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B.C. reports 3rd-lowest rate of pot usage in Canada: StatCan

A large number of demonstrators take part in 4/20 in Vancouver, B.C. Friday, April, 20, 2012. The Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward

British Columbia is known internationally for its cannabis culture and its “B.C. bud.”

But when it comes to actually smoking the stuff post-legalization, it appears that the province is less enthusiastic than its cousins.

New data from Statistics Canada has found that just 15.3 per cent of British Columbians have smoked up in the last three months.

That’s the third-lowest percentage in the country, ahead of only Quebec (13.6 per cent) and Manitoba (15.1 per cent).

Canada’s Maritimers appear to have embraced cannabis with the most enthusiasm, with the highest percentage of users reporting from Nova Scotia (21.6 per cent), Newfoundland and Labrador (19.2 per cent), New Brunswick (18.9 per cent) and Prince Edward Island (17.9 per cent).

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How has legalization changed marijuana consumption in Canada?

Overall, the survey found that 4.6 million Canadians, about 15 per cent of people aged 15 or older, reported using cannabis over the post-legalization time period — a similar percentage compared to those who said they had used it prior to legalization.

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One in five Canadians also said they planned to use cannabis within the next three months.

The survey also found that just under half of Canadians who reported using cannabis were using it purely for recreational reasons.

Just over three-quarters of respondents said quality and safety were top factors in choosing where to buy their bud, while 38 per cent listed lowest price as the main criteria and 33 per cent said accessibility.

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