Teenagers seem to be less interested in consuming cannabis in recent years. This could be attributed to the global normalization of use.
- Most teens in legal states report viewing cannabis marketing on social media, despite restrictions
- Cannabis use among teens on the decline
- Teens with jobs are more likely to use cannabis than those who aren’t employed: study
Marijuana consumption has grown in almost all age groups in Canada since federal legalization in October 2018, However, teenagers saw consumption decline according to new numbers released by Statistics Canada.
Before legalization, the number of teens between the ages of 15 and 17 who reported having used cannabis within the past three months was under 20 percent. Post-legalization, that number has dropped to just over 10 percent.
That said, the rates of daily or almost-daily consumption by 15- to 17-year-olds was deemed “too unreliable to be published.”
Every other age demographic showed increased marijuana use since legalization. Most notably, 25- to 44-year-olds saw a 3.2 percent increase post-legalization, followed by 18- to 24-year-olds, who reported a 2.5 percent increase.
Older Canadians reported less dynamic rates, with 45- to 64-year-olds showing an increase of 1.9 percent, and seniors reporting a rise of 1.8 percent.
It's still too early to quantify the reason for the decline in teen consumption, figures reported by Statistics Canada suggest that government regulation may have restricted underage users’ access to cannabis. A speculation is that getting high has lost its mystique since cannabis use by parents and teachers is becoming more normalized.
Why do you think Canadian teens are using less cannabis?