The CCSI was assessed at C$5.05 per gram this week, down 0.7% from last week’s C$5.08 per gram. This week’s price equates to US$1,829 per pound at the current exchange rate.
Each week, Business of Cannabis delivers a series of insights from our partners at Cannabis Benchmarks®.
This week, Cannabis Benchmarks focuses on Alberta’s potential growth in legal sales with the passing of Bill-80.
Bill-80, the Red Tape Reduction Implementation Act, 2021 (No. 2) received royal assent on December 8, 2021. For the cannabis industry, this means that currently licensed retailers can establish their own online stores to sell their products direct-to-consumer.Â
Up until now, legal cannabis was available online only through the Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis (AGLC)-run e-commerce platform. The bill gives the province 90 days to close its online store and allow licensed retailers to set up their e-commerce platforms. So on March 8, 2022, this change will take place, likely leading to an even more competitive cannabis marketplace in Alberta.
Alberta has consistently had a strong store count relative to other provinces, and this has resulted in strong per capita sales figures. Cannabis Benchmarks’ latest count shows that Alberta had 718 stores open for business as of the end of December 2021. That figure was up by 169 stores, or a jump of 30%, compared to December 2020.
Licensed private retailers will be able to keep costs significantly lower with a shift to online sales. Once a customer is acquired through a storefront, moving the customer to their online platform will allow fulfillment of purchases from a centralized location, which should result in lower retail price points. This should be a net benefit to both retailers and customers.
Source: Canada Cannabis Spot Index, Cannabis Benchmarks
See previous weekly updates from Cannabis Benchmarks:
- Retail store counts in Canada right now
- The mix of cannabis products in Ontario right now
- How to understand legal and illicit cannabis sales
- Comparing legal and illicit cannabis purchases right now
- A look at cannabis retail store counts in Canada
- A look at daily cannabis retail sales in Canada
- Legacy and legal cannabis sales three years after legalization?
- How to understand cannabis’ impact on alcohol sales in Canada
- Understanding cannabis retail store growth in Canada
- A look at average monthly spend per cannabis consumer
- A look at processing licenses issued by Health Canada
- A look at cultivation licenses issued by Health Canada
- Understanding medical versus recreational sales right now
- A look at daily cannabis sales by Province
- How to view dry cannabis sales across Canada
- A look at percentage of legal versus illicit cannabis sales
- A look at the pace of growth for cannabis retail
- A look at monthly cannabis sales in Ontario
- What is the optimal number of cannabis stores in Canada?
- How to compare daily cannabis retail sales by Province
- Understanding the impact of cannabis on alcohol sales in Canada
- A look at cannabis retail store count by Province
- A look at cannabis user statistics in Canada