Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction Evidence. Engagement. Impact.
Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction

Research

Students and Cannabis Use

After alcohol, cannabis is one of the most commonly used psychoactive substances among Canadian students aged 15 to 19. Successful prevention and harm reduction strategies for youth using cannabis need to provide a clear understanding of use and harms. After pooling the results of student surveys from 2007 to 2015, the data reveals that:

  • Up to one third of students in grades 7 to 12 reported using cannabis in the past year.
  • Cannabis use decreased overall, especially more frequent use.
  • Male students were more likely than female students to report using cannabis frequently.
  • Approximately one in five students who have used cannabis drove a motorized vehicle after using cannabis.

Student Cannabis Use Profiles

The student cannabis use profiles present recent patterns and trends of cannabis use among Canadian students according to province. (The regional data does not include New Brunswick and the territories.) These trends include prevalence of use, perceptions of harm, and cannabis use and driving. These profiles are based on data from the Canadian Student Tobacco Alcohol and Drugs Survey, the Canadian Tobacco Alcohol and Drugs Survey and the Cancer Risk Assessment among Youth Survey.

Get the full picture of student cannabis use for your province:

Table illustrating Cannabis use in the past 30 days among grade 7-12 students in Canadian provinces.

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