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A new report from Pollara Strategic Insights – Legal cannabis in Canada: 5 years later – has revealed that most Canadians, 72%, accept Canada’s cannabis legalisation policy.
The report tracks public and user perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours five years following cannabis legalisation in October 2018.
Pollara Strategic Insights reports that around half of those accepting legalisation have approved of the policy since 2020, while only 23% currently disapprove of the policy, which is down from 34% in 2019.
Regarding economic and tax revenue measures, the report reveals that Four-in-ten see positive impacts of legalization on both federal (39%) and provincial (40%) tax revenues.
However, in regard to health impacts, responses revealed more negative perceptions than positive, with 32% to 38% perceiving a more pronounced effect on the health of youth and children. Despite this, amongst past 12-month cannabis users, four out of ten respondents said they perceived a positive impact on overall health, mental health and physical health of adults.
Usage and purchase
The report also reveals that those who had used cannabis before and after legalisation were 30% more likely to have reduced rather than increased their frequency of use.
Demographic data showed that Gen Z, Millennials and Boomers are more likely to have reduced usage frequency since legalisation compared to before legalisation, whereas Gen Xers are likely to use cannabis more often now than before.
Additionally, dry flower is the most purchased product in the last 12 months at 38%, followed by edibles at 26% and vapes ar 9%. The report states, however, that “when considering all formats used – regardless of frequency – edibles are now slightly ahead of dry bud.”
A total of 82% of respondents also revealed that in the past 12 months, they bought legal cannabis, which amounts to a 7-point increase in legal buying since November 2022 and a 15-point increase since Mar 2021.
However, 13% of respondents reported buying illegal cannabis.
The report states: “Past 12-month users still tend to view legal prices as higher (36%) or the same (17%) as illegal prices, but perceptions of higher prices remain significantly lower than 2019 – 2021 and four-in-ten are currently unsure.”
To read the full report please visit: https://www.pollara.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Pollara-LegalCannabis5YrsLater-RptF1-1.pdf
