Legal Cannabis Continues to Deliver: OCS Releases Report on Economic and Social Impact of Legalization Across Canada

August 13, 2025 (TORONTO) – The Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) released a report today that analyzes the economic contribution of the cannabis industry to the province of Ontario and the broader national economy from the start of legalization in 2018 to 2024.

The Six Years of Legalization: The Economic and Social Impact of Canada’s Cannabis Sector report, prepared in collaboration with Deloitte Canada, builds on an initial study published in 2022 and shows the cannabis industry continues to expand and provide safe legal retail options to consumers, displacing the illegal market and realizing economic growth across the Ontario and Canadian economies.

The report also explores the impacts of legal cannabis retail in Mississauga, one of Ontario’s largest municipalities that permitted retail stores within its community in 2023. The city has since welcomed approximately 60 authorized cannabis stores, generating over $69 million in wholesale sales by March 2025, meeting strong consumer demand. Importantly, this shift in allowing legal cannabis retail stores has helped curb illegal sales, with the share of residents purchasing cannabis from legal sources rising from 62% to 80%. Despite increased access in the community, overall consumption among residents has remained stable.

Additionally, the study presents an overview of the participation of equity-deserving groups and Indigenous representation within the sector, while highlighting continued opportunity in this area.

Key findings:

·       Overall, the cannabis industry contributed $76.5 billion to Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP), and $23.1 billion to Ontario’s GDP, between legalization in 2018 and 2024.

·       The legal cannabis sector sustained approximately 98,200 jobs annually across the country, and 31,900 jobs in Ontario.

·       Over six years, the industry contributed $29.6 billion in government tax revenue for Canada and $5.3 billion in tax revenues for Ontarians.

The full report is available here: 
Six Years of Legalization: Economic and Social Impact of Canada's Cannabis Sector