Several experts feared so. Some predicted disaster. But five years after the Trudeau government legalized cannabis in Canada on October 17, 2018, we must admit that the predicted storm has not materialized. On the contrary: the data collected nationwide even shows encouraging results. Overview of the data situation.
At the time of its passage in Ottawa, the controversial Cannabis Act (Bill C-45) had the primary goal of suppressing the black market and ensuring access to a safe product for recreational cannabis users.
“Last year there were 5 million Canadians using cannabis. It is to the people’s credit that they are interested in buying a “safe” product approved by Health Canada and not having to put money in the pockets of criminals,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the set of Tout le monde en parole on October 21, 2018. He had taken up the black market argument several times that same evening.
Although the black market is still active, numerous studies show that more and more Canadian consumers are turning to official providers.
In the first half of 2023, more than 70% of the total value of cannabis consumed in Canada came from a legal source (medical or licensed non-medical), compared to 22% in the fourth quarter of 2018, the day after legalization.
The accessibility of the product has also increased exponentially: at the end of 2020, there were eight times more authorized stores in the country than two years earlier. This number doubled again in the second quarter of 2022 and has reportedly remained stable since then.
Ontario is the province where the supply is the most incredible: last year there were almost as many stores selling cannabis as there were Tim Hortons restaurants.
Reducing crime
Before legalization, possession of cannabis was almost always illegal and accounted for the majority of cannabis-related crimes. Since then, the overall number of crimes related to the drug has decreased significantly, with most now related to the illegal import and export of the substance.
The rate of cannabis crimes reported to police rose from 99 per 100,000 residents in 2018, the year of legalization, to 28 per 100,000 residents five years later.
A 2022 study conducted by the Canadian Center on Substance Use and Addiction shows a significant decrease in the number of cannabis possession-related crimes by young people following legalization – and, as a result, a reduction in the burden on the criminal justice system.
“Individuals who have been involved in the criminal justice system have suffered negative and lasting consequences that have an impact[e]“Disproportionately marginalized and racialized people,” Statistics Canada states.
Keep out of reach of minors
Another goal of legalization was to keep cannabis away from minors. Five years later, use is most common in the 18- to 24-year-old age group. However, a report from Statistics Canada shows that use among 15- to 17-year-olds has not increased since legalization. The average age at which consumption begins would also have increased slightly over time.
In Quebec, the proportion of people who used cannabis in the last year fell from 19% in 2022 to 17% in 2023. Furthermore, consumption in this province remains the lowest among all provinces in the country.