Use of cannabis and other illicit drugs.

Health Reports, Vol. 15, No. 4, July 2004 Statistics Canada, Catalogue 82-003 In 2002, about 3 million Canadians aged 15 or older, or 12.2%, admitted having used cannabis—that is, marijuana or hashish—at least once in the previous 12 months. This estimate, based on data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), represents a significant increase in self-reported drug use over the last decade. In 1989, 6.5% of Canadians reported using cannabis; by 1994, the figure had risen to 7.4%.1,2 This rise in drug use mirrors another recent study, which showed increased cannabis use among Ontario high school students over the same period.3 It may also partly reflect changing attitudes about drug use.