Statistics Canada released its second-quarter National Cannabis Survey, and the biggest takeaway is the number of Canadians using cannabis between April and June has held steady at roughly 16% over the last year—except for those above 65.
- Between April and June last year, 3.4% of seniors reported cannabis use. For the same period this year, the number is up to 5.5%, likely driven by those seeking relief from age-related aches and illnesses.
The Leaf, Globe and Mail - Men (21%) are almost twice as likely to have consumed cannabis in the survey period than women (12%), while among cannabis users, women were nearly three times more likely (14%) to consume non-smoking methods than men (5%).
CBC Business - Six months into legalization, the number of consumers buying illicit cannabis is at 42%.
- Global reporter Patrick Cain noted consumption has increased in places legalization increased access, such as Atlantic Canada and the Prairies. Twitter
A report by the Ottawa Hospital, the University of Ottawa and Ottawa’s Bruyère Research Institute found the 260 REC stores across Canada (at the time of the research) were concentrated in low-income neighbourhoods.
Ottawa Citizen
- Nearly twice as many REC stores were located in Canada’s poorest neighbourhoods as in its wealthiest.
- In many provinces—particularly Quebec—and municipalities, government officials have demanded REC retailers be located in undesirable neighbourhoods and away from well-traveled spots.
- Private REC stores were also twice as close to schools as government-run stores, though all stores remained outside buffer-areas determined by government.
CBC Ottawa
A survey from EY Canada and Lift & Co predicted 3M new consumers would enter the cannabis market with the launch of Legalization 2.0 products this fall.
- Based on survey results, the authors predicted there would be 750,000 new consumers of extracts (3% of present-day non-consumers), 1.5M consumers of edibles (6% of non-consumers), and 2.25M new consumers of topicals (9% of non-consumers).
- Authors believe many potential new customers will be seeking low-dose edible products.
Canadian Manufacturing - The report says suspiciously little about extracts and vape pens, which insiders believe will become the most popular product compared with dry flower.
Quick Hits
- Pollster Dimitri Pantazopoulos launched a blog about cannabis numbers, beginning with this breakdown of the year’s statistics.
Margin of Error - Numerous Canadian workplaces demand their employees not use cannabis at any time—including in their spare time. However, such strict policies are only legally applicable in safety-sensitive heavy industry. Calgary Herald
