Features

Cannabis spending down, new survey reveals

Published on December 20, 2024 by Pat Bulmer

Cannabis buds are pictured with $63 in Canadian money, 2 $20s, a $10, 5 Toonies and 3 Loonies Photo: David Wylie/the oz.
The average Canadian cannabis consumer buys weed once a month and spends roughly $63, down $10 from last year.

Cannabis users typically spend close to $63 on cannabis products each month, an annual survey revealed.

That’s down from $73 in 2018, according to Health Canada’s 2024 Canadian Cannabis Survey, released in December.

Most people bought their cannabis once a month.

Health Canada has been conducting the survey since 2017. Data this year was collected from 11,666 respondents April 4-July 2. The survey contains everything you might want to know about Canadians’ cannabis usage and a whole bunch of statistics you probably never even considered.

Cannabis use is up, but smoking is down, the survey discovered.

Twenty-six per cent of people 16 years of age and older reported they consumed cannabis for non-medical purposes in the past 12 months, compared to 22% in 2018, the survey said.

Use was highest among 20-24 year olds (48%), followed by 16-19 year-olds (41%), and then those 25 years and older (23%).

The proportion of cannabis users who smoke continues to decline, but smoking still remains the most common method of consuming (69%), followed by eating (57%) and vaping (37%).

A higher percentage of males use cannabis than females. Cannabis use is higher among students than non students. Employed people consume more than the unemployed. Cannabis use declines with higher levels of education.

Males and people aged 20-24 were more likely to be daily users. People who consumed cannabis within the past 30 days were asked how many days they consumed cannabis in that time period. The average was 14.5 days.

Over half of cannabis users reported consuming cannabis three days per month or less, and 16% reported daily cannabis use.

The average age of starting cannabis use was 20.7, an increase from 18.9 years in 2018. Females were older than males when they first tried cannabis (21.2 vs. 20.1 years).

Health Canada cannabis graphic

Convenience is the most important factor in determining where Canadians buy their cannabis, according to Health Canada’s annual survey.

The percentage of people who said they are ‘at high risk’ of developing problems from cannabis use has remained stable since 2018 (approximately 3%).

Seventy-one per cent believed that daily/almost daily cannabis use increases the risk of mental-health problems.

Thirty per cent were aware of the longer duration of effects edibles have compared to inhaled cannabis products; 51% were aware it could take four or more hours to feel the full effects of cannabis edibles/drinks

Alcohol is still considered more socially acceptable than cannabis, but cannabis is more accepted than e-cigarettes and tobacco.

Ninety-four per cent of respondents said they knew smoking cigarettes was bad for you. (What did the other six per cent think?) Roughly 70% of respondents felt there was a moderate or strong health risk with regular use of various forms of cannabis

The number of respondents who reported getting cannabis from a legal source in 2024 was 72% – an increase from 37% in 2019.

Eighteen per cent of people who used cannabis in the past 12 months reported driving after use, a decline from 27% in 2018.

Nearly two-thirds of those who consumed dried flower/leaf in the past 12 months said they bought at least some pre-rolled joints (65%).

Gummies were far and away the favourite edible with chocolate, cookies, brownies and others well behind.

Four per cent of Canadians and nine per cent of cannabis users said they grew their own cannabis. Average number of plants among growers was 3.4.

Forty-nine per cent said cannabis use was beneficial to their quality of life and 42% said it was good for their mental health. Ten per cent reported harmful effects.

Seventy-three per cent of people with children under 18 years in the home said they locked up their cannabis.

One per cent of respondents reported incidents of accidental consumption in their home: 57% of those said it involved a pet; 20% said it involved an adult; 18% said it involved themselves, and 10% said it involved a teenager

The top five adverse reactions or negative health effects named were: anxiety/panic/rapid heartbeat; drowsiness/lethargy; dissociation/depersonalization; headache; and confusion/disorientation.