Adult-use cannabis sales jumped sharply in July as Canadians stocked up for summer, new data from Statistics Canada suggests.
Regulated marijuana sales that month grew to 395 million Canadian dollars ($315 million), an almost 4.5% increase over June.
It was one of the biggest monthly gains so far this year in Canada.
The province of Manitoba experienced the biggest monthly increase by percentage, jumping 20% to CA$17.1 million in retail sales.
On a dollars basis, the biggest monthly increase was in Ontario, where sales rose CA$6.8 million to CA$159.5 million in July.
Quebec’s cannabis sales grew a disappointing 1% month-over-month to about CA$50 million.
So far this year, roughly CA$2.55 billion worth of recreational cannabis has been sold.
In the remaining provinces, July sales totals and month-over-month sales were:
- Alberta: CA$69.1 million (+3%).
- British Columbia: CA$57.3 million (+6%).
- Manitoba: CA$17.1 million (+20%).
- Nova Scotia: CA$9.1 million (+4.3%).
- New Brunswick: CA$7.2 million (+6.2%).
- Newfoundland and Labrador: CA$5.7 million (+10%).
- Saskatchewan: CA$15.8 million (+1.5%).
- Prince Edward Island: CA$2.1 million (+14%).
By city, Toronto continued to lead the country with CA$54.1 million in sales, up 5% over June.
Montreal was the only city in Canada where sales fell in July: Sales in Quebec’s largest city dropped under 1% to CA$26.8 million.
July cannabis retail sales in selected Canadian cities and monthly sales changes were:
- Edmonton, Alberta: CA$22.8 million (+4.4%).
- Vancouver, British Columbia: CA$18.7 million (Flat).
- Calgary, Alberta: CA$19.5 million (+6.6%).
- Ottawa, Ontario: CA$14.5 million (+4.7%).
- Winnipeg, Manitoba: CA$9.7 million (+18.6%).
- Quebec City: CA$4.7 million (+2.9%).
- Gatineau, Quebec: CA$1.7 million (+4.1%).
Statistics Canada’s July cannabis retail sales data is available here.