Majority Of Canadians View Marijuana Industry As ‘Important’ To Country’s Economy, Poll Finds As Cannabis Use Rates Match Nicotine

Seven Years In, A Clearer Picture

Canada cannabis economy: Most Canadians say the legal marijuana industry is an important driver—and they’re fine making it bigger. That’s not me channeling any one writer, just calling it like a bartender at last call. A new Abacus Data poll, commissioned by Organigram, finds a majority—59 percent—now tag the cannabis sector as an “important contributor” to national economic health. It’s not just the usual suspects: 69 percent of recent Liberal voters and 58 percent of recent Conservative voters are on board. The number has ticked up since spring. And it all lands against the hum of a prickly U.S. trade backdrop, the kind of background noise you tune out until it rattles the glassware. In the sober light of year seven, legalization looks less like a social experiment and more like a competent factory line—imperfect, sure, but reliable, churning out jobs, taxes, and regulated products at scale.

What Canadians Want Next

Beyond the topline, the country’s appetite is pragmatic. Canadians want regulators to widen the lens—bring health and agriculture to the same table—then press harder against the illicit market that still nips at the ankles. They’d consider easing the tax choke to grow jobs and revenue, and they want the runway laid for new product types—beverages that don’t taste like regret, edibles with precision, wellness formats that respect dosage and design. Organigram’s CEO put it plainly: Canadians are ready to treat cannabis as a pillar industry, not a novelty. That doesn’t mean a free-for-all—it means adult rules for an adult market. The poll backs this up: asked to choose between updating rules to foster growth even if cannabis becomes a larger slice of the economy, or freezing the current regime, 59 percent chose progress. Call it a mid-course correction, not a revolution.

• 47% want regulatory input expanded to include both health and agriculture agencies.
• 43% want more proactive efforts to curb illicit sales.
• 33% support lowering taxes or offering incentives to spur jobs.
• 31% favor building infrastructure to develop new cannabis product types.
• 58% would feel excited or neutral about steps that make it easier for the sector to grow and hire.
• Methodology: 2,000 Canadian adults interviewed June 25–July 3 by Abacus Data; margin of error +/- 2.19 percentage points. See toplines via Abacus Data.

Zoom in on the human stuff—the things people actually do after work. Use is mainstream, not counterculture: 35 percent used in the past month; 32 percent in the past two weeks. Nicotine’s two-week rate sits at 33 percent, which means cannabis and tobacco are running neck and neck now. That’s cultural tectonics. Other studies have hinted at substitution too—beer taking a few lumps as some adults swap pints for puffs. On safety, the north star of legalization, the federal scorecard has been steady: youth use hasn’t surged, and only a small fraction of consumers—about 3 percent—say they still buy from illicit sources. That’s a regulated system doing the unglamorous work of dulling the street corner’s appeal. It’s not utopia; it’s plumbing. And when the pipes work, you stop thinking about them—until the water runs cold.

North American Crosscurrents

David Coletto of Abacus framed the moment like a macroeconomist who’s also walked a few midnight miles: “At a time of growing global uncertainty and rising protectionism, Canadians are taking a pragmatic view that growing the legal cannabis sector is one of the ways to strengthen Canada’s economy, create high-value jobs, and build greater industrial independence at home.” You can read his full comments via Business Wire. Across the border, the vibe is messier: federal stalemate, state-by-state patchwork, and a hemp fight that spills into everything from farm bills to funding deadlines—see GOP Senator Threatens To Block Bills To Reopen Government If Hemp THC Ban Moves Forward. Distribution isn’t simple either; even delivery platforms draw heat, as detailed in Cannabis company sues DoorDash over hemp sales (Newsletter: October 29, 2025). And while Canada’s federal framework gives it a head start, American legalization keeps tossing off its own plot twists—like sovereignty-led openings on tribal land, captured in Tribe In Nebraska Approves First Marijuana License As State Officials Scale Back Voter-Approved Medical Cannabis Law. In that kaleidoscope, Canada’s advantage is boring—consistency. But boring pays pensions.

All that momentum needs a better conversation with consumers. If cannabis is going to be treated like a real industry, it needs the grammar of one—shared vocabulary, clearer labels, aroma and flavor notes that mean something across provinces and brands. Progress is happening: see efforts like Scientists Develop New Glossary Of Marijuana Aromas That Industry Could Use To Better Inform Consumers. Pair that with smarter policy—coordinated oversight from health and agriculture, tax structures that reward compliance, and product innovation with adult-use guardrails—and you’ve got the makings of a sector that doesn’t just survive; it sets standards other industries crib from. That’s the quiet point the poll whispers: grow up, grow smart, and keep the promises that got legalization across the finish line. If you’re ready to explore where policy meets plant in your own ritual, step into the menu here: https://thcaorder.com/shop/.