Nova Scotians purchased more legal cannabis the previous year than the year before, enduring a rising tendency that’s been going on since the drug was legal approximately six years ago. The Nova Scotia Liquor Corp., the regional Crown establishment that panels all sales of liquor and legal leisure cannabis in the area, released its year-end financial statements. The outcomes show cannabis sales went up 8.9% to a figure of $121 million. That’s approximately four times as much as the NSLC retailed in its initial year of cannabis sales in 2019. Cannabis now accounts for approximately 14% of the NSLC’s total sales. The number of cannabis businesses went up 12.2% and individuals spent an average of $37.37 per business, which is a reduction of 3%. That drop, however, is at least partially a reflection of a 4% reduction in the price per gram, according to a news statement from the company.
According to a review led by Health Canada on cannabis use, about a third of Canadians were still purchasing marijuana from the illegal market as of last year. Terah MacKinnon, a representative for the NSLC, said the company is focused directly on its directive of providing legal cannabis, not on the illegal market. But this year’s monetary figures tell at least part of the story of how Nova Scotians are purchasing their pot. We believe a rise in contact, collectively with our customers identifying that we are the place for obtaining safe and permitted cannabis is contributing to a surge in sales, MacKinnon said in an interview. Nova Scotia Finance Minister Allan MacMaster lately told journalists he was worried about the determination of an illegal cannabis market in Nova Scotia, but he did not have a strong answer about how the PC administration is addressing the issue.
Anyone can see that there are many prohibited dispensaries around the area, MacMaster said. MacKinnon said a new cannabis outlet is in the making. She said an agreement has been contracted for a site in the Dartmouth Crossing shopping zone, and it’s expected to open in the spring of 2025.In the meantime, the sale of alcohol from NSLC outlets the previous year was close to flat, or down, depending on the system of measurement you look at. Sales went up 0.5% to $753.4 million, while volume of alcohol sold went down 4.2%. The number of dealings for alcohol reduced by 2.3%, but individuals were spending more on each business by 3%, bringing it to an average of $39.78 spent per individual at the till. Generally, the NSLC posted a minor bump in general sales and a slight dip in income. Sales went up 1.6% to $874.5 million, although net income went down 0.3% to $283.8 million.
