Cannabis Use in Quebec Remains Stable Since Legalization

The annual survey that monitors the evolution of cannabis use in Quebec shows no increase in cannabis use in the province compared to the previous year. In addition, young people (15-20 years old) are less likely to use cannabis than before legalization.

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Slight Post-Legalization Increase in Quebec

The 2022 Quebec Cannabis Survey shows that 19% of Quebecers used cannabis in 2022, about the same proportion as the previous year. The figure remains stable since legalization, which saw a slight increase from 14% pre-legalization to 19% post-legalization for all of Canada.

In Quebec, men are more likely to use cannabis than women, with 23% of men and 16% of women reporting use.

In 2022, young Quebecers aged 21 to 24 were the most likely to use cannabis, with 40% of respondents reporting use. This was followed by 25-34-year-olds at 37%.

While use has increased slightly among adults in Quebec, the proportion of users aged 15-17 reporting cannabis use has also decreased since 2018, the year of legalization.

Cannabis Vaping on the Rise in Quebec

Although not legal in Quebec, the report shows an increase in residents vaping cannabis cartridges, from about 19% in 2021 to 24% in 2022. Among youth aged 15 to 17 who reported using cannabis, the number of people vaping is about three times higher, rising from more than 24% in 2019 and nearly 44% in 2021 to 70% in 2022.

As in other provinces, smoking cannabis remains the most popular mode of consumption, declining slightly from 85% in 2021 to 82% in 2022.

Almost half (42%) of respondents who used cannabis did so less than once a day, and about 19% did so between one and three days a month. About a quarter (24%) used cannabis one to six days a week, and 14% reported using it every day.

About 30% of users reported using edibles, oils, or capsules for ingestion.

The Black Market Is Shrinking

About two-thirds of cannabis users (67%) in Quebec reported purchasing cannabis at least once from the Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC), about the same proportion as the previous year.

Only about 8% reported obtaining cannabis from an illicit source, compared to 11% in 2021 and 32% in 2018. Another 40% reported obtaining cannabis from a family member, friend, or acquaintance.

Efforts in Quebec to raise awareness of the health issues associated with cannabis use are also proving successful. About 79% of people aged 15 and older living in Quebec report having seen or heard of such campaigns in 2022.

91% of 15-17-year-olds said they had seen such messages, followed by 88% of 18-20-year-olds and 86% of 21-24-year-olds.

The full Quebec cannabis report can be found here.

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(Featured image by Brandon Nickerson via Pexels)

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