A new survey suggests legal cannabis storefronts are making inroads when it comes to Canada’s consumption of the drug.

The Canadian Cannabis Survey, released on Monday, shows that 41 per cent of Canadian cannabis users are typically choosing legal cannabis storefronts to purchase the product, an increase from just 24 per cent in 2019.

Meanwhile, fewer Canadians are choosing dealers and illegal storefronts, according to the results. However, the survey does note that this decrease may have been in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The survey also showed that 70 per cent of Canadians who used cannabis in the last year rarely or never obtained cannabis through illegal means, with the price and safety of the product coming in as the top factors for why they chose to go the legal route.

Back in July, Canada crossed 1,000 cannabis stores across the country, according to BNN Bloomberg, although another 496 stores in Ontario were still waiting for provincial approval.

The survey also looked at how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Canada’s cannabis consumption and 22 per cent of Canadians cannabis users increased their consumption during the pandemic, but another 22 per cent decreased their usage. The remaining 56 per cent said COVID-19 did not impact the frequency of their usage.

Among those who increased their usage during the most popular reasons behind the increase included relaxation, boredom and anxiety.