Dry bud remains the most frequently used format amongst past 12-month users, followed by edibles. (Photo 22575427 © Kenshin2 | Dreamstime.com)

By Derek Cornet

think tank

Report shows strong support for cannabis five years after legalization

Oct 25, 2023 | 2:12 PM

Pollara Strategic Insights, a research think tank based in Toronto, has found the vast majority of Canadians approve of cannabis legalization.

The finding was published in a recently issued report called Legal cannabis in Canada: 5 years later. It found 72 per cent of Canadians largely accept cannabis legalization with 52 per cent expressing outright approval. It also found 23 per cent of respondents disapproved of legalization, while 20 per cent were ambivalent.

“After legalization of cannabis, the incidence of negative public perceptions is far below the pessimistic expectations recorded prior to October 2018,” the report states.

“While perceptions regarding economy, tax revenues and reputation are more positive than negative, the health impacts on adults, youth and children and road safety are still looked at through a net negative lens. However, the incidence of negative perceptions is much lower than the public’s pre-legalization expectations.”

The report notes while many feel legalization has caused an increase in the number of cannabis users and usage frequency, this proportion is notably lower than the number of Canadians who expected such an increase prior to legalization.

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“That said, there is a notable increase in the proportion of people that report smelling marijuana in public and seeing people ‘high’ in public compared to 2021.”

Seven out of ten respondents believe the number of stores selling recreational cannabis have increased since its legalization, but a third also feel the number of illegal stores have increased as well. About three out of ten Canadians feel legalization has resulted in increased crime, but about one in ten feel it has caused a decrease.

Since legalization, 27 per cent of Canadians are believed to have used cannabis of some sort in the last 12 months. Those who have used cannabis both before and since legalization are more likely to report a reduced usage frequency now than before legalization, but half report that their usage frequency has stayed the same.

“Dry bud remains the most frequently used format amongst past 12-month users, followed by edibles,” the report adds. “However, when considering all formats used in the past 12 months – regardless of frequency – edibles are now slightly ahead of dry bud.”

In Western Canada, support for cannabis legalization was highest in Manitoba at 77 per cent. That was followed by British Columbia at 75 per cent, and Alberta and Saskatchewan both at 71 per cent. Acceptance across the country was highest in Atlantic Canada at 80 per cent.

Read more of the Legal cannabis in Canada: 5 years later report online here.

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info@westernbuzz.ca