The results of a survey released at the end of last month show that the Canadian public views the legal cannabis market positively.
Abacus Data’s survey conducted for Organigram Global found that 35% of Canadian adults had consumed cannabis within the last six months and 32% of them in the previous two weeks. The younger Canadians were the most likely to have used the drug.
Cannabis is a major contributor to the Canadian economy, according to 59% of respondents. 69% of recent Liberals and 58% recent Conservatives agreed.
Canadians seem to prefer a more flexible approach to what they buy and the amount of it. In fact, 59% chose “updating rules” rather than sticking to strict restrictions to encourage economic growth and meet consumer demands.
There is a desire for more crackdowns on the illegal black market, with 43% wanting tougher enforcement.
57% of Canadians are open to federal support and investment in conditions that would allow for the creation of new legal categories.
Other government priorities for supporting the legal sector include:
- 47% of respondents wanted other government departments, such as Agriculture or Industry, to be involved in the cannabis policy decision-making process alongside Health Canada.
- 33% of respondents wanted to see lower taxes on producers.
Abacus Data has commented on these results.
The data is clear: legal cannabis has a wide social licence, a visible economic value and favourable political implications for decision makers at the federal level. The risk of updating cannabis policy does not exist. It is an opportunity for low resistance to create new jobs, grow a local sector and chart out a path that will be more resilient in the face of a global economic environment which has become increasingly volatile. “And it is cross-partisan.”
Between June 25 and July 2 2025, 2,000 Canadian adults (18+) were surveyed. full report can be found here.
Medical cannabis became legal in Canada under the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations, on July 30, 2001. Cannabis Act was implemented on October 17, 2018 and legalized recreational cannabis across the country. The sale of edible products, extracts and topicals derived from cannabis became legal in December 2019.
In a similar vein, we have published research on the changes in cannabis misuse and use in Canada in five years after recreational legalization.