News

Vancouver Island residents using more cannabis

Published on November 28, 2025 by Pat Bulmer

Photo: Adobe Stock/the oz.

Cannabis use is dropping on Vancouver Island, but it’s still used at a higher rate than in the rest of British Columbia.

Island Health’s annual Population Health Status Report looked at variety of categories affecting people’s health — including the use of cannabis and other substances, such as alcohol.

“While we have seen a decline in consumption rates over the past few years, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and cannabis use are all higher in Island Health than in the rest of the province,” said Dr. Réka Gustafson, Island Health’s Chief Medical Health Officer, in a news release.

The report found 32% of people on Vancouver Island reported using cannabis, compared to 22% provincewide.

More males (29.1%) reported cannabis use in the past year compared to females (19.9%).

A total of 3.5% of Island Health residents self-reported cannabis dependency compared to 4.8% for British Columbia overall.

Cannabis-related hospital admissions increased from 64.3 per 100,000 in 2017 (prior to

legalization) to 91.5 in 2023, after peaking at 104.3 in 2021.

Among youth in 2023, 28% said they had tried cannabis at some point. Of those who had tried it, 61% reported using it in the past 30 days, which was the same as the provincial rate.

The report found the proportion of youth who have tried alcohol, tobacco or cannabis had declined over the past five years.