Nearly half of adults in Canada's northern territories use cannabis, with most buying from legal sources
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.
Quick Facts
What This Study 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.
Key Numbers
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 They Did This
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.
Why This Research 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 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.
What This Study Doesn't 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
Questions This Raises
- ?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?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 46% past-year use, 75% from legal sources
- Evidence Grade:
- Population-weighted cross-sectional survey with near-census household sampling, providing solid prevalence estimates for a single time point.
- Study Age:
- 2024 publication with 2022 survey data
- Original Title:
- Prevalence of cannabis use and the frequency, types, and sources of cannabis products used in northern remote territories of the Canadian legal cannabis market.
- Published In:
- Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique, 115(4), 628-638 (2024)
- Authors:
- Hobin, Erin(4), Schwartz, Naomi(2), Poon, Theresa(2), Hammond, David
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05381
Evidence Hierarchy
Watches what happens naturally without intervening.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked 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.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05381APA
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
MLA
Hobin, Erin, et al. "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, 2024. https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-024-00891-9
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Prevalence of cannabis use and the frequency, types, and sou..." RTHC-05381. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/hobin-2024-prevalence-of-cannabis-use
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.