Cannabis use on a downward trend in Quebec: report

A Quebec government survey suggests marijuana use is declining among young people, with rates among those under 20 dropping significantly since 2018.

Fewer young people in Quebec are using cannabis products, according to the Quebec Cannabis Survey released Wednesday by the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ).

In the report, 19.4 per cent of people aged 15 to 20 said they used cannabis in 2025, compared to 27.1 per cent in 2021 and 28 per cent in 2018.

“In this age group, the proportion of cannabis users did not change significantly between 2018 and 2021, then started following a downward trend,” the ISQ stated.

Additionally, cannabis usage was up in those over the age of 21 when comparing 2018 to 2021, before also decreasing in recent years.

Among those aged 21 to 34, 38.3 per cent of people said they were using cannabis in 2021, compared to 30.3 per cent in 2025.

In the 35 and over age group, numbers dipped slightly from 13.4 per cent in 2021 to 12.5 per cent in 2025.

Cannabis vaping

However, cannabis vaping is on the rise in the younger population, albeit usage seems to be irregular.

“Among cannabis users, smoking remained the most common method of consuming cannabis in 2025 (79 per cent),” said the ISQ. “Vaping stood at nearly 28 per cent. In the overall population, 4.7 per cent of Quebecers vaped cannabis in the past year.”

Those aged 15 to 20 who vape cannabis has increased every year from 2019 (23.6 per cent) to 2021 (35.2 per cent) and 2023 (62 per cent).

“In 2025, this proportion stood at 64 per cent,” noted the report. “Nearly three-quarters of young people who vape cannabis do so three days a month or less (77 per cent for those aged 15 to 17 and 75 per cent for those aged 18 to 20).”

The survey also found that 18 per cent of the population aged 15 and older reported seeing or hearing cannabis ads or marketing on social media in 2025.

“Young people aged 15 to 17 (39 per cent) and 18 to 20 (36 per cent) are more likely to have been exposed to such advertising on social media, versus 12 per cent for those aged 55 and over,” the ISQ said.

The 2025 edition of the Quebec Cannabis Survey, its seventh edition, was carried out among 15,103 people aged 15 and over to examine the percentage of Quebecers who use cannabis and analyze their consumption habits.