British Columbia has long been considered Canada ‘s “cannabis capital,” but the latest data shows that this traditionally strong province is being overtaken in cannabis sales by an unexpected rival.
Statistics Canada’s newly updated sales data for September shows that British Columbia’s cannabis sales have lagged Alberta for the 12th consecutive month.
In September, cannabis sales in British Columbia reached $69 million CAD, while Alberta’s reached $81 million CAD, leading by more than $12 million. This result surprised many. After all, British Columbia has long been a benchmark for the Canadian cannabis industry, and the cannabis produced there is highly regarded for its exceptional quality.
In September of this year, total cannabis sales across Canada reached approximately C$474 million. Alberta led the way with C$81 million in sales, followed by British Columbia with C$69 million, and Quebec with C$66 million.
Looking back at the data from August, sales in BC had just exceeded 73 million Canadian dollars, while total national sales had surpassed 500 million Canadian dollars. That month, Alberta had already recorded sales of over $86 million, while British Columbia barely beat Quebec, whose sales that month were just under $70 million.
More notably, for the entire year from October 2024 to September 2025, British Columbia was surpassed by Alberta in every single month of cannabis sales, without exception. September’s sales figures represent a low point for British Columbia, marking the province’s lowest monthly sales since June of this year.
There may be specific reasons behind the decline in sales. This year, British Columbia experienced a strike by the BCGEU union, which has just ended. During the strike, many cannabis stores in British Columbia and the Greater Vancouver area experienced product shortages, with shelves severely depleted.
The impact of this strike on the supply chain is clearly reflected in sales figures. When consumers walk into stores only to find the products they want are out of stock, sales naturally suffer.