Cannabis NB is looking more attractive by the day.

As New Brunswick mulls eight separate private-sector applications to purchase the province’s marijuana sales and distribution business, an increase in sales by the agency might have the government reconsidering the transaction altogether.

The cannabis retailer recorded sales of $3.47 million in November, according to Statistics Canada, a 4.8 per cent increase from the previous month and 14.6 per cent better than the same month fared in 2018.

It was the only Atlantic province that experienced a month-over-month increase, with Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador experiencing a drop off, and sales remaining flat in P.E.I.

Some things do change. In a U-turn-like turnaround, Cannabis NB is making money and increasing sales faster than its provincial neighbours.

As the retailer contemplates the best private-sector operator to take over from the province, out of a pool of heavy-hitters that include Canopy Growth and Loblaws, the company’s numbers are on the rise.

Numbers from Statistics Canada show the Crown corporation hit $3.7 million in sales during November, a 4.8 per cent increase from the previous month and a 14.6 per cent increase from November 2018.

On a Saturday afternoon midway through January, it’s about -20 C, and one of Saint John, N.B.’s unlicensed cannabis shops has a huge lineup that almost spills out of the door. 

The New Brunswick government has received eight responses to a request for proposals for the operation, distribution and sales of recreational cannabis in the province.

The government issued the call for proposals in November, saying that losses incurred by Cannabis NB — the provincial cannabis corporation — persuaded the government it was time to turn to the private sector.

Finance Minister Ernie Steeves says the interest shows entrepreneurs are ready to invest in New Brunswick.

The province received two proposals each from companies or groups in New Brunswick, Ontario, and Alberta and one each from companies in Nova Scotia and British Columbia.

It would appear to be too little, too late.

Sales of recreational cannabis in New Brunswick are surging as the provincial government pushes forward with its plans to privatize the rights to operate recreational cannabis retail, wholesale/distribution and e-commerce.

Heading into 2020, we’re marking the first full year of cannabis legalization in Canada. And since every provincial and territorial government seems to have set up a different iteration of how the regulated weed market should operate, it makes sense that some were more successful than others – to say the least.​

Here are a few of our picks for the winning — but mostly, losing — regulated cannabis markets of 2019.

The legal sale of cannabis in government run stores in New Brunswick is showing ongoing signs of improvement but continues to trail results in neighbouring provinces by a wide margin, new figures show.

Statistics Canada reports that sales in Cannabis NB outlets totalled $3.31 million in October, a 2.6 per cent improvement over September.   

More promising over the most recent three months, August, September and October, the federal agency says sales in New Brunswick were $12 million, a 28 per cent jump over the previous three months.

Sales in August were especially strong in New Brunswick, at $5.4 million, thanks in part to five weekends in the month plus a holiday Monday on Aug. 5.

Health Canada has issued a recall for more than 700 bottles of mislabelled cannabis oil gel capsules in New Brunswick.

“Namaste CBD Light gelcaps” from LP Zenabis actually contained THC (aka tetrahydrocannabinol) instead of CBD (cannabidiol). While both THC and CBD are psychoactive, only THC is intoxicating.

“These units contain the incorrect cannabis product,” notes the recall notice. “The label indicates that the product is ‘CBD Light gelcaps’. However, the units contain THC gelcaps.”

The recall was issued December 17.