Below is the part of a weekly series of benchmarks provided by the team at Cannabis Benchmarks®.
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Despite COVID-19 and accompanying lockdowns imposed on Canadians, the number of licensed cannabis stores across the country has continued to grow.
As of the end of June, Cannabis Benchmarks counted 962 open shops, an increase of almost 60 compared to the prior month and up by nearly 675 stores year-over-year. Alberta remains home to the most legal cannabis retailers in Canada, but store counts in other provinces are growing. Ontario added the most stores of any province in June and is now home to 100 licensed retailers.
We expect the current rate of growth in store counts to accelerate as the coronavirus pandemic subsides in Canada and the country reopens, which could lead to over 300 retailers open in Ontario by the end of the year.