Cannabis use, anxiety and depression are all on the rise in Canada: study
As more Canadians use cannabis, the number of people reporting anxiety and depressions symptoms is also increasing, according to a new study. Led by researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., the study was based on Statistics Canada survey data from nearly 35,000 Canadians ages 15 and older. Researchers found that between 2012 and 2022, the number of people who reported using cannabis at least twice per week more than doubled from 3.7 to 8.3 per cent, while the number of people reporting any cannabis use over the past year jumped from 11.4 to 20.7 per cent. In the same period, the number of people reporting anxiety and depression symptoms nearly doubled, from 2.6 to 5.2 per cent for generalized anxiety disorders and from 4.7 to 7.6 per cent for major depressive episodes. While the suicidality rate remained unchanged in adults at 3.5 per cent, over the decade it rose by a troubling 44 per cent amongst youth. “We see that Canadians who use cannabis tend to be more likely to ...
