Alcohol and Cannabis Sales Surged During Pandemic, Study Finds

People wait in a long lineup for pre-paid orders at a cannabis store in Ottawa, ahead of a provincewide closure of cannabis stores after they were removed from the essential businesses list during the COVID-19 pandemic, on April 4, 2020. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang

Alcohol sales in Canada during the pandemic increased by roughly 5.5 percent, meaning that people spent $1.86 billion more on alcohol than in the pre-pandemic period, a new study says.

Cannabis sales also increased by roughly 25 percent, translating to an additional $811 million.