Private retail chain Cannabis Xpress is opening its fourth private retail store in New Brunswick, located in the town of Dalhousie, about a three-hour drive north of Moncton. 

The new store at 448 William St is scheduled to open on February 21. It will be the first licensed cannabis store in the town of about 3,000 people and the tenth private retail store in New Brunswick since the province began accepting applications in 2022.

This will be the 18th Cannabis Xpress (stylized as CANNABIS XPRESS) location in Canada. The retailer also has 14 locations in Ontario. 

New Brunswick also recently announced Requests for Quotations (RFQs) for four more private stores. 

“Our experience in New Brunswick has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Chris Jones, the owner of Cannabis Xpress. “Since entering the market, we have grown rapidly and now operate four out of the ten private cannabis retail stores in the province, making us the largest private retailer in New Brunswick.”

“This success has reinforced our commitment to further expanding in New Brunswick while maintaining our focus on customer service and accessibility,” he tells StratCann. “We have built a strong and positive relationship with Cannabis New Brunswick, which has been instrumental in our success in the province. Their structured and strategic approach to cannabis retail sets them apart from other provinces, ensuring a well-regulated and sustainable market that benefits both retailers and consumers”

Jones also adds that his experience operating retail stores in New Brunswick has been more positive than his experience in Ontario, especially given the highly saturated nature of the Ontario retail cannabis space. 

The New Brunswick government’s goal with adding private stores was to bring cannabis to smaller, underserved communities. The province currently operates 27 public Cannabis NB stores, nine (soon to be ten) privately run cannabis stores, and seven cannabis farmgate stores. 

The Cannabis NB FarmGate program allows licensed New Brunswick cannabis producers to sell their own products on-site at their facilities. However, privately operated cannabis stores in the province still must purchase their products from Cannabis NB, which controls distribution in the province.

The other private cannabis stores in New Brunswick are Cost Cannabis, which has two locations, and Green Timber Cannabis, Le Marchand Du Cannabis, McCannabis, and Pinnacle, which each have one location. 

In its 2024-2026 Strategic Plan, the provincial cannabis agency also says it’s looking to increase opportunities for private sector participation in the legal cannabis market in New Brunswick and explore possible options for “on-site consumption opportunities” that can increase legal access and “meet the needs of current and potential customers.”

A recent annual report from Cannabis NB shows that while dried cannabis flower continues to make up the majority of sales, its market share, like in many other provincial markets, is shrinking as concentrate sales increase. New Brunswickers prefer more “convenient” cannabis products as the market continues to shift to products like vape pens, concentrates, and pre-rolls, especially infused pre-rolls, notes the report.

New Brunswick sold nearly $27 million worth of cannabis in the second quarter of 2024.

Feature image of 448 William St. via Google Maps

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