The stereotype of the couch-locked stoner may be fading away as Canadians adopt cannabis into their lifestyle, according to a new study by national data services and research firm Maru/Blue commissioned by Canadian cannabis brand Figr. 

The survey found that the majority of Canadians (72%) feel that most cannabis users don’t fit the stoner stereotype anymore, though there are substantial differences between regions: 66% of cannabis users in Alberta agree the stereotype is outdated, compared to 90% of users in Ontario and 87% of users in British Columbia.

Across Canada, 51% of female cannabis users and 35% of male cannabis users said that they would consider using cannabis to help them do chores around the house, including cleaning, cooking, or doing the laundry – suggesting that Canadians are increasingly turning to cannabis as a way to make mundane tasks more enjoyable.

Canadians are also beginning to prefer shopping for cannabis online, a trend likely amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly half (43%) of Canadian cannabis consumers prefer to purchase cannabis products online rather than in-store, which is a substantial increase from the reported 13.3% of cannabis sales that were completed online during the first year of legalization, as reported, as reported by StatCan in December 2019. Shopping online allows consumers to be more efficient with their time by giving them quicker access to the products and information they are looking for. 

“The modern Canadian cannabis consumer continues to evolve as people become more comfortable and start to integrate cannabis into different areas of their lives,” said Harvey Carroll, President of Figr Brands Inc. “As an industry, we’ve had to diversify how we deliver products into the hand of consumers and they’ve had to adapt too. Whether this trend will continue is hard to say but could be an indication of Canadians feeling more knowledgeable when it comes to picking the right product.” 

The survey was conducted from July 28 to July 29 from an online survey of 1,514 randomly selected Canadian adults, of whom 442 are regular cannabis users, and is part of an ongoing study commissioned by Figr to better understand how and why Canadians are choosing to consume cannabis.