Early Results From Canada’s Recreational Cannabis Legalization

Statistics Canada released the National Cannabis Survey results for the fourth quarter of 2018 yesterday. Despite comedic predictions that Canada will become “the stoner living in America’s attic” after it legalized cannabis for recreational use, the early results suggest nothing much has changed. The survey found: 

“About 4.6 million or 15% of Canadians aged 15 and older reported using cannabis in the last three months. That was a similar percentage to what was reported before legalization. In addition, nearly one in five Canadians think they will use cannabis in the next three months.”

Survey respondents stated that quality and safety were the primary factors influencing their decision as to where to purchase the cannabis, with price and accessibility secondary factors. Slightly over half the respondents stated they used cannabis for medical as opposed to recreational purposes. The overwhelming majority of documented medical users were daily users. A large majority of medical users preferred methods other than smoking as their means of consumption.


Recreational marijuana legalization took effect only recently, in October 2018, so this report represents an early snap shot. But based upon what we have seen so far, those who fear that Canada’s economy will collapse as it transformed into a nation of non‐​working stoners can “mellow out.”