 2019), while edible use increased (52 per cent in 2020 compared to 46 per cent in 2019). Flower remains the most common type of cannabis product consumed, by a large margin, followed by edibles and oil. 

When it comes to cannabinoid concentration, 29 per cent of respondents said they consumed products with higher THC and lower CBD, 11 per cent indicated higher CBD and lower THC, and 10 per cent selected equal levels of THC and CBD. Sixteen per cent reported consuming a mix of these products. 

Sources and purchasing

One of the biggest changes of the year related to where Canadians are sourcing their cannabis. For those who reported consuming the plant over the previous year, 41 per cent made a purchase from a legal storefront, compared to just 24 per cent in 2019. And 70 per cent of respondents reported sourcing their cannabis entirely from the legal market, citing price and safety concerns. 

The average monthly spend for those who reported consuming cannabis over the previous year was $67, unchanged from 2019. For respondents who had consumed cannabis in the previous 30 days, they reported spending $49 in the legal market for cannabis products and $47 in the illicit market. 

Driving and cannabis

When it comes to getting behind the wheel after consuming cannabis, 77 per cent of respondents who consumed the plant within the past year said cannabis use affects driving, an increase from 69 per cent in 2019. The percentage of respondents who said cannabis use did not affect driving also decreased from 9 per cent in 2019 to 7 per cent in 2020. 

When asked how long is appropriate to wait after consuming cannabis and before driving, 31 per cent of respondents said they did not know when it was safe to drive, while 25 per cent said after eight or more hours and 15 per cent three to five hours. 

Cannabis for medical purposes

More than 1,600 respondents indicated they had used cannabis for medical purposes in the past 12 months, and more than 900 agreed to fill out additional survey information related to medical use. 

Of Canadians that reported using cannabis for medical purposes, 24 per cent did so with a document from a health professional while the majority (76 per cent) did not have documentation. These percentages were unchanged from 2019. The majority of medical respondents said that cannabis consumption helped decrease their reliance on other medications. 

When it comes to the composition of their medical products, 26 per cent of respondents indicated higher CBD and lower THC products were a preference, 21 per cent selected higher THC and lower CBD, 12 per cent indicated equal levels of THC and CBD, 15 per cent indicated using CBD only products. Fourteen per cent indicated they used a mix of these products.

Medical cannabis users also reported obtaining more products from the legal market in 2020, with 44 per cent indicating they purchased cannabis from a legal storefront, an increase from 27 per cent in 2019. Medical consumers reported spending an average of $93 on cannabis products per month, unchanged from 2019.