Pre-Rolls Lead the Way in Canada

While overall cannabis sales in Canada have seen ups and downs over the past two years, one category continues to outperform the rest, lifting the entire industry while becoming the best-selling product form throughout Canada: the humble pre-roll.

According to dispensary sales data from four major provincial markets – Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan – sourced by cannabis analytics firm Headset, legal cannabis revenue in Canada declined 3.27% in 2024, driven largely by falling Flower and Edible revenue. In contrast, 2025 dodged a repeat of 2024 with modest gains of 2.1% in sales.

Pre-rolls on the other hand continued to outpace the industry in both years, overtaking Flower as Canada’s most popular cannabis product format midway through 2025.

Overall unit sales across all cannabis product categories grew just 3.1% year-over-year, underscoring slower market growth and a maturing market. But pre-roll units sold rose 5.5% while increasing category revenue 5.2% overall to approximately $1.42 billion on a staggering 76.7 million units sold - good enough to pass Flower as the top-selling product category.

Pre-rolls now account for over 34% of all cannabis sales across Canada. As recently as 2023, Flower led the Pre-Roll category by roughly 5.7% in market share, but by the end of 2025, pre-rolls had taken the top spot, gaining 1.5% in market share to jump stagnating Flower, translating to nearly $70 million more in year-over-year sales.

Signs of Market Maturity in the Numbers

Between 2019–2023, every tracked province experienced robust pre-roll growth, but 2024 marked a noticeable slowdown in Canada’s largest markets. Ontario’s pre-roll sales declined 0.65%, with unit sales down 1%, while British Columbia recorded minimal revenue growth of 0.45% alongside a 0.53% decline in unit sales.

But smaller markets proved more resilient. Alberta led provincial growth in 2024, posting a 5.6% increase in pre-roll sales on the year with 9.5% growth in units, while Saskatchewan’s sales revenue rose 3.5% despite a 1% decline in units sold.

Outside of Alberta, most provinces also saw declines in non-pre-roll product categories, contributing to the 5.3% national drop in non-pre-roll sales and a 1.5% decrease in non-pre-roll unit sales.

In 2025, momentum shifted back in Canada’s largest markets. Ontario’s pre-roll market grew 7% year-over-year, adding $46 million in sales. Saskatchewan led all provinces with an 11% increase of $5.5 million, followed closely by Alberta’s 10% growth at $32 million. British Columbia remained the outlier, with pre-roll sales declining 5%, representing a $15 million revenue drop on the year.

Consumer Preference Continues to Shape the Market

Segment-level performance highlights how consumer pre-roll preferences have evolved over the past few years.

Hybrid – Single Strain pre-rolls led growth in 2024 with an 8.3% increase in sales equating to +$37.16 million, followed by Connoisseur/Infused products at 6.5% growth (+$27.72 million). Mixed Strain pre-rolls posted the fastest percentage growth at 19.1% and +$6.29 million in sales, though it remains a smaller segment overall.

These gains offset drastic declines in Indica – Single Strain, which saw a 16% decline in sales equating to -$25.24 million, as well as Sativa – Single Strain pre-rolls (-14.4%, -$21.55 million) and Cannagars/Blunts (-23.3%, -$6.9 million).

In 2025, pre-roll segment preference again shifted. Hybrid – Single Strain grew only 2.8% (+$14 million), while Connoisseur/Infused declined 4% (-$2.2 million) and Mixed Strain fell 2.4% (-$2 million). Meanwhile, Indica – Single Strain rebounded with sizeable 18% growth, pulling in an additional +$28.5 million in sales. Sativa – Single Strain made modest gains at 1.7% (+$2.3 million), and Cannagars/Blunts declined 9.2% (-$2.2 million).

Overall, growing segments added $44.8 million in total sales, vastly outweighing the $7.6 million in losses for a net gain of $37 million.

Final Thoughts

Canada’s recreational cannabis market continues to show signs of saturation due to maturity and pre-rolls have emerged as the market’s strongest category. With sales growth of 7.6% in 2024 and 5.2% in 2025, pre-rolls now handedly stand as the top Canadian cannabis product moving into 2026.

Driven by convenience, innovation and a continued shift in consumer preference, pre-rolls are no longer just a growing product segment, they’ve become the cornerstone of the Canadian cannabis market.