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About 12 per cent of Canadians age 15 or older said they used marijuana in a year, according to Statistics Canada.
One-third (33%) of 18- to 24-year-olds reported past-year use of marijuana. The percentages of people in other age groups reporting past-year use were lower: 20% at ages 15 to 17, 16% at ages 25 to 44, 7% at ages 45 to 64, and less than 1% at age 65 or older. In all age groups except 15 to 17 (among whom percentages were similar), males were more likely than females to report past-year use.
In 2012, 16% of Nova Scotians and 15% of British Columbians reported using marijuana in the past year, significantly above estimates for the rest of Canada. Saskatchewan (10%) residents had lower-than-average reported use.
About 2% of the population aged 15 or older reported daily use of marijuana in the previous year, and another 3% reported at least weekly use (one or more times a week).
About 43% of Canadians aged 15 or older have tried marijuana with over half (54%) of 18- to 24-year-olds and 25- to 44-year-olds having ever used it. This compared with 46% at ages 45 to 64, 25% at ages 15 to 17 and 13% of seniors.
In both 2002 and 2012, the overall prevalence of past-year marijuana use among Canadians aged 15 or older was stable at around 12%. However, trends differed by age. Past-year use declined by 30% among 15- to 17-year-olds, remained unchanged at ages 18 to 24, and increased slightly at ages 25 to 44 and at age 45 or older.
Over the 10 years, the percentage of Canadians who said they had ever used marijuana fell among 15- to 17-year-olds and 18- to 24-year-olds, remained stable among 25- to 44-year-olds, and rose among older age groups. Some of the increase in lifetime prevalence at older ages, especially 45 to 64, may simply reflect aging of the cohort who were in the 25- to-44 age group in 2002.
About 97% of Canadians who have used other illicit drugs (such as cocaine, hallucinogens and heroin) and 72% who have used psychotherapeutic pharmaceuticals (such as sedatives, stimulants and opioid analgesics) for non-medical purposes have also used marijuana. Much lower percentages of marijuana users have used other illicit drugs (36%) and psychotherapeutic pharmaceuticals (16%). Because the survey did not ask about the age of the respondent at initiation for each drug used, it is not known if marijuana use preceded or followed use of the other drugs.
Agencies/Canadajournal
