Pot is Canadian Drug of Choice, Statscan Says

SmokeDog420

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More than 10 million Canadians have tried cannabis at least once in their life, and that number keeps growing, according to the latest drug use survey conducted by Statistics Canada.
Based on data from the Canadian Community Health Survey conducted in 2002, Statscan estimates three million of those used some form of marijuana or hashish that year.

"Nearly half of those who had used cannabis in the previous year had done so less than once a month. About 10 per cent reported they had used it on a weekly basis, and another 10 per cent said they used it daily," the agency said in a statement.

Those numbers were up considerably from the agency's last usage survey. Whereas 12 per cent of Canadians used marijuan in 2002, only 7.4 per cent did so in 1994.

According to the survey, use of the drug was most prevalent among youth, particularly older teenagers.

Close to 40 per cent of 18 and 19 year olds, and approximately 30 per cent of 15 to 17 year olds admitted to using the drug in the past year.

Among the latter group, usage patterns were equivalent among males and females. In the rest if the population, however, men were more likely to use the drug.

According to the survey, more than 15 per cent of men were admitted users, compared to 9.1 per cent of women.

Of the 41 per cent of Canadians the agency says admit to using pot at least once in their life, the proportion would be a slightly lower 32 per cent if one-time users were excluded.

While the statistics may portray Canada as a nation of avowed marijuana-lovers, an RCMP report dispels the notion we are a nation of pot-pushers.

In their annual assessment of drug seizure statistics, the Mounties said the perception of a pot pipeline running south from Canada is blown out of proportion when compared to the scale of marijuana smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico.

Perhaps it's demand that's keeping the Canadian marijuana from heading south.

According to Statscan, the numbers of people choosing the nation's second-most popular drug pale in comparison -- an estimated 321,000 Canadians.




Source: CTV (Canada)
Published: July 21, 2004
Copyright: 2004 Bell Globemedia Interactive Inc.
Website: Watch TV Online
Contact: newsonline@ctv.ca
 
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