Daily cannabis use during the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Canada: a repeated cross-sectional study from May 2020 to December 2020

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in substantial burden of disease in Canada. Daily cannabis use is most strongly implicated in the cannabis-attributable burden of disease. In the context of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Canada, the trends were characterised in daily cannabis use in the overall sample and various population subgroups, and examined risk characteristics associated with daily cannabis use.

The specific objectives of this study were as follows:

1. Characterise trends in daily cannabis use in the overall sample and various population subgroups.
2. Examine risk characteristics that are associated with daily cannabis use.

A cross-sectional design was operationalised using data from six waves of a national, online survey of adults residing in Canada who spoke English (N = 6,021; May-08 2020 to December-01 2020). Trends were characterised using the Cochran-Armitage test and risk characteristics were identified using chi-square test and logistic regression analysis.

Daily cannabis use in the overall sample remained stable (5.34% – 6.10%; p = 0.30). This pattern of findings extended to various population subgroups as well. The odds of daily cannabis use were higher for those who:

• were males (Odds Ratio; 95% Confidence Interval: 1.46; 1.15 – 1.85),
• were between 18 – 29 years (2.36; 1.56 – 3.57), 30 – 39 years (2.65; 1.93 – 3.64) or 40–49 years (1.74; 1.19 – 2.54),
• self-identified as white (1.97; 1.47 – 2.64), had less than college or university completion (1.78; 1.39 – 2.28),
• engaged in heavy episodic drinking (2.05; 1.62 – 2.61),
• had a job that increased the risk of contracting COVID-19 (1.38; 1.01 – 1.88),
• experienced loneliness 5–7 days in the past week (1.86; 1.26 – 2.73)
• and felt very worried (2.08; 1.21 – 3.58) or somewhat worried (1.83; 1.11 – 3.01) about the pandemic’s impact on their financial situation.

Daily cannabis use did not change in the overall sample or various population subgroups during the pandemic. Pandemic-related risks and impacts were associated with daily cannabis use.