Marijuana leaves (Shutterstock) Shutterstock
Ranking Canadian Universities by Marijuana Use of Students
Our annual student survey reveals which schools—and which programs—report the highest pot use.
Nearly two-thirds of the 22,384 respondents to the Maclean’s 2018 student survey said they never smoke pot, while only a small percentage reported being weekly or daily users. Please note: All toking was self-reported. For our article on what Canada’s legalization of marijuana means for university life, see here.OVERALL
BY SCHOOLUniversities with a percentage of students reporting various levels of marijuana use.
BY SCHOOL marijuana use 2018 uni rankings
| School | Less than once a year | Less than once a month | About once a month | A few times a month | A few ties a week | Daily | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop's University | 14% | 15% | 7% | 12% | 6% | 6% | 60% |
| St. Francis Xavier University | 10% | 13% | 8% | 13% | 10% | 2% | 56% |
| Acadia University | 12% | 13% | 4% | 11% | 5% | 8% | 53% |
| Dalhousie University | 13% | 13% | 8% | 7% | 4% | 5% | 50% |
| University of Victoria | 12% | 15% | 7% | 9% | 5% | 2% | 49% |
| Queen's University | 13% | 13% | 8% | 8% | 5% | 1% | 48% |
| McGill University | 12% | 14% | 7% | 10% | 3% | 3% | 47% |
| Concordia University (Montreal) | 13% | 11% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 4% | 45% |
| University of New Brunswick | 11% | 15% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 1% | 45% |
| Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) | 19% | 9% | 5% | 6% | 4% | 3% | 45% |
| Mount Allison University | 13% | 12% | 3% | 8% | 5% | 3% | 44% |
| Carleton University | 12% | 11% | 6% | 6% | 5% | 2% | 43% |
| St. Thomas University | 13% | 10% | 3% | 7% | 5% | 4% | 42% |
| Trent University | 12% | 12% | 3% | 5% | 5% | 4% | 41% |
| Wilfrid Laurier University | 11% | 10% | 3% | 8% | 6% | 3% | 41% |
| Western University | 10% | 13% | 5% | 6% | 5% | 2% | 41% |
| University of Guelph | 11% | 11% | 7% | 4% | 4% | 3% | 41% |
| Lakehead University | 14% | 9% | 4% | 5% | 2% | 5% | 39% |
| University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) | 12% | 10% | 7% | 4% | 5% | 0% | 39% |
| Nipissing University | 13% | 7% | 7% | 6% | 2% | 3% | 39% |
| University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) | 15% | 7% | 1% | 8% | 6% | 2% | 38% |
| Brock University | 13% | 11% | 3% | 6% | 3% | 2% | 38% |
| Saint Mary's University | 10% | 15% | 1% | 6% | 3% | 2% | 37% |
| The University of British Columbia (UBC) | 9% | 13% | 5% | 5% | 2% | 2% | 36% |
| Memorial University of Newfoundland | 11% | 12% | 2% | 7% | 2% | 3% | 36% |
| McMaster University | 11% | 12% | 3% | 6% | 2% | 1% | 35% |
| The University of Winnipeg | 10% | 9% | 2% | 2% | 5% | 7% | 35% |
| University of Lethbridge | 10% | 10% | 3% | 5% | 2% | 4% | 34% |
| Université de Sherbrooke | 12% | 12% | 4% | 4% | 1% | 1% | 34% |
| Laurentian University | 11% | 10% | 3% | 7% | 1% | 2% | 34% |
| Université de Montréal | 11% | 12% | 1% | 7% | 0% | 3% | 34% |
| Université Laval | 16% | 10% | 3% | 4% | 2% | 1% | 34% |
| Ryerson University | 9% | 10% | 5% | 3% | 2% | 3% | 33% |
| University of Ottawa | 9% | 10% | 3% | 5% | 3% | 3% | 33% |
| University of Saskatchewan | 12% | 9% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 32% |
| University of Waterloo | 9% | 9% | 4% | 5% | 3% | 2% | 32% |
| University of Alberta | 10% | 10% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 1% | 29% |
| York University | 7% | 11% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 1% | 29% |
| Université de Moncton | 11% | 8% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 1% | 29% |
| University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) | 10% | 8% | 2% | 4% | 3% | 1% | 29% |
| Brandon University | 9% | 8% | 4% | 2% | 4% | 2% | 28% |
| University of Windsor | 13% | 4% | 2% | 4% | 2% | 3% | 28% |
| University of Toronto | 10% | 7% | 4% | 4% | 2% | 1% | 28% |
| University of Regina | 12% | 4% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 27% |
| University of Calgary | 12% | 7% | 3% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 27% |
| University of Manitoba | 8% | 7% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 24% |
| Simon Fraser University | 10% | 7% | 2% | 3% | 2% | 1% | 24% |
| Cape Breton University | 8% | 10% | 8% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 33% |
| Mount Saint Vincent University | 8% | 8% | 1% | 7% | 5% | 6% | 35% |
BY PROGRAMPrograms with the largest percentage if students reporting any level of marijuana use.
PROGRAM marijuana use 2018 uni rankings
| Program | % |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | 57% |
| Environmental science | 56% |
| Economics | 55% |
| International relations | 53% |
| Sociology | 52% |
| Political science | 51% |
| Design | 51% |
| Journalism | 50% |
| Art | 49% |
| Business | 47% |
| Architecture | 45% |
| Psychology | 45% |
| English | 44% |
| Engineering | 44% |
| Criminology | 44% |
| Agriculture | 43% |
| History | 42% |
| Law | 42% |
| Computer Science | 42% |
| Neuroscience | 42% |
| Anthropology | 42% |
| Medicine | 42% |
| Chemistry | 41% |
| Kinesiology | 40% |
| Music | 40% |
| Animal Science | 40% |
| Math | 38% |
| Pharmacy | 38% |
| Education | 36% |
| Linguistics | 29% |
MORE ABOUT MARIJUANA:
- Teens to Trudeau: No, pot isn’t easier to get than alcohol
- Majority of Canadians support marijuana legalization, says survey
- Big Tobacco and mini marts take on the pot bill
- Ottawa’s dangerous hustle to legalize weed
- Police ask government to postpone pot legalization
- Ontario plans dozens government-run marijuana shops
- Should marijuana continue to be a banned substance for athletes?
- Could legal weed revive small towns hit by resource losses?
Subscribe to Message Board, our weekly newsletter guide to planning your post-secondary journey
Whether you’re a student, parent or guidance counsellor, Message Board is a resource you won’t want to miss out on.