People in Halifax consume the most cannabis, wastewater testing suggests

HALIFAX – A new pilot study from Statistics Canada suggests Halifax has the highest rate of cannabis consumption per capita among five urban centres across the country.

The national statistics agency launched the study in March following concerns that people may be underreporting their cannabis use in surveys due to stigma associated with the drug.

From March until August, StatCan researchers analyzed wastewater to produce statistics on cannabis use in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver.

Their study says Halifax had the highest rate of consumption per capita, at 1,310 micrograms per person per week, with Montreal coming in second at 976.

Toronto came in at 451 micrograms per person per week, Edmonton had 416, and Vancouver had 288, based on data taken from 15 wastewater treatment plants included in the pilot project.

StatCan stresses that the results are considered "preliminary and experimental."