Legal marijuana sales in Canada saw a noticeable drop from August to September, but remained on par with previous months.
Licensed marijuana supplies in Canada sold CA$443.9 million worth of product in September, according to data released by Statistics Canada. Although this is a decrease from the CA$475 million sold in August, it’s similar to the CA$453 million sold in July and the CA$433 million sold in June. September sales generated around $88 million in tax revenue.
In September, Ontario had the largest share of marijuana since, with CA$177 million in sales. Alberta came second in sales with CA$76 million, followed by British Columbia at $69 million and Quebec at $55 million. Of these provinces, only British Columbia saw sales increase from August to September.
The year-to-date total for marijuana sales in Canada is now around $3.8 billion, resulting in approximately $760 million in tax revenue.
Canada legalized marijuana in 2018, with the first licensed retail store opening the following year. The law allows individuals aged 18 and older to buy and possess up to 30 grams of marijuana or up to 10 grams of marijuana concentrates. It also allows households to cultivate up to four marijuana plants for personal use.
Today, Canada has over 4,000 licensed marijuana retail outlets. Marijuana products are subject to an excise tax before reaching consumers, who also pay a provincial sales tax ranging from 5% to 15%. Flower and pre-rolls are taxed at either a flat rate of CA$1 (approximately $0.72 USD) per gram or 10% of the wholesale price per gram, whichever is higher.
