OTTAWA - The number of Canadians using marijuana appears to have doubled over the past decade, according to the first major study of drug and alcohol use in the country in 10 years.
The Canadian Addiction Survey reports that 14 per cent of Canadians said they had used cannabis in the past year, up from 7.4 per cent in 1994.
The survey found that 45 per cent of Canadians have used marijuana at least once in their lifetime. About 70 per cent of those aged 18 to 24 reported using the substance.
The study found the use of cocaine and crack also rose from 0.7 per cent in 1994 to 1.9 per cent in 2004.
Overall, it found that the use of illicit drugs by Canadians at least once in their lifetime rose from 28.5 per cent in 1994 to to 45 per cent in 2004.
Drinking stats on the rise
The number of those who reported drinking alcohol in the past 12 months rose to 79.3 per cent in 2004 from 72.3 per cent in 1994.
More men than women drank booze in the past 12 months (82 per cent to 76.8 per cent). The survey found that 90 per cent of people aged 18 to 24 drank alcohol in that time period.
