Health Canada: Only 3% Of Cannabis Consumers Obtain Products From Illegal Sources

Every year since 2017, Health Canada has conducted its ‘Canadian Cannabis Survey,’ in which the government agency poses various cannabis-related questions to members of Canadian society. Canada adopted recreational cannabis legalization in 2018, and the survey helps lawmakers and regulators gain insight into how legalization has affected Canada.

Health Canada recently released the results of the 2024 survey, with data being collected from April 4^th to July 2^nd, 2024. The 2024 survey involved 11,666 respondents aged 16 years and older across all provinces and territories.

One of the main findings of this year’s survey is that only 3% of consumers “reported accessing cannabis through illegal sources,” which is a decrease from a reported 16% back in 2019. Many consumers reported cultivating their own cannabis and/or being gifted cannabis from friends and family. The Health Canada survey also found the following.

• The number of respondents who reported getting cannabis from a legal source in 2024 was 72% – an increase from 37% in 2019 to 72% in 2024, with legal storefronts being the most common source since 2019.
• There was no change in rates of cannabis use among youth (age 16-19) over the past year. Past 12-month cannabis use among youth aged 16-19 was 41%, similar to several previous years (44%, 44%, and 43% in 2019, 2020 and 2023 respectively).
• Overall, the proportion of respondents who said they used cannabis and reported daily, or almost daily use has been stable since 2018 (approx. 25%), including among youth (approx. 20%).

“Since 2017, Health Canada has conducted the annual Canadian Cannabis Survey to better understand attitudes and knowledge regarding cannabis, as well as patterns of cannabis use in Canada. Through the information gathered, Health Canada can better understand where support is needed the most and develop program initiatives that will help educate and raise awareness around the use of cannabis.” Health Canada stated about its annual survey.

Below is a breakdown of the rates of product types reportedly consumed in 2024 in Canada according to the survey results:

1. Dried flower/leaf (63%; down from 2018 and up from 2023)
2. Edible cannabis (55%; up from 2018)
3. Vape pens/cartridges (37%; up from 2018 and 2023)
4. Oil for oral use (24%; unchanged from 2019)
5. Beverages (21%; up from 2018)
6. Hashish/kief (16%; down from 2018)
7. Topical products (13%; up from 2019)
8. Concentrates/extracts (e.g., wax, shatter or budder) (13%, down from 2018)

Canada was the second country to adopt a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure behind Uruguay (2013). Malta (2021), Luxembourg (2023), Germany (2024), and South Africa (2024) have also adopted national recreational cannabis legalization measures.