Cannabis NB Makes $2 Pre-Rolls Permanent as Profits Fall
New Brunswick's Crown retailer earned $20.9 million in 2025-26, down from $23.1 million, and is drafting a new plan that still aims at rural sales, sampling and a loyalty program.
This story is about Canada — not the country you picked in the header.
Key takeaways
- Cannabis NB's net earnings fell to $20.9 million in 2025-26 from $23.1 million, the first annual decline since 2018.
- First-quarter 2026-27 net income was down 20.4% year over year.
- The $2 'Toonie Tuesday' pre-roll sold 100,000 units in its first month and 188,000 by August; it is now permanent province-wide.
- A new strategic plan is expected in February or March 2027; in-store sampling, cannabis beverages in restaurants and rural convenience-store sales remain goals.
New Brunswick's government-owned cannabis retailer is cutting prices to pull buyers away from unlicensed shops, and accepting thinner profits to do it. CEO Lori Stickles told CBC News that the corporation copied a $2 Tuesday pre-roll deal from an unregulated Moncton store after that store was raided and boarded up in the spring.
Cheaper Tuesdays: what shoppers in New Brunswick actually get
It is one of the clearest signs yet that a provincial Crown is willing to meet illicit-market prices on entry products. For shoppers in New Brunswick, it means a legal, tested pre-roll for $2 every Tuesday at Cannabis NB stores. Our guide to cheap legal cannabis in Canada explains where such discounts come from.
$20.9M
Net earnings 2025-26 (was $23.1M)
CBC News, Aug 2026
−20.4%
Q1 2026-27 net income vs a year earlier
CBC News, Aug 2026
188,000
$2 pre-rolls sold by August
Cannabis NB via CBC
The numbers behind the decline
Sales grew every year after legalization in 2018 until 2025-26, when net earnings fell to $20.9 million from $23.1 million. The corporation's own report attributes the slide to buyers moving from premium dried flower to convenience products such as vape pens. Stickles said Cannabis NB is also selling more products at lower prices, which may hurt top-line sales.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Corporate stores | 32 |
| Licensed private stores | 12 |
| Farm-gate stores | 9 |
| Price of a 1 g vape pen at Cannabis NB | $40–60 |
| Excise revenue returning to New Brunswick | About $13.5 million |
All figures as reported by CBC News, August 14, 2026.
What the industry says
David Brown, founder of StratCann and a former senior policy adviser in Health Canada's cannabis branch, told CBC that saving even $10 at an illegal store matters to buyers under cost-of-living pressure. He noted that an unregulated store might sell a two- or three-gram vape for the price of Cannabis NB's one-gram pen, and that illegal edibles can contain 500 mg of THC or more against the legal 10 mg per container.
It was a lofty plan when we set it out.
Lori Stickles, CEO, Cannabis NB (to CBC News)
The strategic plan’s next milestones
Toonie Tuesday made permanent province-wide after a supplier was secured.
A loyalty program of some form is expected within a year, limited by Health Canada marketing rules.
New strategic plan expected in February or March 2027, keeping rural access, in-store sampling and cannabis drinks in restaurants on the table; each needs provincial regulatory changes.
For how New Brunswick's system compares with PEI's, read Cannabis NB vs PEI Cannabis.
FAQ
What is Cannabis NB's Toonie Tuesday?
A promotion selling pre-rolls for $2 each on Tuesdays at Cannabis NB stores. It sold 100,000 units in its first month and 188,000 by August 2026, and Cannabis NB has made it permanent province-wide.
Why did Cannabis NB's profits fall?
Net earnings dropped to $20.9 million in 2025-26 from $23.1 million. Cannabis NB's report points to buyers shifting from premium flower to cheaper convenience products such as vape pens, and the Crown is deliberately selling more products at lower prices.
How many Cannabis NB stores are there?
CBC reported 32 corporate stores in August 2026, alongside 12 licensed private stores and nine farm-gate stores in New Brunswick.
When is Cannabis NB's next strategic plan?
The CEO told CBC it is expected in February or March 2027, with goals such as rural access, in-store sampling and a loyalty program carried over from the first plan.
Sources
- CBC News — Cannabis N.B. looks to new strategy as sales fall and illicit-market competition grows · Aug 14, 2026
- StratCann — Product Sales Up, Net Income Down for Cannabis NB in Q4 2025 · 2026
- Health Canada — Summary of changes following the streamlining of regulations · checked Mar 2025
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