Nearly half of adults in Canada's northern territories use cannabis, with most buying from legal sources | Research

The takeaway

A 2022 survey of 2,462 adults in Canada's three northern territories found 46% used cannabis in the past year, with nearly 22% using daily, and about 75% of products came from legal sources.

Cannabis policy researchers, public health officials in northern/remote regions, and legalization analysts

46% past-year use, 75% from legal sources

What the researchers found

Past 12-month cannabis use was reported by 46.1% of respondents, with 21.8% reporting daily or near-daily use. The most popular products were dried flower (73.4%), edibles (59.0%), and vape oils (35.7%). On average, 74.8% of cannabis came from legal sources, with consumers rating legal products favorably for quality, convenience, and safety but less so for price.

Why it matters

Canada's northern territories are remote regions with unique demographics and limited retail access. High legal market penetration despite remoteness suggests legalization can reach underserved areas.

The numbers in context

2,462 respondents; 46.1% past-year cannabis use; 21.8% daily/near-daily use; 73.4% used dried flower; 59.0% edibles; 35.7% vape oils; 74.8% from legal sources (range 54.4-92.2% by product type)

How the study worked

Cross-sectional survey of 2,462 adults aged 16+ in Canada's Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, recruited through mail-push-to-web invitations from licensed mailing lists sampling near-census of territorial households. Population-weighted prevalence estimates reported.

What this study cannot tell us

Cross-sectional design captures only one time point; self-reported data subject to social desirability bias; cannot compare to pre-legalization rates; northern territories have unique demographics that may not generalize to other regions

How to read the evidence

Population-weighted cross-sectional survey with near-census household sampling, providing solid prevalence estimates for a single time point.

When this study was published

2024 publication with 2022 survey data

The bigger picture

These findings provide some of the first population-level cannabis data from Canada's northern territories, filling a gap in understanding how legalization plays out in remote and Indigenous-majority regions.

Questions still open

How does the high daily use rate (21.8%) compare to southern Canada? What explains the variation in legal sourcing across product types? Are harm reduction resources reaching daily users in these remote areas?

Common questions

How common is cannabis use in Canada's northern territories?

Nearly half (46.1%) of adults reported using cannabis in the past year, and over one in five (21.8%) reported daily or near-daily use. These rates are notably higher than national Canadian averages.

Are people buying legal cannabis in these remote areas?

Yes. About 75% of cannabis products used came from legal sources, though this varied by product type (from 54% to 92%). Consumers rated legal products well for quality, convenience, and safety, but found them less competitively priced compared to illegal alternatives.

Read the original research

Prevalence of cannabis use and the frequency, types, and sources of cannabis products used in northern remote territories of the Canadian legal cannabis market.

Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique, 115(4), 628-638

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Hobin, Erin; Schwartz, Naomi; Poon, Theresa; Hammond, David. (2024). Prevalence of cannabis use and the frequency, types, and sources of cannabis products used in northern remote territories of the Canadian legal cannabis market.. Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique, 115(4), 628-638. https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-024-00891-9