Insights from Canada's 2022 Cannabis Survey

The 2022 Canadian Cannabis Survey has provided important insights into Canadians' knowledge, attitudes and behaviours regarding cannabis use.

The Canadian government is collecting data to gain a better understanding of how Canadians perceive and use marijuana. This data will enable better monitoring of the national framework for controlling the production, distribution, sale, and possession of marijuana under the Cannabis Act.

Today, the Canadian Ministry of Health released the results of the 2022 Canadian Cannabis Survey. The Ministry has been conducting this survey annually since 2017, and the 2022 survey marks the sixth round of data collection, which took place from April to June.

The main findings of the 2022 Canadian cannabis study include:

The marijuana usage among teenagers aged 16-19 in the past 12 months has returned to pre-legalization levels in 2021 and 2022, after an increase between 2018 and 2020. Overall, the proportion of daily or almost daily users of marijuana among users, including teenagers aged 16-19 who have problematic or high-risk marijuana use, has remained steady since 2018. The percentage of people classified as "high risk" due to marijuana use has also remained stable since 2018. The proportion of respondents who smoked marijuana has continued to decline since 2018, while the proportion of those who used electronic pens to smoke marijuana has increased since 2021. Smoking marijuana remains the most common way of use, followed by ingestion and using electronic pens or e-cigarettes. Compared to 2021, a larger proportion of respondents reported that their usual marijuana source was from legal sources, with legal storefronts being the most common source since 2019. Compared to 2019, a smaller proportion of people reported illegal storefronts and illegal online sources in 2022. Among marijuana users, the number of people who drove after recent marijuana use decreased between 2018 and 2021 and remained the same in 2022. Over one-fourth of medical marijuana users reported using healthcare professionals' documentation, a proportion that has increased since 2021.

The results of the Canadian marijuana inquiry will be used to provide information for policy and plan development, as well as to assist in targeted public education and awareness campaigns. Survey data will also be helpful in providing information for legislative review of the marijuana bill, led by an independent panel of experts.

This significant survey adds to other national substance use surveys conducted by Health Canada, including the Canadian Alcohol and Drug Use Survey, as well as the Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drug Survey.