Youth Consumption of Recreational Cannabis Surges in Canada as Legalization Gains Momentum

December 13, 2024 TruthUSA

Cannabis use for non-medical purposes in Canada has shown an overall increase since legalization in 2018, with youth aged 16 to 24 consistently having the highest consumption rates, according to Health Canada’s newly released national cannabis survey.

Published Dec. 6, the survey found that nearly half of young adults aged 20 to 24 used cannabis recreationally in the past 12 months. Youth aged 16 to 19 followed in consumption rates, with nearly 4 in 10 reporting use. Among those aged 25 and older, recreational users accounted for nearly a quarter.

Canada has one of the world’s highest rates of cannabis use among young people, a federal review on cannabis legalization noted earlier this year–and the trend is steady.

“Youth and young adults are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of cannabis,” the federal review report says, noting that exposure to this substance can disrupt normal brain development, which continues until the age of 25. “More needs to be done to drive change in youth behavior to reduce prevalence of use and discourage harmful use.”

The recreational use of cannabis across all age groups has grown by four percentage points since legalization, with 26 percent of Canadians consuming it in the past year.

The shift toward high-potency products was a concern raised by the legislative review, and the survey also shows a move away from the lower-potency dried flower or leaf products toward high-potency products, such as vaping pens.

In 2024, 37 percent of respondents said they used cannabis vapes, compared to only 16 percent in 2018. Last year, 34 percent reported using vapes.

Health Canada added questions to the survey last year about dependence, impaired control, and adverse effects.

In the past year, 11 percent of recreational cannabis users reported being dependent on cannabis or having impaired control. Among all cannabis users in Canada, 30 percent reported negative health effects, while 70 percent reported no adverse reactions.

The majority of cannabis users, 70 percent, purchased from legal sources this year, reflecting an upward trend since 2019—a year after legalization—when fewer than 40 percent of consumers purchased legally. However, youth aged 16 to 19 were more likely to get cannabis from illegal sources compared to older users. The legal age limit for purchasing cannabis products is 18.

Recreational Users

Men are more likely to use recreational cannabis than women. Nearly 30 percent of men reported use in the past year compared to about a quarter of women. Consumption was also highest among full-time and part-time students, at nearly 40 percent, followed by full-time and part-time workers at around 30 percent.

Only 23 percent of Canadians who identify as heterosexual reported using cannabis recreationally in the past year, compared to over 60 percent of those who identify as another sexuality.

The age people start using cannabis varies, the survey found. For 16-to-19 year olds, the average age of initiation is about 15. For the 20-to-24 group, it’s 17. For those 25 and older, it’s just over 21. The federal review noted in its report that starting at a younger age increases the risk of addiction.

“Earlier use and more intensive patterns of cannabis use increase the risk of serious adverse effects,” the report says.

Cannabis use among 16-19-year-olds fell slightly this year, dropping from 43 percent in 2023 to 41 percent, following an increase from 2022.

Among 20-to-25-year-olds, the proportion of recreational cannabis users held steady at 48 percent, after dipping slightly last year. Compared to when cannabis was legalized, usage rates have risen by five percentage points among the younger age group, and by four percentage points in the 20-to-25 age group.

Among recreational cannabis users in Canada, almost 40 percent said they consume products containing mostly or only tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive compound in cannabis. The higher the level of THC in a cannabis product, the higher its potency and the greater the risk of developing schizophrenia or psychosis, the panel also noted.

Among all cannabis users, more than 15 percent said they are unaware of the potency of the products they are consuming. Recreational cannabis users were more likely to be unaware of the potency of their products compared to those using the substance for medicinal purposes.

In regards to frequency of use, more than half of recreational users said they consumed cannabis three days per month or less, while 16 percent reported daily use in the past year.

The survey found that the social acceptability of regularly eating or vaping cannabis products decreased slightly from last year, but has increased over time since 2018. The federal review panel mentioned the risk of normalization as a potential unintended consequence of cannabis legalization.

Among the 30 percent of cannabis users who experienced adverse reactions this past year, the most common reactions included anxiety, panic or rapid heartbeat, at 13 percent, drowsiness or lethargy, at 12 percent, and dissociation or depersonalization, at 7 percent. Adverse reactions were more common among users of THC-predominant products.

Harm Awareness

This year, more Canadians became aware of the risks associated with cannabis use. Seventy-one percent said they believe daily or near-daily cannabis use increases the likelihood of mental health problems–a three-point rise compared to last year.

Canadians have identified other potential harms more widely since 2018, with more than 80 percent each year agreeing that cannabis can be habit-forming and especially harmful to teenagers and pregnant or breastfeeding women.

“There remain very significant knowledge gaps on the risks and benefits of cannabis use,” the federal review said. “This is also true of the impacts of the new framework, and it may take many years to fully assess its impacts.”

This year, 30 percent of Canadians reported seeing cannabis-related health warnings, a decrease from last year and 2019. However, the proportion of those who saw the warnings was higher among cannabis users, at more than 60 percent.

Of those who had seen the warnings, more than half said the messages had increased their knowledge of cannabis-related harms.

The report notes that the number of Canadians who cannot recall seeing any education campaign or public health messages about cannabis has increased, from 24 percent in 2019 to 50 percent in 2024.

For the study, researchers surveyed 11,666 respondents aged 16 years and older across all provinces and territories, between April 4 and July 2.

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