British Columbia observes 22% cannabis sales decline in fiscal Q3
A BC General Employees' Union strike curbed purchases substantially
Rowan Dunne
British Columbia’s cannabis sector experienced a sharp downturn in fiscal Q3, 2025. Wholesale sales declined by 21.9 per cent year-over-year.
The province’s Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) sold 30.2 million grams between October and December, generating C$113.4 million. These numbers represent a 22.8 per cent decline in revenue compared to the fiscal third quarter of last year.
This drop was so significant that it dragged down national figures in the latest data released by Statistics Canada. In October, this slump caused domestic sales to fall by 4.7 per cent sequentially.
The BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) strike was the main factor responsible. Union members, representing approximately 34,000 workers, walked off site at the beginning of September to protest inadequate wages for surviving in the province amid persistent inflation and rising living costs.
This action escalated on Sept. 22 when the LDB’s central cannabis distribution centre in Richmond put a halt on wholesale orders.
By the time Oct. 8 rolled around, all 40 government-operated BC Cannabis Stores were shut down behind picket lines. In-store and online sales ceased while private retailers scrambled to fill the void.
On Oct. 28, the strike ended tentatively with operations resuming fully the next day.
Alberta-based CanadaBis Capital Inc CVECANB OTCMKTSCNADF is a public company that was negatively impacted significantly. It reported losing half a million in sales from halted shipments.
On the other hand, BC-based Herbal Dispatch Inc CNSXHERB OTCMKTSLUFFF FRAHA9 was able to capitalize on the resulting direct delivery demand in the province and pulled a record-breaking C$4.1 million throughout October. Retailers needed their stock topped up as LDB distribution was halted.
British Columbia’s direct delivery program enables small-scale producers to ship their merchandise directly to retailers. The quantity of wholesale bud sold through this program increased by nearly 680 per cent year-over-year in fiscal Q3 at more than 4.3 million grams.
$hiti $msos $yolo $cnbs $mj November 2025 Canadian Retail Cannabis Sales increased 6.6% from October 2025 (which was revised slightly lower at C$448.5) to C$477.9 million. BC was the main driver of sales growth as the strike ended and sales normalized.Sales were up 4.6% over… pic.twitter.com/aHCGndWSL1
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