Background: Canada legalized ‘recreational’ cannabis at the federal level in 2018; however, there are differences in the strength of cannabis regulations across provinces, most notably in Quebec, which has implemented the most comprehensive restrictive legal market based on a ‘public health’ framework.
Objectives: To examine provincial-level differences in Canada in the frequency of cannabis use, product forms, and other patterns of cannabis use among consumers.
Methods: Population-level data from the Canadian component of the International Cannabis Policy Study, consisting of repeat cross-sectional data from national surveys conducted with 94,278 respondents aged 16-65 over 6 annual survey waves (2018-2023), as well as prevalence estimates from national and provincial monitoring surveys (CCS, CCHS, and the Quebec Cannabis Survey).
Results: The prevalence of cannabis use is lowest in Quebec versus the rest of Canada, with fewer increases in prevalence post-legalization. Cannabis consumers in Quebec are substantially less likely to use edibles, drinks, vaping liquids, and solid concentrates, all of which are subject to stronger regulations than in other provinces. Support for cannabis policies are high in Quebec, with similar levels of legal market capture compared to other provinces.
Implications: Comprehensive cannabis regulations in Quebec, including higher minimum legal age, greater restrictions on cannabis marketing, lower retail density and more restrictive product standards are associated with lower frequency of use than other Canadian provinces since ‘recreational’ cannabis legalization.