Canadian cannabis sales slip in most provinces in November

November retail sales of recreational cannabis products across Canada fell to 261 million Canadian dollars ($205 million), 3.2% lower than in October, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada.

November’s sales represent the broadest fall since September 2019, when adult-use sales were 2.4% lower month-over-month.

Saskatchewan was the only province to see retail sales growth in November 2020, climbing 1% over the previous month to CA$13.9 million.

Quebec saw the steepest fall on a dollar basis.

The province’s government-run stores sold CA$44.9 million of adult-use marijuana products in November, roughly 6.5% lower than October’s amount, or a decline of CA$3.1 million.

In Alberta, sales fell 4.6% month-over-month to CA$54 million, a decline of approximately CA$2.6 million.

Ontario and British Columbia reported the next biggest declines on a dollar basis.

Sales in those two provinces were almost CA$1 million lower than a month earlier, coming in at CA$82.9 million (-1.1%) and CA$36.8 million (-2.5%), respectively.

Monthly sales also trended lower in most of Canada’s smaller markets:

• Manitoba: CA$9.6 million (down 2%).
• Nova Scotia: CA$6.9 million (down 5.7%).
• New Brunswick: CA$6.1 million (down 1.8%).
• Newfoundland and Labrador: CA$3.8 million (down 2%).
• Prince Edward Island: CA$1.5 million (down 9.4%).
• Yukon: CA$652,000 (down 12%).
• Northwest Territories: CA$421,000 (up 10%).

Medical cannabis sales declined in the third quarter of 2020, according to spending data released this week.

Household spending on medical marijuana products over the three months was CA$146 million, 6.8% lower than the second quarter’s CA$156 million.

Adult-use sales data for November are available here.

Spending on medical cannabis can be found here.