Half say their province isn’t ready as October 17th deadline for legalization approaches
September 25, 2018 – With less than a month until the legalization of recreational marijuana, a new study from the Angus Reid Institute finds Canadians are three times as likely to say that measures in the law will fail rather than succeed (57% versus 17%) at preventing minors from accessing cannabis after October 17, and twice as likely to say they lack confidence in the ability of their community police to assess and punish those driving under the influence of marijuana (60% to 32%).
A majority (62 per cent) say they support legalization, but they are evenly divided about the ability of the government to weaken the earnings of organized crime in the near future. This, as experts expect legal pot to be more expensive and less available than illicit forms in the first years of implementation.
And while four-in-ten (40%) say they’re ready to get on with a post-legalization Canada, half (51%) say they are worried that their province is yet ill-prepared for the deadline.
More Key Findings:
Part 1: Societal considerations ahead of legalization
Part 3: How many will consume cannabis?
Part 1: Societal considerations ahead of legalization
According to the Angus Reid Institute’s Engagement Index – which measures how strongly polling topics are registering with the public – marijuana legalization is one of the most watched policy issues in recent history. It scores a 72 on the index – 10 points higher than any other issue the institute has canvassed in 2018. For more on the ARI Engagement Index, see notes on methodology at the end of this report.
Looking at this another way, the Angus Reid Institute finds that four-in-five Canadians (81%) are following the story with interest:
Kids and Marijuana
Support for marijuana legalization has topped six-in-ten over the past several years and remains stable in this most recent canvassing of public opinion on the matter. That said, the Angus Reid Institute finds Canadians are a mix of enthusiasm about this policy change, and concern about the societal implications it may bring. As with many issues, age and political ideology are main opinion drivers:
While a majority of Canadians support of the decision to legalize marijuana, they, along with public policy officials and health workers also voice concern about preventing children from accessing cannabis. Research is still developing, but studies suggest that marijuana may disrupt brain development when used frequently by adolescents. The Prime Minister noted the goal of preventing youth from accessing pot in a tweet after Bill C-45 passed the Senate.
The legislation includes the following measures, designed to prevent young people consuming pot:
And while Justin Trudeau’s promise of legalization was a key to his party’s success at the ballot box among important voting segments in 2015, past Liberal party voters today are twice as likely to say these restricting access to children will ultimately fail. Past Conservative voters are even more pessimistic in their outlook on this question:
While Canadians are pessimistic about the ability of adults to keep pot out of the hands of minors, it is worth noting that they remain more worried about another substance that teens encounter to the chagrin of the parents – alcohol.
According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, more than half of teenagers engage in underage drinking. Now, caregivers have to contend with the prospect of underage cannabis consumption as well.
More than half of Canadians (55%) say they are more worried about kids engaging in drinking, rather than smoking pot. They are also three times as likely to strongly agree than strongly disagree:
September 25, 2018 – With less than a month until the legalization of recreational marijuana, a new study from the Angus Reid Institute finds Canadians are three times as likely to say that measures in the law will fail rather than succeed (57% versus 17%) at preventing minors from accessing cannabis after October 17, and twice as likely to say they lack confidence in the ability of their community police to assess and punish those driving under the influence of marijuana (60% to 32%).
A majority (62 per cent) say they support legalization, but they are evenly divided about the ability of the government to weaken the earnings of organized crime in the near future. This, as experts expect legal pot to be more expensive and less available than illicit forms in the first years of implementation.
And while four-in-ten (40%) say they’re ready to get on with a post-legalization Canada, half (51%) say they are worried that their province is yet ill-prepared for the deadline.
More Key Findings:

- Even among supporters of legalization more Canadians say that the government will fail (41%) rather than succeed (25%) in its efforts to prevent kids from accessing marijuana. Those opposed are overwhelmingly negative on this question (84% to 4%)
- British Columbia is the only province where more residents say they are confident (48%) that their government is ready for legalization than not confident (40%). The second group outweighs the first in all other regions canvassed, with Ontario voicing the least confidence (36%).
- Six-in-ten Canadians (60%), and at least half across all ages and political affiliations, say they are not confident that their community police are ready to effectively manage these changes.
Part 1: Societal considerations ahead of legalization
- Kids and Marijuana
- Crime, Policing and Marijuana
- Perception over economic benefits is mixed
Part 3: How many will consume cannabis?
Part 1: Societal considerations ahead of legalization
According to the Angus Reid Institute’s Engagement Index – which measures how strongly polling topics are registering with the public – marijuana legalization is one of the most watched policy issues in recent history. It scores a 72 on the index – 10 points higher than any other issue the institute has canvassed in 2018. For more on the ARI Engagement Index, see notes on methodology at the end of this report.

Looking at this another way, the Angus Reid Institute finds that four-in-five Canadians (81%) are following the story with interest:

Kids and Marijuana
Support for marijuana legalization has topped six-in-ten over the past several years and remains stable in this most recent canvassing of public opinion on the matter. That said, the Angus Reid Institute finds Canadians are a mix of enthusiasm about this policy change, and concern about the societal implications it may bring. As with many issues, age and political ideology are main opinion drivers:

While a majority of Canadians support of the decision to legalize marijuana, they, along with public policy officials and health workers also voice concern about preventing children from accessing cannabis. Research is still developing, but studies suggest that marijuana may disrupt brain development when used frequently by adolescents. The Prime Minister noted the goal of preventing youth from accessing pot in a tweet after Bill C-45 passed the Senate.

The legislation includes the following measures, designed to prevent young people consuming pot:
- A prohibition against providing or selling cannabis to youth;
- The creation of a new offence of using a minor to commit an offence relating to the distribution, sale, import, export, or production of cannabis;
- Prohibiting the selling, packaging, and labelling of cannabis products that are considered appealing to youth;
- Prevent youth from being persuaded to use cannabis products by establishing many of the same advertising restrictions as exist for tobacco products;
- Prohibiting the sale of cannabis through a self-service display or vending machine; and
- Allowing the making of regulations that would require such things as childproof packaging and a universal THC symbol.

And while Justin Trudeau’s promise of legalization was a key to his party’s success at the ballot box among important voting segments in 2015, past Liberal party voters today are twice as likely to say these restricting access to children will ultimately fail. Past Conservative voters are even more pessimistic in their outlook on this question:

While Canadians are pessimistic about the ability of adults to keep pot out of the hands of minors, it is worth noting that they remain more worried about another substance that teens encounter to the chagrin of the parents – alcohol.
According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, more than half of teenagers engage in underage drinking. Now, caregivers have to contend with the prospect of underage cannabis consumption as well.
More than half of Canadians (55%) say they are more worried about kids engaging in drinking, rather than smoking pot. They are also three times as likely to strongly agree than strongly disagree:
