Expert: National Cannabis Survey

New data show that, in 2023, five years after non-medical cannabis use was legalized, over one-third of younger adults aged 18 to 44 years and one in seven adults aged 45 years and older had used cannabis in the previous 12 months. The National Cannabis Survey is used to understand cannabis use and purchasing patterns in Canada, its impact on the economy, and to inform evidence-based national and provincial strategies, policies, and programs. (Statistics Canada) 

Here is an expert from McGill University who can provide comment on this topic: 

Dr. Mark Ware, Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine 

“These data give an interesting snapshot of adult cannabis use in 2023. One major question arising is how patterns are changing over time. Previous government reports present age group data differently, so it is hard to compare trends. What we need is consistent measurements of each year following legalization. Deeper questions of why people are using cannabis, and what proportion of this cannabis use may be seen as problematic, are not addressed with these data. While it is encouraging to see that two-thirds of adults are purchasing from legal channels and that safety is a driver, it would be interesting to uncover what keeps the other one third in the illicit market.” 

Dr. Mark Ware is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and serves as Director of the interdisciplinary Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit at the Montreal General Hospital. His research interests include evaluating the safety and efficacy of novel approaches to pain management, such as cannabis and music. He has advised the Canadian government on medical cannabis policy since 2001, and in 2016 he served as the vice Chair of the Federal Task Force on the legalization and regulation of cannabis in Canada. 

mark.ware [at] mcgill.ca (English)