Canada Cannabis Spot Index (CCSI) 

Published May 24, 2019

The CCSI moved higher to C$7.33 per gram this week, from last week’s C$6.96 per gram. This week’s price equates to US$2,346 per pound at current exchange rates.

This week we take a closer look at the cannabis excise duty rates charged by each province.

The Government of Canada’s Department of Finance lays out the Federal and Provincial excise duty rates payable by licensed cannabis producers. These duties are paid when the cannabis products they produce and package are delivered to a provincially-authorized distributor/retailer or final consumer.

The Cannabis Benchmarks’ CCSI monitors wholesale transactions between the provincial regulatory bodies and market distribution centers, such as the online provincial stores and private or public brick and mortar stores; hence the CCSI is inclusive of the average Canadian cannabis excise duties.

Based on Cannabis Benchmarks’ calculation for this week’s price assessment of C$7.33, the duties vary widely from on province to the next. Manitoba has the lowest cannabis excise duties at C$0.25 per gram, while Alberta’s inclusion of a sales tax adjustment takes the duties to a whopping C$1.75 per gram.

Source: Govt of Canada Department of Finance, Cannabis Benchmarks

This week, the average Canadian excise duty (population weighted average) is calculated to be C$1.14 per gram. Therefore, without the duty, this week’s average LP selling price is C$6.19 per gram, or US$2,086 per pound at current exchange rates.