- 1 What Are The Stats: Marijuana Use In Canada 2019
- 2 Cannabis Is A Man's Best Friend
- 3 Grandma and Grandpa Are Stoned
- 4 Pass The Province To The Left Hand Side
- 5 Statistics Change
What Are The Stats: Marijuana Use In Canada 2019
Cannabis in Canada has been federally legal for 385 days and counting, each day hundreds to thousands of Canadians order or buy cannabis through a provincially run retailer. Since legalization it has been a turbulent time for the Canadian government, with product shortages, delay in the opening of licensed retailers and poor product quality, Canada is still trying to find that sweet spot for nation wide cannabis retail.
Since legalization on October 17, 2018 more and more Canadians have reported that they have used recreational cannabis, especially men between the age of 45-64. Within the first three months of legalization around 330,000 Canadians said they tried cannabis for the first time, with that number doubling a year later to 650,000. That’s around 1 in 5 Canadians who tried cannabis post legalization. This has helped the Canadian economy over 9200 jobs being created through the cannabis industry. It has also contributed to important research funding with more avenues opening up to discover the specifics that cannabinoids can provide on our health.
The spike in marijuana consumption in Canada can however be a credited to what researchers refer to as ‘straw fire effect’ which is when a statistic shoots up very high at the beginning stages then goes back down to the normal level. This was exactly the case when Colorado legalized cannabis a few years ago, there was a massive spike in cannabis consumption but leveled out to the average number shortly after legalization. None the less, Cannabis has been widely accepted by Canadians and the numbers show that a consistent growth in revenue, usage and jobs will only continue. Here we’ll dive into the cannabis statistics within Canada and the various effects it has had on Canada as a whole.
Cannabis Is A Man’s Best Friend
Legalization has revealed that Canadian men consume more cannabis than women. The National Cannabis Survey indicates men are twice as likely to have consumed cannabis since legalization in 2018, with 21% of males partaking compared to 12% of females in early 2019. This pattern persists across all age groups except seniors. Nearly 59% of women reported never using cannabis, versus 51% of men. Men (8%) are also twice as likely as women (4%) to use cannabis daily. Moreover, males tend to consume cannabis weekly and monthly, while both genders report similar occasional use.
According to Statistics Canada, over 52% of men use cannabis recreationally, with 30% using it for both medical and non-medical reasons. Men are more likely to buy cannabis, while women often source it from friends or family, with a quarter of users obtaining it for free. Data shows 48% of Canadians buy from legal sellers, but 42% also purchase from illegal sources, with only 29% exclusively using legal retailers. Check our Complete Guide to Buying Weed Online for more information.
Grandma and Grandpa Are Stoned
One of the most surprising facts coming out of Statistics Canada is that a certain age group has become the fastest growing group of consuming marijuana. You may think it’s the youth which was one of the biggest worries with the legalization of Cannabis but in fact it’s Canadian seniors who have become the fastest growing group of cannabis users. Stats Canada shows that more than one in four seniors who recently used cannabis were new users. The statistics show 10% that those aged 25-44 were new cannabis users in the second and third quarters of 2019, 27 percent of new users were 65 and older.
Now let’s compare that to the number of 65 and over users using cannabis in 2012. Stats Canada reported that only 0.8% of seniors 65 plus were using cannabis, that’s around 40,000 Canadians, now compare that to the most recent statistics where it shows more then 400,000 seniors have used cannabis in the past three months. Half of these seniors consumed cannabis for medical reasons, with the remaining seniors evenly split between recreational use (24 per cent) and both medical and non-medical reasons (24 per cent). Statistics also showed that seniors mostly get their cannabis from licensed retail stores over the illegal market.
Since 2004 the average age for cannabis consumption has gone from 29 years old to 38 years old in 2019. So next time you’re over at your grandparents for Sunday dinner, it might be the perfect opportunity to offer up a pre roll for dessert.
Pass The Province To The Left Hand Side
Each province has their own cannabis wants and needs, with each individual province having its own rules and regulations, along with pricing and cannabis options. Let’s have a look at each individual province’s cannabis outlook and statistics after the first 6 months to a year of legalization.
Alberta
Alberta quickly engaged with legal cannabis, freezing new retail licenses shortly after legalization due to province-wide shortages expected to last one to two years. In the first three months post-legalization, Alberta sold around $25 million in legal non-medical cannabis, jumping to $123.7 million six months later—more than any other Canadian province. By June 2019, Alberta had issued 277 retail licenses, significantly more than Ontario’s under 25. Albertans currently pay an average of $9.07 per gram, reflecting a 24% price increase since legalization.
British Columbia
Known as the cannabis capital of Canada, British Columbia’s legal cannabis statistics are surprisingly some of the lowest in Canada. According to Statistics Canada nine months after cannabis became legal, British Columbia had made only $19.5 million in recreational cannabis sales, a $103 million difference from their neighbors Alberta. This has been credited to the lack of legal licensed retailers throughout the province with only 62 licences issued in a nine-month period. These low figures have forced the British Columbia government to revise its projected tax revenues from $200 million to $68 million. The price change in cannabis has been the lowest in the country with a minimal increase of 3.7% resulting in a gram of cannabis being $7.15.
Manitoba
Manitoba has surprisingly been punching above its weight when it comes to cannabis legalization. As of July 2019 monthly sales for legal cannabis in Manitoba was $5.8 million. Manitoba as of October 2019 had a total of 26 operational stores, one more then Ontario which has ten times their population. Multiple factors have played a part in Manitoba being successful when it comes to cannabis legalization, such as cheap power, low rent and a low cost of living. Before legalization cannabis prices per gram were around $5 on the black market, this has seen a huge jump since legalization where the average price per gram is now $10.71.
New Brunswick
When the predicted cannabis shortages began, New Brunswick was one of the first provinces to feel the pinch. Cannabis NB the government retail store in New Brunswick had already laid off 60 works, along with their online retail store, New Brunswick has 20+ government-run stores in operation. Cannabis consumption has jumped in New Brunswick by 21%, yet Cannabis NB has reported a $16 million loss since legalization.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Due to its unique time difference Newfound and Labrador was the first province to sell legal cannabis in Canada. A year on Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have purchased more then $36 million in cannabis, with around 3600 kilograms being sold. Newfoundland and Labrador was hit heavily with the cannabis shortages, with many licensed retailers not getting enough product to meet demand. In the first three months of legalization, Statistics Canada reported that 19.2% of the entire province reported using cannabis. The average price for cannabis is around $9.36 which is a 21.8% increase since legalization began.
Nova Scotia
In January, Statistics Canada reported Atlantic Canadian provinces were buying the most legal cannabis per capita than any other Canadian provinces. Nova Scotia was the highest province when it came to cannabis consumption. The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation stated it sold $33 million worth of cannabis in its most recent fiscal year. They saw a growth of 5.2% in their second quarter compared to the same period in 2018. Nova Scotia is one of the only places in Canada where cannabis and alcohol can be purchased in the same place. Cannabis is Nova Scotia has increased 19.7% since legalization with the average cost per gram at $8.73.
Ontario
Canada’s largest province has seen an increase in those turning to the black market, with only 24 stores currently located throughout the province. As of September the Ontario Cannabis Store lost $42 million in its latest fiscal year, with $64 million in revenue and $106 million in expenses. Of the 414 municipalities throughout Ontario 77 decreed that no cannabis stores will open within their municipalities. Prices of cannabis per gram in Ontario averages around $10.23 compared to the average price on the black market which is around $6 per gram.
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island has a whopping four physical storefronts, where they lost almost $500,000 in the first six months, but is expecting a $300,000 surplus for the end of the year. PEI saw their biggest surge during the tourism months in the summer, with the legal cannabis market taking up 35-45% of the total cannabis market.
Quebec
A year after legalization, 82% of Quebecers are still using the black market to purchase their cannabis. Quebec only has 21 legal storefronts. They have also banned home growing where the Federal government permits up to four plants per household. They have also recently raised the legal cannabis age to 21. Quebec has also cut its retail stores and reducing the numbers of stores to 40 by 2020. However Quebec cannabis stores have made $71 million in sales within their first year of selling, they have sold the most cannabis in terms of dollars and volume, but they still reported a $4.9 million loss. Store sales totaled $57.6 million — roughly 8 tonnes of cannabis. People spent an average of $51.07 per transaction in store, and there were 1.3 million total transactions. Where their online sales accounted for $13.7 million in sales with the average spend around $61.09.
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is the only province that allows producers to sell directly to store owners. As of August Saskatchewan has seen $6.8 million in sales according to Statistics Canada but this still soon increase as they have adopted the same framework both Alberta and British Columbia with an open-market system for cannabis stores. After paying above-average prices for cannabis pre-legalization, Saskatchewanians can now get it for a few cents less the average price across the country. The average cost of a gram has risen by 10.3% since last October and now clocks in at $8.02.
The Territories
Sales in the Territories came in at around $2.3 million which includes medical marijuana sales. Statistics Canada reports an average price of $10.36 per gram in Yukon and $14.45 per gram in the Northwest Territories. It has no cost data from Nunavut since prior to legalization, when the average cost was $15.24 per gram. The Yukon government operates one retail store in Whitehorse, although it is open to allowing privately run stores in other parts of the province. Five private liquor store operators have been granted licences to sell cannabis in the Northwest Territories. Statistics Canada does not have consumption rate data available for the territories.
Read our How Canadians Smoke Coast-To-Coast article to learn more!
Statistics Change
Statistics Canada conducts their National Cannabis Survey every three months each year through 2018 and 2019 to gauge cannabis consumption. The data is focused solely on Canadians 15 years and older, reflecting their cannabis use and related cannabis behaviors in the previous three months. This mean statistics are constantly changing and fluctuating with each category. So far 6 reports have been conducted and counting. To review each report you can visit Statistics Canada website here.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Which age groups reported the highest cannabis use in 2019?
A: Younger adults aged 15-24 and 25-44 showed the highest rates, with around 25-26% reporting use in the past three months. Middle-aged groups (45-64) were at about 10%, while seniors 65+ had the lowest at 7%. Men aged 45-64 saw notable increases post-legalization.
Q: Did legalization impact frequency of consumption?
A: Yes, legalization led to a spike in new users and overall consumption early on, but daily use stayed fairly stable. Many seniors and middle-aged adults tried it for the first time, doubling new users from 330,000 to 650,000 in the first year. This "straw fire effect" leveled out, similar to Colorado's experience.
Q: Which formats—flower, edibles, vapes—were most popular?
A: Dried flower was by far the most popular, used by over 77-84% of consumers. Edibles came in second at around 26-44%, with oils and vapes trailing at 19-23%. Legal edibles weren't widely available until late 2019, so flower dominated sales.
Q: Which provinces had the highest usage rates?
A: Atlantic provinces like Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island had the highest per capita use and sales. Alberta led in total sales volume early on, while British Columbia had surprisingly lower figures despite its reputation. Quebec showed the lowest rates and heavy black market reliance.
Q: How did medical cannabis use compare to recreational use?
A: Half of senior users reported medical reasons, with the rest split between recreational and both. Overall, recreational drove most of the post-legalization growth and new users. Medical access remained separate, often preferred by older adults for licensed sources.
Q: Were young adults or older adults the fastest-growing user group?
A: Older adults, especially seniors 65+, were the fastest-growing group, jumping from under 1% in 2012 to over 400,000 users by late 2019. About 27% of senior users were new, compared to just 10% in younger adults. This shifted the average user age from 29 to 38.
Q: Did workplace attitudes shift after legalization?
A: The blog doesn't detail workplace shifts, focusing more on general consumption. Early data suggested stable at-work use around 9%, with employers updating policies for safety. No major reported changes in attitudes or incidents tied directly to legalization in 2019.
Dorian Busch
There are ‘pot heads’ and then there are ‘POTHEADS’ - Dorian Busch must have been born with a pot for a head, because he resembles this moniker. Working in the cannabis sector in Western Canada since before legalization, Dorian has developed an expertise in all things weed - product innovation, cannabis culture, cannabis commerce, marijuana NFT’s and more. If there’s anything new & exciting to know about in the greenspace of cannabis, Dorian will already have written a blog about it. Mr. Busch is a content writer and product developer with Haute Health, and as the resident “insane tolerance guy” here at HH he’s somewhat of a celebrity on the scene. Dorian is known for his ability to ingest incredible quantities of high-potency cannabis products. From live resins & rosins that would make Snoop Dogg greenout, to shatter that shatters the minds of even the savviest stoners, Dorian has got the gift with ganja. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr. Busch pursued his passions for connecting with the people of the cannabis industry. He works tirelessly to report on cannabis culture, politics and economy - no matter how sensitive the topic, or how obscure the information, Dorian will sniff it out and bring the details to the avid readers at Haute Health. His specialty lies in retelling the stories of others, sharing insights from long-forgotten plant medicines, and bringing light to the faces & places that shape the global cannabis family. Haute Health is very lucky to have such a staunch stoner advocate like Mr. Busch on their team. If you have a story to tell, or would like to share exciting developments in your local cannabis community with Dorian, please reach out to our customer care team and they’ll happily connect you with Mr. Busch.
