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More Quebecers Are Consuming Weed (& Society Is Getting Less Uptight About It)
Bonjour-High 🌿💨
A Quebec flag waves next to an SQDC sign on a store in Ville-Marie.
With 4/20 less than a week away, the Institut de la statistique du Québec has come out with a new study on cannabis consumption in the province. Residents are not only using marijuana more but enjoying new ways of consuming it. Social acceptance of the substance has also reportedly grown since its legalization in 2018.
About one in five Quebecers aged 15 and up stated having used weed in the past year, most reporting a weekly habit (26% of respondents). The highest rate of cannabis users is among 21 to 24-year-olds (43%), while 15 to 17-years-olds saw a slight decrease in use from 22% to 19%. The overall number of consumers has risen 14% in the past three years.
Traditional smoking methods remain the most common form of consumption at 85% of respondents, although the popularity of smoking has waned over time. This may be due to consumers having increased access to weed products that can be eaten, drunk, or vaped.
In fact, cannabis vaping is becoming the most common method of consumption among young people aged 15 to 17 (44%), compared to the 8% to 29% rate among other age groups.
Pour plus de donn\u00e9es de l'Enqu\u00eate qu\u00e9b\u00e9coise sur le cannabis 2021 : http://statistique.quebec.ca/eqc2021\u00a0\n#StatQc #cannabispic.twitter.com/oJ6v7zwdL1— Institut de la statistique du Qu\u00e9bec (@Institut de la statistique du Qu\u00e9bec) 1649940260
Most Quebec consumers get their cannabis from the SQDC (70%). The number of people still buying from illegal suppliers has dropped to 11% in 2021, which is a substantial decrease from the 2018 number of 32%.
During the pandemic, a majority of weed users have maintained their habit (72%), while 24% said they have increased use and 3.7% said they have decreased.
About 63% of Quebecers said it is socially acceptable to occasionally use cannabis for non-medical purposes. That number is up 20% since 2018.
The Institut de la statistique du Québec conducted the study from February to June 2021 among Quebecers aged 15 and over. This is the third report documenting evolving habits since the legalization of the drug in 2018.
Narcity does not condone the overconsumption of alcohol or other legal substances. If you are going to drink alcohol or consume cannabis, please do so responsibly and only if you're of legal age.