Canada Sold CA$485 Million in Legal Marijuana in May, Bringing 2026 Total to CA$2.35 Billion
- Licensed marijuana retailers in Canada sold CA$485.02 million worth of products in May 2026, totaling CA$2.353 billion in sales from January to May, a 5.2% increase compared to the same period in 2025.
- Ontario led in sales with CA$193.93 million in May, followed by Alberta, Quebec, and British Columbia, with other provinces reporting varying lower sales figures; sales data for Northwest Territories and Nunavut were not disclosed.
- The CA$2.353 billion in sales from the first five months of 2026 generated approximately CA$274.6 million in retail sales taxes, based on applicable GST/HST and provincial sales tax rates.
- Canada legalized recreational marijuana in October 2018 under the Cannabis Act, with possession limits and taxation rules including federal GST, provincial HST, excise duties, and THC-based taxes on certain products.
Licensed marijuana retailers in Canada sold approximately CA$485.02 million worth of products in May, bringing nationwide sales during the first five months of 2026 to CA$2.353 billion.
The January-through-May total represents an increase of approximately 5.2% compared with the same period in 2025, when retailers reported CA$2.236 billion in sales, according to data from Statistics Canada.
Ontario led the country in May with CA$193.93 million in sales, followed by Alberta with CA$84.06 million, Quebec with CA$67.54 million and British Columbia with CA$63.64 million.
Manitoba reported CA$21.44 million, Saskatchewan CA$17.75 million, Nova Scotia CA$12.79 million, Newfoundland and Labrador CA$9.69 million, New Brunswick CA$8.75 million, Prince Edward Island CA$2.55 million and Yukon CA$1.39 million.
Sales figures for the Northwest Territories and Nunavut were not publicly disclosed. The listed provincial and territorial totals therefore do not add up to the full nationwide figure.
Using each province’s applicable GST/HST and provincial sales-tax rate, the CA$2.353 billion in marijuana sales during the first five months of 2026 would have generated approximately CA$274.6 million in retail sales taxes.
Canada legalized marijuana for recreational use under the Cannabis Act, which took effect October 17, 2018, with the country’s first legal adult-use sales beginning that day. Adults of legal age may possess up to 30 grams of dried marijuana, or its equivalent, in public.
Marijuana is generally subject to the 5% federal GST or the applicable provincial HST, with combined sales tax rates varying by province. Cannabis-specific excise duties are generally the higher of CA$1 per gram or 10% of the producer’s selling price for dried and fresh marijuana, while extracts, edibles and topicals are taxed based on THC content.