Exploring cannabis consumption stigma in Canada with consideration of age and gender differences.

Background: Despite cannabis legalization in Canada, stigma towards cannabis consumers remains evident, particularly toward younger cannabis consumers. Our study examined how stigma towards a young cannabis consumer differed by age and gender. Additionally, we explored the impacts of the participants' cannabis consumption, age, and gender identity on their perceptions of stigma. Methods: Canadian citizens, ages 18 years and older completed an online cross-sectional survey using an experimental vignette design ( Results: Participants ( Conclusions: Stigma remains a concern, particularly toward younger cannabis consumers. These findings highlight the importance of developing targeted, early interventions, and education strategies aimed at reducing stigma, especially among those who hold more stigmatizing attitudes, such as non-cannabis consumers and older individuals, which could help mitigate negative outcomes like decreased help-seeking behavior and social isolation. Impact Statement: Stigma toward cannabis consumers was greatest for younger consumers (14-years-old), followed by 21 and 28-year-olds. Specifically, older generations (70 + year old's) endorsed more stigma compared to younger generations. There were no main effects on stigma toward cannabis consumers based on the vignette character's gender or research participants' gender identity.