Canadian Cannabis Sales Rise 19% During COVID Response

Cannabis sales in Canada rose 19 percent during the country’s coronavirus pandemic response efforts in March.

Full story after the jump.

Cannabis sales in Canada rose 19 percent in March amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to Statistics Canada figures released on Friday. In all, Canadians bought CAD$181 million in cannabis products in the month of March.

Cannabis sales bucked overall consumer trends in the nation during the nation’s pandemic response which included stay-at-home orders. Retail sales, for example, plummeted 10 percent or CAD$47.1 billion which Statistics Canada described as “the largest drop on record” for retail sales in the country month-over-month.

Cannabis was considered an essential industry nationally in Canada although some companies did close dispensaries for in-person sales, opting instead for online sales and delivery. The only province to shut down in-person cannabis sales entirely was Prince Edward Island in March and the province allowed in-person sales to reconvene just last week, Complex reports.

Ontario recorded the highest sales totals with CAD$47 million in March, followed by Alberta with CAD$40 million, and Quebec with CAD$37 million. Quebec also saw the biggest month-over-month increase of 27 percent.

According to government data, Canadians spent CAD$1,496 per household by the end of 2019 on both medical and recreational cannabis products.

Statistics Canada estimated that the nation could see a 16 percent cannabis sales increase in April. In March 2019, cannabis sales in Canada were $60 million.

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