Cannabis provided a big revenue buzz for Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries during the most recent fiscal year, with sales of cannabis flower, extracts and edibles fuelling more revenue growth for the Crown corporation than sales of alcohol or any form of gaming revenue.
Cannabis revenue for Liquor & Lotteries rose by $16.5 million during the 12-month period that ended on March 31, increasing from $154 million in 2023-24 to just over $170 million in 2024-25, according to the corporation’s annual report.
The one-year growth in cannabis revenue worked out to a 10.7-per-cent rise, outpacing growth in casino revenue (4.5 per cent) and liquor operations (1.6 per cent) in 2024-25.
The increase in cannabis revenue was higher than the $11-million growth in alcohol-related revenue, even though liquor remains the largest source of cash for the Crown corporation, which sold $888 million worth of booze last year.
The Liquor & Lotteries director responsible for the corporation’s commercial partners attributed the increase in cannabis revenue to easier access to cannabis retail stores in Manitoba.
“This improved access is the result of a growing number of cannabis retailers operating in the province,” Daniel Eliasson said Friday in a statement.
As of March 31, there were 229 cannabis stores operating in Manitoba, up from 205 on the same date the previous year, he said.
The growth in cannabis revenue was fuelled mostly by sales of extracts — such as cannabis oil — and cannabis flower, which is the dried, cured bud most familiar to consumers.
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