Five years after cannabis legalization, 64 per cent of Canadians are in support of the move: survey

Taking Stock - 5th anniversary of legal cannabis Guest: George Smitherman, CEO, Cannabis Council of Canada

It’s been five years since the legalization of cannabis in Canada, and a new survey finds that most Canadians are supportive of the move, but few agree with legalizing other drugs.

In a new online survey conducted by Research Co, it was found that 64 per cent of Canadians are in support of cannabis legalization, which has been in effect since Oct. 17, 2018 after the federal government the Cannabis Act.

“Support for the legalization of marijuana is highest among Canadians aged 55 and over (66 per cent),” Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. said in a press release. “The proportions are lower among those aged 35-to-54 (56 per cent) and those aged 18-to-34 (48 per cent).”

Based on survey data, 58 per cent per cent of Canadians think employers should have the option to administer drug tests to any employee.

The survey also found that seven in ten of Canadians are in support of the federal government pardoning those who had been previously convicted of having cannabis for personal use with no plan to sell it.

Ontarians were found to be most in support of pardons at 72 per cent, followed closely by 71 per cent of respondents in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, 70 per cent in Alberta, 68 per cent in Quebec, and 65 per cent of Atlantic Canada and British Columbia.

At the same time, few Canadians are in support of the legalization of other substances.

For example, only 12 per cent of Canadians believe ecstasy and powder cocaine should be legalized, 10 per cent think it’s time to legalize heroin, crack cocaine, and nine per cent think methamphetamine or “crystal meth,” or fentanyl should be made legal.

The survey also found that 53 per cent of Canadians say they have never consumed marijuana in the country. But for those who have used it, 48 per cent state that all their cannabis products were purchased at a licensed retailer, and 17 per cent said they had never bought it from a licensed retailer.

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Methodology: Results are based on an online study conducted on October 11 to October 13, 2023, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in Canada. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is plus or minus 3.1