The number of Canadians who reported ever smoking or vaping cannabis did not increase from 2021 to 2022, according to new figures from the federal government.

The figures are part of new survey results released by Health Canada’s Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey (CTNS) 2022. The survey measures the prevalence of cigarette smoking, vaping, cannabis, and alcohol use among Canadians aged 15 years and older and is conducted by Statistics Canada on behalf of Health Canada. The data this year also includes figures on cannabis edibles. 

The results are based on responses to an electronic questionnaire or a telephone follow-up interview from 12,133 respondents across all 10 provinces, which represents a weighted total of 32 million Canadian residents aged 15 years and older.

While about 40 percent of Canadians aged 15 and older reported ever smoking cannabis in 2022, only around 10 percent reported doing so in the past 30 days. Just over 12 percent reported ever vaping cannabis, while those who reported vaping cannabis in the past 30 days were about five percent. All of these figures are similar to those reported in 2021.

About six percent of Canadians aged 15 and older reported consuming cannabis edibles in the past thirty days.

Just over three percent of Canadians aged 15 and up reported daily smoking of cannabis in 2022, down from four percent in 2021. One percent of Canadians over the age of 14 reported vaping cannabis on a daily basis, unchanged from the previous year. Fewer than 1 percent of this same group reported consuming cannabis edibles on a daily basis.

Demographics

Those Canadians with less than a high school education were less likely to report using cannabis in the past 30 days (including those still in school), while those with secondary education but no post-secondary education were the most likely to consume in any of the three reported forms. 

Those who identified as visible minorities reported lower levels of smoking, vaping, or eating cannabis in the past 30 days, but the reported use of vaping and smoking cannabis was higher among those Canadians who identify as Indigenous than those who did not. Consumption of edibles was not higher amongst those identifying as Indigenous.  

Those Canadians aged 15 and up who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or another sexual orientation that is not heterosexual (LGB+) were more likely to report smoking, vaping, and consumption of cannabis edibles in the past 30 days.

In general, Canadians over the age of 14 years who reported using cannabis were more likely to be those who reported their “general health” and “mental health” as “fair” or “poor” compared to those who rated it as excellent, very good, or good.

Those Canadians with a disability were also more likely to report cannabis use than those that did not report a disability.

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