Health Canada’s annual cannabis survey provides an interesting inside the in the nation’s industry and consumption habits
Canadian consumers are slowly turning away from smoking cannabis in favor of other forms of consumption, according to the recently published results from Health Canada’s 2023 Cannabis Survey. The survey results are based on the responses from 11,690 Canadians, age 16 and older, from every province in the country.
The majority of respondents, 63%, still smoke cannabis, but dried flower sales have waned considerably from 87% of purchases in 2018, down to 58% of purchases in 2023. Edibles were the second most common method of consumption, at 52% of consumers, followed by vaping at 33%.
The number of residents buying cannabis from legal sources has shot up during the past four years, from 37% in 2020 to 73% in 2023.
Price was by far the most significant factor behind cannabis purchases in 2023, with 42% of respondents saying it was the most influential factor, followed by convenience at 15% and then potency at 9%.
One quarter of consumers age 20 and older — and 20% of consumers age 16-19 — report using cannabis every day. The percentages of daily consumers have remained relatively stable in the annual reports since 2018, as have the 3% of respondents classified by Health Canada as “at high risk” of developing problems from cannabis use. There was no clear cannabis trend among the nation’s younger cannabis users, age 16-19, according to the survey results. About 43% of young respondents reported using cannabis at least once during 2023, which was an increase from the 37% reported in 2022 and the 36% reported in 2018, but similar to rates reported in 2019 and 2020.
Health Canada conducts this annual survey to inform officials on how Canadians view and use cannabis, so they can better monitor the national industry under the Cannabis Act.