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Alberta is punching — or smoking — far above its weight in legal cannabis sales compared to the rest of the country, says a recent study on the business.

While the province hosts only 11.6 per cent of Canada’s population, it accounted for 27.7 per cent of legal pot sales in 2018, states a study conducted by Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics.

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That discrepancy is far greater than any other province, including notoriously cannabis-friendly B.C. where revenue gleaned from legal pot sales lagged well behind its share of the national population.

“Total (Alberta) spending on legal cannabis reached $217 million in 2018, accounting for 28 per cent of total nationwide sales, more than twice its share of Canada’s population,” states the report.

“Alberta’s comparatively liberal regulatory regime suggests it will rank among the fastest-growing cannabis markets.”

The study also states Albertans who consume or lean toward using the drug — 59 per cent — is higher than the national average.