Just in case you weren’t sure if the rumor was true or not, Canada consumes lots of cannabis. But how high do they like to get? Known as the friendly neighbors up north, it’s no surprise that they love to enjoy the herb. Canada may not be the home to the biggest tokers in the world, but new research shows a quarter of the population uses cannabis regularly.
Biggest Poll to Date
The study was led by OraclePoll and marketing consultant Colin Firth, in the hope that investors could get a glimpse into the potential numbers of the Canadian cannabis market.
We recognized a significant lack of data for this emerging industry. To date, there has not been a study of this magnitude of the Canadian people’s thoughts of the cannabis industry – both on the medical and recreational fronts.
We saw this not just as an opportunity to better understand the Canadian cannabis consumer, or Canadians as a whole, but to help ensure that as a country, we’re all prepared for 2018’s pending legalization.
We’re convinced that this report is the single most important document to emerge in this industry since Bill C-45 was tabled. – Colin Firth, report co-author
Canadians and cannabis: By the numbers
The authors believe the 5,000-sample size of randomly selected Canadians adults(18+) is accurate within a margin of error of 1.5% and represents both demographic and geographic variables correctly. By way of computer-assisted phone calls, people were asked 75 questions while providing information on the state of the cannabis industry in Canada.
Notable findings from the 60+ page report include:
- As of July 2017, roughly 7.5 million Canadians or 26% of the population are cannabis consumers.
- 34% of Canadians reported to having a friend or family member that currently use recreational cannabis.
- 78% of those surveyed are aware that medical cannabis can replace certain types of pharmaceuticals.
- 24% of current and potential users will replace alcohol with cannabis.
- 28% have an interest in cannabis edibles while 60% say they will choose to smoke as their preferred method to consume cannabis
- 77% of current and potential cannabis users said they will purchase cannabis from a licensed grower.
- 63% of those polled favor the dispensary model for cannabis purchases while 30% prefer online shopping.
- 72% of Canadians believe that the federal government should pardon and eliminate previous and current convictions for simple cannabis possession.
What’s the Verdict?
It’s hard to say how accurate these opinion polls are. Granted there will always be individuals who do not feel comfortable admitting their use of cannabis, even anonymously over a phone call. What we do know is Canada will be the first country in the g20 to legalize recreational cannabis. If legalization is sure to do anything besides raising the governments revenue, it’s going to make a lot more people pick up a joint for the first time. So how high? Let’s just say pretty high.
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