Why is the illegal cannabis market still thriving in Canada?

It's been more than 2 years since Canada legalised recreational marijuana, so why is the illegal cannabis market still booming?

The national cannabis sector lead at Hill and Knowlton Strategies, Omar Khan, has estimated that around 40% of the cannabis market share in Canada is still held by illegal producers. This is despite an increase in the number of dispensaries and more access to legal marijuana than ever.

So why is this happening? The main reason cited by most experts is that buying cannabis illegally in Canada is much cheaper and therefore remains as the more popular option for most people.

Ever since the Canadian federal government legalised recreational cannabis towards the end of 2018, the new system has faced criticism as Canadians have continued to purchase cannabis products from illicit sources. However, a recent survey reveals that this may be changing as people in British Columbia appear to be increasingly turning to legal cannabis.

However, surveys still generally support legalisation in Canada and show that most people are still buying their cannabis legally. A survey conducted by Research Co. back in October 2019 found that 64% of British Columbians agreed with legalisation, compared with 29% that disagreed.

We find these statistics fascinating and think it raises interesting questions for those pushing for law changes here in the UK.