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On Mar. 8, 2022, amendments to the Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act enabled cannabis-licensed retailers to sell cannabis online and provide delivery. AGLC withdrew from online cannabis sales and AlbertaCannabis.org is no longer in business.
There are too many factors to accurately estimate the impact on individual cannabis retailers. However, retailers might see higher profits by providing more options and market to their customer base.
AGLC estimates that its net operating income will be reduced by approximately $800,000 annually due to withdrawing from online sales.
All licensed cannabis retailers operating a physical store are able to sell cannabis online if they choose, as long as they apply for and receive an endorsement from AGLC’s Inspections Branch.
Albertans can find a list of all licensed cannabis retailers with an endorsed licence for online sales and delivery here.
Alberta retail cannabis licensees must request an endorsement to their current licence to allow online sales by contacting inspections.mailbox@aglc.ca, but will automatically be endorsed for delivery. A licensee's proposed website must also be reviewed by AGLC inspectors prior to launch to ensure it is compliant with all federal and provincial legislation, including AGLC policy.
For more information or questions, retailers can contact inspections.mailbox@aglc.ca.
AGLC inspectors will review a licensee’s proposed website making sure it is compliant will all federal and provincial legislation, including AGLC policy.
No, only a licensed retailer with an operating brick-and-mortar store can have an e-commerce site. A retailer must first be approved for a retail cannabis store licence in order to obtain an endorsement. Without a current licensed, as well as being actively open and operating in a physical premises, a retailer would not qualify for online sales.
The following conditions must be met when delivering cannabis.
No, delivery is permitted only by the licensed retailer or common carrier. When an order is delivered to an individual who appears to be under 25, the delivery person must check government-issued photo identification.
“Common carrier” means a business that provides merchandise transportation services to the general public in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations governing commercial transportation in Alberta. Examples of business that would be considered common carriers include but are not necessarily limited to national courier companies, postal services and shipping companies. Examples of companies that would not meet the definition of the common carrier include restaurants, flower shops and other businesses providing delivery of their own products and services and specialized businesses that focus on a specific industry, like food delivery and/or passenger transportation.
They are not, but the delivery person must be at least 18 years old.
Cannabis can be delivered only to locations within Alberta and where cannabis possession is legal.
A cannabis order must leave the licensed premises during their regular business hours; however, deliveries may continue for 30 minutes after closing. Cannabis that is undelivered for any reason must be returned to the retail cannabis store as soon as practical.
Alberta has over 750 retail locations in the province, and licensees can use common carriers such as Canada Post, mitigating many of these concerns.
Individual cannabis orders may not exceed 30 grams of dried cannabis or equivalent. However, multiple online purchases can be made with a maximum of 30 grams per single transaction. Still, persons can legally have only 30 grams in their possession while in public at any time.
Yes, more than one order may be delivered at a time, but individual cannabis orders may not exceed 30 grams of dried cannabis or equivalent.
Curbside delivery is permitted under the following conditions:
Yes, retailers can add a delivery charge to online orders.
For licensees who have obtained an endorsement for online sales, the licensee’s website homepage must prominently display:
The first step is to download a retail cannabis licence application from aglc.ca, then contact your municipality to determine if there are any applicable bylaws or restrictions regarding retail cannabis stores.
No, the $3,000 due diligence deposit must be paid with a separate cheque. The $400 application fee and $700 annual licensing fee can be combined into one payment.
The due diligence process is comprehensive and includes, but is not limited to:
There is no restriction on the total number of retail licences that can be granted.
The Alberta model has been designed with a number of safeguards in place to prevent monopolies and price fixing, including:
For example, a licensed producer who also owned a retail store would sell their product to AGLC and then purchase it back to supply their retail store.
Many municipalities have a process that allows for public input on the licensing of businesses. For more information, please contact your local municipality.
Retail cannabis stores are permitted to sell cannabis products and cannabis accessories that promote responsible use.
AGLC is responsible for ensuring that relationships among cannabis suppliers, cannabis representatives and cannabis licensees are competitive in nature. Cannabis suppliers or representatives are prohibited from providing any services, items or activities to a cannabis licensee that could directly benefit the licensee. Cannabis licensees are prohibited from requesting any such inducements from cannabis suppliers or representatives. Specific policy on prohibited inducements and benefits can be found under section 6.3 of the Retail Cannabis Store Handbook.
Inducements include: money, free products, volume discounts, paid vacations, furniture, equipment, services (such as painting or decorating), items considered essential to the licensee’s operation, staff incentives, paid entertainment, paid advertising, or any other thing prohibited under the Gaming and Liquor Act, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, or AGLC policy.
There is no limit to the amount of stock a retailer can have onsite.
No, the sampling of cannabis products is not permitted within a retail cannabis store.
No, the use and/or consumption of cannabis is not permitted within a retail cannabis store.
No person under the age of 18 will be permitted in a retail cannabis store.
No, cannabis cannot be sold in a location that sells tobacco.
Hours for a retail cannabis store are the same as liquor stores, 10 a.m. – 2 a.m. However, municipalities have the ability to reduce the hours should they decide it will better serve their community.
To work in Alberta’s cannabis industry you must be an AGLC approved Qualified Cannabis Worker (QCW) by completing the following:
1. Complete SellSafe Cannabis Staff Training; AND
2. Complete QCW application package and submit to AGLC
Individuals working in a position where cannabis is provided under the authority of a cannabis licence, including licensed cannabis supplier representatives, licensed premises owners, store staff and security supervisors and staff must be AGLC approved QCWs.
Anyone can submit an objection to a proposed licence during the seven day objection period that it is posted online. AGLC does not regulate factors that fall under the responsibility of the municipality. For a list of these factors visit https://aglc.ca/cannabis/retail-cannabis-store-licences/retail-cannabis-licensing-objections.
Age-verification processes are established for online sales both at the time of purchase and delivery.
Individuals working under the authority of a cannabis licence must be approved by AGLC as a Qualified Cannabis Worker (QCW). The first step of the QCW application process is to successfully complete AGLC's SellSafe Cannabis Staff Training program. SellSafe helps workers understand how to sell cannabis responsibly according to law and in a way that keeps customers and others safe from cannabis-related harms.
Visit CannabisSense for the provincewide public awareness education program regarding the responsible use of cannabis. Additionally, various agencies such as Health Canada and Alberta Health Services have excellent resources available to the public.
AGLC enforces the Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act, Gaming Liquor and Cannabis Regulation and AGLC Board policies relating to the regulated wholesale, distribution and online sales of retail cannabis in Alberta.
Anyone selling or providing cannabis to a minor can be charged with a criminal offence.
As with liquor, AGLC sets the wholesale price while retailers set the retail price.
Yes, multiple retail and online purchases can be made with a maximum of 30 grams per single transaction; however, persons can only legally have 30 grams in their possession while in public at any time.
Adults are permitted to grow a maximum of four plants per household. This is regulated by enforcement agencies and municipalities.
Health Canada is responsible for the regulatory enforcement of the Cannabis Act, Cannabis Regulation and Federal Guidance Documents relating to the production, packaging, labelling, quality and advertising of all cannabis products for sale in Canada.
AGLC is responsible for enforcing the Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act, Gaming Liquor and Cannabis Regulation and AGLC Board policies relating to the regulated wholesale, distribution and online sales of retail cannabis in Alberta.
AGLC ensures that only regulated and approved cannabis products are for sale at licensed premises and works with enforcement agencies in regards to unapproved cannabis products.
No, only Health Canada approved licensed producers in Canada can supply cannabis product.
AGLC is responsible for the wholesale and distribution of retail cannabis products, ensuring the online system and licensed private retailers meet the regulatory compliance guidelines for cannabis. AGLC purchases licensed product from federally licensed producers and distributes it to licensed private retailers. The distribution system is similar to the system Alberta currently has in place for alcohol. There will not be preferential distribution based on location.
Information is collected and submitted to Health Canada and Statistics Canada on the retailers’ behalf. Licensees are required to review and comply with the Federal Compliance Reporting Technical Specifications available at aglc.ca\cannabis\legislation-and-aglc-policies.
In order to comply with the reporting requirements, provincial legislation and AGLC Board policy, retail cannabis licensees are required to submit monthly reports to AGLC. These reports involve tracking the movement of cannabis between:
