Statistics Canada says sales at cannabis stores totalled $43.0 million during the two week period following legalization day on Oct. 17.
The province with the most sales was Ontario, with roughly $11.7 million in sales, followed by Quebec ($10.8 million), Alberta ($5.6 million), New Brunswick ($4.5 million) and B.C. ($2.3 million).
PEI, as well as Newfoundland and Labrador, saw less than $2 million in sales, while Saskatchewan saw just $341,000.
Data was not released for Northwest Territories, Yukon or Manitoba, which were “suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act.”
Statistics Canada’s monthly retail trade survey now collects and disseminates sales of licensed cannabis stores, including both in-store and Internet-based sales.
The first set of cannabis figures was released on Friday.
“The availability of cannabis across the country was affected by differences in retail structures in each province and territory,” Stats Can notes. “Retail figures will vary as new stores continue to come on line and the marketplace continues to evolve.”
See also: Proposed rules for cannabis edibles, extracts in Canada revealed
Edibles and extracts, meantime, have not yet been legalized in Canada.
It’s expected they will be officially legalized on Oct. 17, 2019.
Although, this week the Canadian government revealed proposed rules for edibles in the country.
Across the board, edibles, extracts and topical cannabis products “must not be appealing to kids” and must make “no health claims,” if the rules are adopted next year.
All packages must also be “child-resistant.”
Another proposed rule is that products contain “no elements that would associate” them with “alcoholic beverages or brands of alcohol.”
Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor says the draft regulations, under the Cannabis Act, “support our overarching goal of keeping cannabis out of the hands of youth and protecting public health and safety.”
Public consultation on the draft regulations is open for two months.
Click here to learn more about the proposed rules.
, Alberta ($5.6 million), New Brunswick ($4.5 million) and B.C. ($2.3 million).){kind=link}