Cannabis use highest in Halifax, while Edmonton had highest use of meth, wastewater samples show

Cannabis use highest in Halifax, while Edmonton had highest use of meth, wastewater samples show

StatsCan reported its findings from 12-month pilot project beginning in March 2018

Bridgette Watson at CBC News

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/canada-municipal-wastewater-samples-cannabis-drug-use-1.5259941

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Wastewater samples collected from across the country have given the federal government a better indication of what drugs are being used in Canadian cities, suggesting the highest consumption of cannabis is in Halifax while the highest use of methamphetamine was in Edmonton.

Statistics Canada has reported its findings from a 12-month pilot project beginning in March 2018 that involved collecting municipal wastewater from sewage treatment plants in five large urban centres. Samples from Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver were tested for traces of cannabis, methamphetamine and cocaine, and the results show varied use depending on the city and the time of year.

Cannabis consumption across the country was varied. A compound called 11-nor-9-carboxy-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH) is produced by the body when cannabis is consumed. The average for THC-COOH for all sites was 450 grams per million people per week.

Halifax residents were the highest consumers of weed at 936 grams. Montreal and Toronto are second and third at 833 grams and 327 grams, respectively. Vancouver, often considered a marijuana mecca, didn't break the top three. Vancouver pot partakers averaged 313 grams and in Edmonton, the average was 244 grams.

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