Cannabis use, portrait and trend in Quebec province and Canada
In 2013, about 3 million Canadian 15 years old and over reported cannabis use during their life. Adolescents and young adults represent the groups with the highest proportions of cannabis users in Quebec and Canada. Objective: To draw up a picture of cannabis use in Quebec and Canada according to age, sex and living place. Methods: Using data from Canadian and Quebec health surveys between 2004 and 2013, we make a portrait of cannabis use during their life and during the past 12 months. Statistical analysis where perform using the Infocentre platform of public health at the Institut national de santé publique du Québec. Results: In 2013, the prevalence of lifetime use of cannabis among Canadians aged 15 years and older was 33.7%. The year prior to the survey, 10.6% of the general Canadian population reported using cannabis. The 2008 survey of the Quebec population reveals that 12% of Quebeckers aged 15 years old and over had used cannabis in the past year. Adolescents (15-17 years) and young adults (18-24 years) are the groups with the highest proportion of cannabis users, respectively 30.2% and 35.3% of them. Cannabis use in the past year among Canadians aged 15 years old and over has declined over the past decade from 14.1% in 2004 to 10.6% in 2013. The decline in cannabis use is also observed among high school youth in Quebec between 2000 and 2013 with a 17.7% decrease. Conclusion: Cannabis is a substance consumed by a large number of individuals in the population. However, it is important to mention the decline observed in cannabis use in the past 12 months, since the early 2000s, especially among the young. As the federal government is about to legalize this substance, it would be appropriate to monitor trends in cannabis use and related problems in the population.