Canada: 5 years after legalization, study reveals “modest increase” in cannabis consumption

A longitudinal study carried out by researchers from the universities of McMaster (Canada), Waterloo (Canada) and Memphis (USA) and published at the end of September, revealed that the apocalyptic predictions of the most conservative politicians did not come true: the use of cannabis among young people did not soar , problematic consumption among the age group that has a higher prevalence of use also does not, and use among older consumers has even decreased.

In 2018, Canada regulated cannabis for adult use. A decade is the more or less recommended time to be able to assess the impact of a paradigm shift of these dimensions. But five years after legalization, it is now possible to draw some conclusions.

In a study group of 619 “high-risk young adults” living in Ontario, the average frequency of cannabis use decreased in relation to what was usual pre-legalization, as did the consequences associated with this use; but the pattern of frequency of use has changed significantly.

“Those who used cannabis frequently during pre-legalization showed a reduction in use consistent with the aging of consumers; and those who did not use cannabis pre-legalization showed a modest increase in use,” the study concludes. Therefore, average consumption decreased, but among new consumers there was a slight increase. However, the consequences associated with consumption did not follow this increase.

The study lasted three consecutive years, evaluating young people aged 19,5 to 23 years old (55,9% women), most of whom had regular episodes of heavy alcohol consumption, of which 65% had used cannabis in the 30 days prior to the start of the study.

This study confirms what had already occurred a year earlier with the release of a article published in the journal “Frontiers in Psychiatry”, in 2022, prepared by several researchers from the Center for Addiction and Mental Health and the Departments of Psychiatry, Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Toronto, based on various surveys carried out by different organizations in the country since legalization.

“Canada has one of the highest levels of teenage cannabis use in the world; and the prevalence of use among Canadian youth is about double the prevalence of use among other populations aged 25 and over. However, data from the pre-legalization years show a downward trend in adolescent cannabis use,” the authors summarized.

Although some of the surveys consulted had contradictory results, some pointing to a decrease in consumption among teenagers and others claiming that there was an increase, the conclusion is that “statistically speaking” this increase was insignificant. The 2021 Canadian Cannabis Survey, for example, pointed to an increase in use from 36% to 44% between 2017 and 2021 among young people aged 16 to 19; and from 44% to 52% between 2018 and 2020, in the age group from 20 to 24 years old. An average increase of 7%, similar to the increase in all age groups between 2018 and 2022 (from 21,9% to 27,2%), which is actually quite far from the initial fatalistic predictions.

On the other hand, in the same article they state that in 2022, 61% of consumers said they usually buy their cannabis in legal establishments and a further 8% in legal online stores. There is no mention of how many users resort to cultivation, as it is only legal in some districts (up to 4 plants per household) but it is certainly practiced throughout the country.

Legalization in Canada also allows the sale of cannabis to young people aged 18 or 21 depending on the district, who can only have up to 30 grams of dried cannabis or the equivalent in fresh product in their possession.

A few more years are needed to assess whether the difference in the quality of cannabis products on the regulated market will have a significant impact on the possible problems associated with long-term use of this substance. Returning to the first study, the trend seems to be for them to decrease, but only over time will it be known whether, in terms of harm reduction, legalization is really advantageous – despite small increases in consumption being possible.