Cannabis New Brunswick faces strict regulations, dropping sales, and heavy competition from the underground market. To tackle these hurdles, the Crown corporation is building a new three year strategic plan. Expected to launch next February or March, this plan aims to reshape how you buy legal weed in the province. According to a recent report from CBC News, Cannabis NB CEO Lori Stickles admits the corporation missed several goals from its first strategic plan.

Unfinished Business and New Goals

The original plan included in store sampling and cannabis infused beverages in restaurants. Both ideas require provincial regulatory changes. Stickles notes that talks with the government remain positive, keeping these goals alive. Cannabis NB also wants to bring legal products to rural communities by selling them in convenience stores alongside liquor and tobacco.

“We want to be able to provide that safe access within more rural communities,” Stickles said, specifically targeting areas where standalone stores lack economic sense. You will also see a modified loyalty program roll out within the next year, tailored to fit Health Canada marketing rules.

The Financial Reality

After years of steady growth following legalization in 2018, Cannabis NB hit a wall. In the 2025 to 2026 fiscal year, the corporation earned $20.9 million, a drop from the previous year earnings of $23.1 million. First quarter results show a 20.4 percent drop in net income compared to the same time last year. The corporation attributes this decline to consumers shifting away from premium dried flower toward convenience products like vape pens.

Fighting the Underground Market

To win back customers, Cannabis NB is lowering retail prices. While this impacts top line sales, Stickles views it as a long term strategy to pull buyers away from unregulated suppliers. The corporation recently adopted a popular illicit market tactic called Toonie Tuesday. Offering $2 prerolls every Tuesday brought a massive wave of new customers into legal stores.

“We immediately saw a whole lot of new customers coming into our store that had come from that store,” Stickles said, referring to an unregulated Moncton dispensary that authorities recently raided. The promotion moved 188,000 prerolls by August and is now a permanent, province wide offer.

The Edibles Problem

Cost of living pressures continue to drive some consumers back to the illicit market. David Brown, founder of StratCann and former Health Canada advisor, points out that saving $10 on a vape pen makes a big difference in today economy. Edibles present another major challenge. Health Canada caps legal edibles at 10 milligrams of THC per piece. Unregulated products often boast 500 milligrams or more for a fraction of the cost.

“[Producers] really want to see those higher potency edibles to meet market demand and to be able to better compete with some of those illicit products,” Brown said. “In my experience, that is a pretty hard line for Canada, and historically, they have not been willing to really budge on that.”

Frequently Asked Questions

When will Cannabis NB release its new strategic plan?

The new three year strategic plan is expected to launch in February or March.

Why are Cannabis NB sales dropping?

Sales declined due to a consumer shift from premium dried flower to lower cost convenience products like vape pens, alongside heavy competition from the illicit market.

What is Toonie Tuesday?

Toonie Tuesday is a province wide promotion where Cannabis NB sells select prerolls for $2 to compete with unregulated dispensaries.

Will Cannabis NB open stores in rural areas?

The corporation is actively working with the provincial government to allow cannabis sales in rural convenience stores where standalone dispensaries are not economically viable.