People hold up a Canadian flag with a marijuana logo on it outside a government cannabis store in Montreal. Photo / AP
People hold up a Canadian flag with a marijuana logo on it outside a government cannabis store in Montreal. Photo / AP
Canada just became the world's second country - Uruguay was first - to legalise recreational marijuana. Here's a look at the Canadian relationship with the plant.
Supply and demand:
Canadian households consumed about C$5.5 billion worth of cannabis in 2017, or 773 tonnes, according to the federal statistics agency, whichestimates the production value of the plant at C$5.1 billion. British Columbia and Quebec account for most of that.
Balance of trade:
Based on the models of the federal statistics agency, Canada is a net exporter of marijuana, running a trade surplus with the world of C$664 million. In 2017, illegal exports nationwide surpassed C$1 billion, with British Columbia shipping the lion's share of that. It wasn't always so. Until the late 1990s, Canada brought more weed into the country than it sent abroad, with total imports peaking at about C$1 billion in 1989.
Some 12 per cent of Canadians already consume weed, according to Statistics Canada surveys, which found that 16 per cent of men and 8.3 per cent of women used marijuana in the last 12 months. The agency assumes 49 per cent of those currently using cannabis will switch to legal weed, while 25 per cent aren't sure whether they'll switch to legal from illegal.
Canadians consumed an average 21 grams of marijuana last year. Nova Scotians were the heaviest users, getting through 27.1 grams per capita. British Columbians and Albertans weren't far behind, at 25 grams and 24 grams.
Cost:
Cannabis prices were falling ahead of legalisation, with a gram costing C$7.43 in 2017, the lowest since 1981. To get a more accurate picture of what has been a murky market, Statistics Canada has begun crowd sourcing cannabis users' data - they can submit the price they paid for their weed on the agency's website.
Geographic variations:
Prices for illegal cannabis differ by province. It was cheapest, C$6.94 a gram, in British Columbia. In the north, you generally pay more for everything, and weed is no exception, with prices nearing C$10 a gram.
DIY:
Some Canadians prefer to grow their own, and the statistics agency estimates that about 3 per cent of the total cannabis produced by households is for their own consumption. That share may rise. It's now legal to grow as many as four pot plants on your own premises, given more than half of households reported they also grew fruits, herbs, vegetables or flowers for personal use in 2013.
