Both surveys were planned as part of the province's commitment to monitor the implementation of the legal framework on cannabis and provide information on the impact of cannabis on both public health and the economy. The findings suggest that most people in B, C. Those who choose to use cannabis do so responsibly. The survey also showed regional differences in the prevalence of cannabis use in British Columbia.
At the Northern Health Authority, 38 percent of respondents reported using cannabis in the past 12 months, compared to the remaining 62 percent who reported not using cannabis. The percentage of people from each health authority who reported using cannabis ranged from 26 percent at the Fraser Health Authority to 40 percent at the Vancouver Island Health Authority. Respondents from the Northern Health Authority were 48 years old on average, 49 percent were women and 51 percent were men, and 87 percent reported that they were Canadian citizens by birth and the three main reasons for using cannabis in the Northern Health area were physical pain relief, enjoyment or recreation, and sleep better. Respondents who had used cannabis in the past 12 months were invited to complete a complementary online survey.
In total, 24,794 people responded to the telephone survey, and 8,473 reported having used cannabis at least once during the past 12 months and, of those who reported using cannabis, 2,420 completed the online survey. BC Stats has also developed an online application that allows you to further explore the findings. There is a growing consensus that cannabis use can damage the brain of adolescents. Note 11Note 12 and that cannabis use started at an earlier age increases the likelihood of developing problematic cannabis use, Footnote 13 Cannabis use during adolescence is also associated with poorer health MentalNote 14Note 15Note 16 and long-term educational outcomes and personal disadvantages, Note 14Note 16 The most frequent users are at greater risk of problems, Note 13 Because the prevalence of reported cannabis use tends to be higher after legalization. Note 17 (although part of the increase could be due to greater willingness to disseminate information) many feared that consumption among young people would also increase. The first indications from this NCS study suggest that use among young Canadians has not increased.
This is consistent with the Colorado experience, the first to legalize non-medical cannabis, Note 17. However, cannabis use at older ages and overall prevalence increased, not only during the years covered by the NCS, but also in the long term, Note 18Note 19 What also did not change is that cannabis use the overall prevalence, in addition to the use of DAD, remained considerably more common among people of 15 to 24 years old than among people 25 years of age or older. Use initiated during adolescence increases the lifetime risk of developing a substance use disorder, Note 20Note 22, among other problems, Note 13Note 14Note 16Note 22. Despite Canada's criminal laws surrounding cannabis, about 50% of Canadians have tried it at some point in their lives. About 14% of Canadians are current users, 11 People who don't use cannabis may not understand why other people use it. The same goes for those who have tried it and didn't see any benefits.
However, with a better understanding of the reasons why people use cannabis, we can overcome stigma and assumptions. From here on, it will be easier to find ways to improve benefits and reduce potential harms for individual cannabis users and the general population. People who completed the medical section of the survey were also asked to report on the average amount of cannabis consumed on a typical day of consumption. The proportion of people who reported using cannabis in the past 12 months was higher among people who identified themselves as bisexual (55%), homosexual (43%) or other sexuality (45%), than among people who identified as heterosexual (25%).
People were asked if they felt they had access to enough reliable information about the health risks of cannabis use to make informed decisions. Twenty-seven percent (27%) of people reported using cannabis in the past 12 months, an increase from 25% in the previous cycle. People who reported using cannabis in the past 12 months were asked who they had routinely obtained cannabis from in the past 12 months. Overall, 52% of people thought it could take up to four hours to feel the full effects of eating or drinking cannabis, while 10% didn't and 38% weren't sure.
People who had reported using cannabis in the past 30 days were asked about the number of hours they would spend drugged or drugged on a typical drinking day. Driving after using cannabis for medical purposes was studied among people who completed the medical section of the survey. People between the ages of 16 and 24 reported using cannabis last year, with a percentage that was about double that of people aged 25 and over. People who had used cannabis in the past 12 months were asked how often they combined their use of cannabis with other substances, mixing it or consuming it at the same time.
People were asked if they had ever driven two hours after smoking or vaporizing cannabis and also if they had ever driven within four hours of ingesting cannabis by mouth. The relaxing effects of cannabis help some people gain a different perspective when trying to understand difficult life situations. A higher proportion of those who used cannabis in the past 12 months reported being exposed to second-hand cannabis smoke or vapor in the home (38%) and in the car (10%) compared to people who did not use cannabis in the past 12 months (11% and 3%, respectively). People were asked for their opinion on the time it takes to drive safely after using cannabis.
Overall, 45% of people thought that consuming cannabis products with lower THC levels did not cause further deterioration, while 13% thought so and 42% weren't sure. . .
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