Canadians choosing to purchase cannabis through legal channels: survey

 

Have you turned to substances to help you cope with the pandemic?

Health Canada has been tracking cannabis use in order to better understand Canadians' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours towards the drug.

According to the findings, of those who use cannabis, 54 per cent reported using it three times per month or fewer, while 18 per cent reported daily use of the drug.

Additionally, it appears most Canadians have abandoned their local drug dealer in favour of obtaining the drug legally--54 per cent of respondents said they procured their cannabis from legal sources.

Further, based on the results, most cannabis users have not increased their usage due to stress associated with the pandemic--56 per cent of respondents reported their use of the drug has stayed the same during the pandemic, while 22 per cent reported using it less, and 22 per cent reported using it more.

Moreover, while smoking remains the most common form of consuming cannabis, compared to 2019, the number of users who choose to smoke it has declined, while the number of users who choose to consume it by eating edibles has increased.

Alarmingly, some respondents reported driving shortly after using cannabis. However, the number who did so was down from 2019--22 per cent reported having driven within two hours of consuming cannabis, while 13 per cent reported having driven within four hours of consuming the drug.