Majority of Canadians View Marijuana Industry as Crucial to Economy, Survey Finds
A recent poll conducted by Abacus Data and commissioned by Organigram Global has revealed that a significant majority of Canadians believe the marijuana industry is an important contributor to the country’s economy. The survey also found that rates of cannabis and nicotine use have reached a near-equal footing.
According to the poll, 59% of Canadians view the marijuana sector as an important contributor to the economy, with 69% of recent Liberal voters and 58% of recent Conservative voters sharing this sentiment. This represents a slight increase from a similar survey conducted in April, where 57% of respondents agreed on the importance of the marijuana market.
In addition to the economic benefits, Canadians also expressed support for reforms to bolster the market. The majority of respondents (47%) believe that regulatory input from both health and agriculture agencies would be beneficial, while 43% advocate for more proactive measures to combat illicit sales. A significant proportion (33%) also support lowering taxes or offering tax incentives to marijuana businesses to generate jobs.
The survey also found that 35% of Canadians have used marijuana in the past month, with 32% reporting use in the past two weeks. Notably, this rate of marijuana use is now comparable to that of nicotine use, with 33% of respondents reporting past-two week nicotine use.
The findings suggest that Canadians are increasingly recognizing the value of the cannabis industry to the country’s overall economic health. As the country navigates volatile trade relationships with the US, the survey’s results indicate a growing consensus that the legal cannabis sector can play a key role in strengthening Canada’s economy and creating high-value jobs.
“Canadians are ready for the legal cannabis sector to become a pillar of our economic growth strategy,” said Beena Goldenberg, CEO of Organigram Global. “There’s a clear public mandate for government to modernize how cannabis is treated. Not just as a regulated product, but as a key Canadian industry with room to innovate in areas like beverages, edibles, and wellness.”
The survey’s results are consistent with other research indicating that Canadians are increasingly opting for cannabis over tobacco as the legalization movement evolves. As the country continues to grapple with the challenges of the legal cannabis industry, these findings suggest that a majority of Canadians are supportive of efforts to grow and develop the sector.
