OTTAWA, July 21 (UPI) -- The number of Canadians who admit using marijuana doubled between 1989 and 2002, according to a study released Wednesday by Statistics Canada.
Three million people ages 15 or older reported at least one instance of marijuana or hashish use within the year preceding the Canadian Community Health Survey, which was conducted during 2002.
In 1989, 6.5 percent of Canadians reported cannabis use; by 2002 that figure increased to 12.2 percent. Men were more likely to partake of the illegal weed, with 15.5 percent of men admitting use compared with only 9.1 percent of women.
The drug was most popular among teenagers, with nearly 40 percent of 18- and 19-year-olds and 30 percent of 15- to 17-year-olds reporting some use during 2001.
More than 10 million Canadians -- 41.3 percent of the population reported trying marijuana at least once in their lifetimes.
