Spending on recreational cannabis products grew to 357 million Canadian dollars ($290 million) in August, according to newly released data by Statistics Canada, the sixth consecutive month of record sales.
Just two provinces, however, accounted for most of the growth that month.
Ontario and British Columbia represented 91.1% of the retail sales growth in August compared to just over half of July’s growth.
Ontario’s sales rose 9.9% in August compared to the previous month, to CA$139.2 million.
In British Columbia, consumers spent CA$52.3 million in the regulated adult-use cannabis market, up 7.1% over July.
The province of Quebec slipped to fourth among all provinces, with CA$52.2 million in sales, effectively flat compared to the month before.
Quebec bans the sale of cannabis vapes and edibles. Quebec also has the slowest rollout of regulated cannabis stores among Canada’s biggest provinces.
Monthly recreational cannabis sales in the remaining provinces totaled:
- Alberta: CA$60.4 million (even)
- Quebec: CA$52.2 million (even)
- Manitoba: CA$14.3 million (+11.3%)
- Saskatchewan: CA$13.4 million (+1.5%)
- Nova Scotia: CA$8.6 million (-1.5%)
- New Brunswick: CA$7.2 million (-1.5%)
- Newfoundland and Labrador: CA$5.5 million (+3.5%)
Statistics Canada withheld data for Prince Edward Island, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
By municipality, Vancouver, British Columbia saw blistering growth of 21% over July as sales increased to CA$17.9 million in August.
Toronto, Ontario, topped all cities with CA$46.7 million in sales in August, nearly as much as all of Quebec.
August recreational cannabis sales in the remaining cities totaled:
- Montreal, Quebec: CA$26.4 million (+1.8%)
- Edmonton, Alberta: CA$20.7 million (even)
- Calgary, Alberta: CA$16.6 million (+1%)
- Ottawa, Ontario: CA$14.1 million (+5%)
- Winnipeg, Manitoba: CA$10 million (+13.3%)
- Quebec City: CA$5.9 million (even)
- Gatineau, Quebec: CA$1.7 million (+14%)
The cities listed above accounted for approximately 40% of Canada’s sales growth in August, meaning that month’s growth was largely driven by store sales outside the biggest cities in the country.
The July cannabis retail sales figures are available here.
Matt Lamers can be reached at matt.lamers@mjbizdaily.com.
