While overall cannabis sales revenue in Canada has seen some ups and downs over the past two years, one category continues to outperform the rest becoming the best-selling product form throughout Canada: the pre-roll.
According to point-of-sale data from four provinces collected by cannabis analytics firm Headset (ON, BC, AB and SK), total legal cannabis revenue declined 3.27% in 2024, driven largely by falling Flower and Edible revenue. In contrast, 2025 dodged a repeat of ‘24 with a modest 2.1% increase in sales.
Pre-rolls, on the other hand, continued to outpace the industry both years, overtaking Flower as Canada’s top product category midway through 2025.
Overall unit sales across all cannabis products grew just 3.1% year-over-year, underscoring slower market growth, but pre-roll units sold rose 5.5%, increasing category sales 5.2% overall to approximately $1.42 billion on 76.7 million units sold, good enough to pass Flower as the top-selling category.
Pre-rolls now account for 34% of all cannabis sales nationwide. As recently as 2023, Flower led Pre-Rolls by roughly 5.7% in market share, but by the end of 2025, Pre-Rolls had taken the lead, gaining 1.5% in market share and translating that shift into nearly $70 million more in year-over-year sales.
Provincial Performance Shows Signs of a Plateau
From 2019–2023, all tracked provinces experienced strong pre-roll growth, but 2024 marked a noticeable slowdown in Canada’s largest markets. Ontario’s pre-roll sales declined 0.65%, with units down 1%, while British Columbia recorded minimal sales growth of 0.45% alongside a 0.53% decline in units.
Smaller markets proved more resilient, with Alberta leading provincial growth in 2024, posting a 5.6% increase in pre-roll sales and 9.5% growth in units, while Saskatchewan’s sales rose 3.5% despite a 1% decline in units sold. Outside of Alberta, most provinces saw declines in non-Pre-Roll categories, contributing to a 5.34% national drop in non-pre-roll sales and a 1.5% decrease in non-pre-roll units.
By 2025, momentum shifted back toward Canada’s largest provinces. Ontario’s pre-roll market grew 7% year-over-year, adding $46 million in sales. Saskatchewan led all provinces with an 11% increase ($5.5 million), followed closely by Alberta’s 10% growth ($32 million). British Columbia remained an outlier, with pre-roll sales declining 5%, representing a $15 million revenue drop in 2025.
Segment Shifts Continue to Reshape the Category
Segment-level performance highlights how consumer preferences evolved between 2024 and 2025.
In 2024, Hybrid – Single Strain pre-rolls led growth with an 8.3% increase (+$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% (+$6.29 million), though they remain a smaller segment overall.
These gains offset steep declines in Indica – Single Strain (-15.8%, -$25.24 million), Sativa – Single Strain (-14.4%, -$21.55 million) and Cannagars/Blunts (-23.3%, -$6.9 million).
In 2025, segment performance shifted. Hybrid – Single Strain grew 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 sharply with 18% growth (+$28.5 million), Sativa – Single Strain rose 1.7% (+$2.3 million) and Cannagars/Blunts declined 9.2% (-$2.2 million). Overall, growing segments added $44.8 million, outweighing $7.6 million in losses for a net gain of $37 million.
Final Outlook for 2025
Canada’s recreational cannabis market is entering the stage of maturity and pre-rolls have clearly 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 category in 2026.
Driven by convenience, innovation and a continued shift in consumer preferences, Pre-Rolls are no longer just a growing segment, they’ve become the foundation of the Canadian cannabis market.
