Health Canada research reveals more people than last year report not having seen any cannabis advertising.
This is one of the insights from the latest, seventh iteration of the Canadian Cannabis Survey, which is based on online responses from approximately 11,690 respondents aged 16 years and older across all provinces and territories. The survey’s aim is to monitor Canada’s national framework for controlling the production, distribution, sale and possession of cannabis.
Starting in 2022, Canadians were asked if they had noticed or seen cannabis being advertised or promoted in various locations in the past 12 months (see below).
The numbers reveal that 54% had not noticed any cannabis advertisements in 2023, an increase since 2022 (51%). There was a very slight dip in the percentage of people who noticed social media and in-store ads year over year, with larger gaps seen on web and TV.
Outside store signage and public displays, posters or billboards, showed no change.
The numbers reveal that that while the proportion of Canadian users smoking cannabis continued to decline, smoking remains the most common method of consuming cannabis (63%), followed by eating (52%), and using a vape pen or e-cigarette (33%).
Social acceptability of regularly eating or drinking cannabis (58%), vaping cannabis (55%) and smoking cannabis (54%) has increased compared to 2018 (up from 44%, 44%, and 45%, respectively).
The number of respondents reporting a legal source as their usual source of cannabis has increased to 73% in 2023 from 37% in 2019, with legal storefronts being the most common source since that year. A smaller proportion report accessing cannabis through illegal sources compared to 2019.
Among those who used cannabis, driving after recent use has decreased between 2018 (27%) and 2021 (16%), and has remained unchanged since.
Recent Health Canada data reveals “no clear trend for past 12-month cannabis use among youth age 16-19,” while the percentage of Canadians who use cannabis classified as “at high risk” of developing problems from cannabis use has remained stable since 2018 at approximately 3%.
