6.0 Advertising and Promotions

6.1 Licensees must have signage clearly identifying their business on the exterior of the authorized store.

6.2 Advertising may not:

  1. appeal to or target persons under 19 years of age
  2. promote cannabis or cannabis accessories in a way that is false, misleading, or deceptive
  3. suggest or imply, directly, indirectly, or by use of endorsements of testimonials, that consumption of cannabis is associated with success, enjoyment of an activity, fulfillment of a goal, or the resolution of a problem
  4. be associated with medicine, health, or pharmaceuticals
  5. depict or suggest the illegal sale of cannabis
  6. associate consumption of cannabis with driving a motorized vehicle, or with any activity that requires care and skill or has elements of danger [AMENDED March 2019]

6.3 Licensees may not provide cannabis or cannabis accessories free of charge or provide any other thing or benefit, as an inducement for the purchase of cannabis or a cannabis accessory. [AMENDED March 2019]

6.4 Licensees may not accept or request material inducements from licensed producers, their representatives, or suppliers of cannabis accessories. [AMENDED June 2022]

Guidance: inducements are items, benefits, payments, or services that are offered or given with the purpose to promote or increase the sale of a particular brand or product by the licensee or their employees.

6.5 Licensees and their representatives may not, either directly or indirectly, accept or enter into any agreements for any item, benefit or service with a licensed producer or their representatives. The following exemptions apply [New: June 2022]:

  1. a licensee and its representatives may accept items of nominal value,
  2. a licensee and its representatives may accept items, benefits or services exclusively for the provision of training or education related to cannabis,
  3. a licensee may enter into an agreement to sell its data for business intelligence purposes,
  4. where a licensed producer has an ownership interest in the licensee, the licensee may enter into financing and lease agreements,
  5. a licensee may enter into a franchise agreement with a licensed producer or its affiliate,
  6. a licensee may enter into an agreement for a store brand cannabis product.

6.6 - Licensees and their representatives may not enter into any agreement pursuant to Standard 6.5 that [New: June 2022]:

  1. Defines the amount of product from the licensed producer or its affiliates that must be offered for sale at the retail store;
  2. Requires a defined amount of display space in the retail store to be dedicated to product from the licensed producer or its affiliates;
  3. Provides merchandising, marketing or promotional activities to the licensed producer or its affiliates;
  4. Restricts the ability of the licensed producer or its affiliates to sell its product at other retail stores, or the ability of the licensee to sell products from other licensed producers or their affiliates.