Cannabis email updates

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Jan 2, 2020

Updated CannSell Program - New Mandatory Module on Edibles, Extracts and Topicals Now Available

On January 2, 2020 a new online training module for cannabis retailers about cannabis edibles, extracts and topicals will be added to the CannSell training program. CannSell was developed by Lift & Co. in partnership with MADD Canada, and approved by the Board of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario as the mandatory cannabis retail employee training program in Ontario.  

The new module focuses on the responsible sale and consumption of cannabis edibles, extracts and topicals. The training includes basic knowledge about these new classes of cannabis, explains how consumption methods affect consumer experience, outlines recommendations for responsible use, and requirements for ensuring the responsible sale and consumption of these cannabis products.

As of January 2, 2020 individuals who are not already CannSell certified will have to successfully complete the entire CannSell program, which will include the new module on edibles, extracts and topicals, prior to their first day of work.  The price of the updated CannSell program will be $64.99 + HST as of that date, and will take approximately 5 hours to complete.    

Individuals who obtained CannSell certification prior to January 2, 2020 will be required to take the new, 1-hour module on edibles, extracts and topicals as a standalone course by March 2, 2020.  CannSell certified individuals will be able to complete the new module for free from January 2-15, 2020. It will cost them $10.00 + HST to complete the module thereafter.  

To take the training or for more information about the program, visit CannSell.ca or retailsupport@lift.co.

 

Aug 30, 2019

Update on the Status of the Cannabis Allocation Lottery

On August 21, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) announced the list of 42 applicants selected by lottery to submit a cannabis Retail Operator Licence and Retail Store Authorization. It is important to remember that an applicant’s selection in the lottery simply gives them an opportunity to apply for a licence. It is only the first step.

Selected applicants were required to submit completed applications and certain documents by 5:00 PM EDT on Wednesday, August 28.

As further detailed on the AGCO’s web site, of the 42 applicants selected in the lottery:

• 29 made their applications and submitted the required documents by the deadline and are now being reviewed for eligibility 
• 12 did not submit all the required documents by the deadline and have therefore been disqualified, per Lottery Rule 14a
• 1 applicant withdrew from the lottery

As a result, 13 applicants have been brought forward from the appropriate Wait Lists.

The AGCO will only license applicants who meet all legal and regulatory requirements and is now beginning its comprehensive eligibility assessment of the applicants who submitted complete applications by the deadline. This assessment includes police and background checks on the applicants and on any other interested parties, as well as ongoing reviews for lottery rule violations.

Moving forward, please check the AGCO’s web site, which will regularly be updated to reflect the current status of those selected in the lottery.

 

Aug 21, 2019

AGCO releases results of the second cannabis lottery 

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has released on its website the results of the cannabis retail store lottery draw it held on August 20, 2019. The lottery provided those who met pre-qualification requirements for one of the 42 new store authorizations announced by the Government of Ontario on July 3, 2019, an opportunity to be selected to apply for one. 

4,864 eligible expressions of interest were included in the lottery draw, which was overseen by a third-party fairness monitor. The AGCO has notified the 42 selected applicants that they may now apply for a cannabis Retail Operator Licence and a Retail Store Authorization. Applicants have until August 28, 2019 to do so, at which point the AGCO will undertake its full eligibility and licensing review. The AGCO will only licence applicants and authorize stores that meet all legal and regulatory requirements.

AGCO website includes:

The list of the 42 applicants selected to apply, by region, including the address of their proposed cannabis retail store
A downloadable file (.csv format) with the list of all entries in the order they were drawn
A summary of the expressions of interest submitted, by region

 

Aug 8, 2019

Results of Allocation Process for Cannabis Stores on First Nations Reserves and Another Cannabis Retail Store Approved to Open 

Results of Allocation Process for Cannabis Stores on First Nations Reserves 

On July 3, 2019, the Government of Ontario announced its plans for a second allocation of cannabis retail store authorizations. The plan allocates eight (8) store authorizations for stores to be operated on First Nations reserves.  

As of July 31, the AGCO began accepting applications from applicants who wish to operate a store on a First Nations reserve. The opportunities to apply for a store authorization were allocated on a first come, first served basis as determined by the time of submission of a complete, online Retail Store Authorization (RSA) Intent to Apply application. Complete applications were required to include a resolution from the First Nations Band Council approving the location of the proposed store on their reserve.

The table below lists the names of the applicants who have been notified to apply for one of the eight available store authorizations, as well as the First Nations reserves on which their stores are proposed to be located.

Applicants notified to apply:

Cannabis Retail Store Approved to Open in Burlington

The AGCO has completed its pre-opening inspection and has approved the following cannabis retail store to open. The operator will determine their own opening day and operating hours as permitted in the Regulation.

The AGCO has published an interactive map that shows the location and the status of cannabis retail stores in Ontario. This map will be updated regularly as the AGCO authorizes and approves additional stores to open. 

 

July 25, 2019

AGCO Issues Cannabis Retail Store Authorization in Burlington

The AGCO has issued a cannabis Retail Store Authorization to the store Pioneer Cannabis Co., located in Burlington.

The AGCO must still conduct a pre-opening inspection to ensure the operator is ready to open for business and sell cannabis products to the public in accordance with the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018, its regulations and the Registrar’s Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores. 

 

Jul 22, 2019

Cannabis Retail Store Approved to Open in Oshawa

The AGCO has completed its pre-opening inspection and has approved the following cannabis retail store to open. The operator will determine their own opening day and operating hours as permitted in the Regulation.

The AGCO has published an interactive map that shows the location and the status of cannabis retail stores in Ontario. This map will be updated regularly as the AGCO authorizes and approves additional stores to open.

 

Jul 4, 2019

AGCO Issues another Cannabis Retail Operator Licence and Retail Store Authorization in Oshawa

The AGCO has issued a cannabis Retail Operator Licence to Tripsetter Inc. and has also issued a Retail Store Authorization to the store Tokyo Smoke Oshawa (formerly Fabulous Leaf), located in Oshawa.  

This is the 23rd of the 25 stores allocated under the First Expression of Interest lottery to receive a Retail Store Authorization.

The AGCO must still conduct a pre-opening inspection to ensure the operator is ready to open for business and sell cannabis products to the public in accordance with the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018, its regulations and the Registrar’s Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores. 

 

Jul 3, 2019

Today the Government of Ontario announced it is moving forward with the next round of cannabis store allocations

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has released the pre-qualification requirements, application process and timelines for those who are interested in applying for one of the 50 new cannabis retail store authorizations announced by the Government of Ontario today. Of the 50 new stores, 42 will be allocated by lottery and eight will be available for stores on First Nations reserves.

The AGCO will hold a lottery on August 20, 2019, and announce the results within 24 hours, in order to select applicants who will be notified they may apply for the forty-two (42) store authorizations. Those who wish to participate in the lottery must meet the pre-qualification requirements established by the Government of Ontario, including demonstrating they have the financial capacity to open a cannabis retail store and have secured suitable retail space that could be used for it.

In addition, and separate from the lottery process, eight (8) store authorizations will be available, on a first come, first served basis, for those who wish to operate a store on a First Nations reserve and have Band Council approval to do so.

 

Jun 14, 2019

AGCO Issues another Cannabis Retail Operator Licence and Retail Store Authorization in Oshawa

The AGCO has issued a cannabis Retail Operator Licence to Tripsetter Inc. - Corporation (GTA) and has also issued a Retail Store Authorization to the store Tokyo Smoke Oshawa (formerly Fabulous Leaf), located in Oshawa.

The AGCO must still conduct a pre-opening inspection to ensure the operator is ready to open for business and sell cannabis products to the public in accordance with the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018, its regulations and the Registrar’s Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores. 

 

Jun 14, 2019

Cannabis Retail Store in Niagara Falls Approved to Open

The AGCO has completed its pre-opening inspection and has approved the following cannabis retail store to open. The operator will determine their own opening day and operating hours as permitted in the Regulation.

The AGCO has published an interactive map that shows the location and the status of cannabis retail stores in Ontario. This map will be updated regularly as the AGCO authorizes and approves additional stores to open.

 

June 10, 2019

AGCO Issues another Cannabis Retail Store Authorization in Toronto

The AGCO has issued a cannabis Retail Store Authorization to the store Canna Cabana Toronto, located in Toronto.

The AGCO must still conduct a pre-opening inspection to ensure the operator is ready to open for business and sell cannabis products to the public in accordance with the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018, its regulations and the Registrar’s Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores. 

 

May 27, 2019

Cannabis Retail Store in Ajax Approved to Open

The AGCO has completed its pre-opening inspection and has approved the following cannabis retail store to open. The operator will determine their own opening day and operating hours as permitted in the Regulation.

The AGCO has published an interactive map that shows the location and the status of cannabis retail stores in Ontario. This map will be updated regularly as the AGCO authorizes and approves additional stores to open.

 

May 23, 2019

Another Cannabis Retail Store approved to Open

The AGCO has completed its pre-opening inspection and has approved the following cannabis retail store to open. The operator will determine their own opening day and operating hours as permitted in the Regulation.

The AGCO has published an interactive map that shows the location and the status of cannabis retail stores in Ontario. This map will be updated regularly as the AGCO authorizes and approves additional stores to open. 

 

May 17, 2019

Another Cannabis Retail Store approved to Open

The AGCO has completed its pre-opening inspection and has approved the following cannabis retail store to open. The operator will determine their own opening day and operating hours as permitted in the Regulation.

The AGCO has published an interactive map that shows the location and the status of cannabis retail stores in Ontario. This map will be updated regularly as the AGCO authorizes and approves additional stores to open. 

 

May 15, 2019

AGCO Issues another Cannabis Retail Operator Licence and Retail Store Authorization in Sudbury

The AGCO has issued a cannabis Retail Operator Licence to Anton Lucic and has also issued a Retail Store Authorization to the store Highlife, located in Sudbury.

The AGCO must still conduct a pre-opening inspection to ensure the operator is ready to open for business and sell cannabis products to the public in accordance with the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018, its regulations and the Registrar’s Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores. 

 

May 10, 2019

AGCO Issues another Cannabis Retail Operator Licence and Retail Store Authorization in London

The AGCO has issued a cannabis Retail Operator Licence to 2674253 Ontario Inc. and has also issued a Retail Store Authorization to the store Tweed, located in London.

The AGCO must still conduct a pre-opening inspection to ensure the operator is ready to open for business and sell cannabis products to the public in accordance with the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018, its regulations and the Registrar’s Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores. 

 

Apr 26, 2019

Two More Retail Operator Licences and One More Retail Store Authorization Issued

The AGCO has approved and issued Retail Operator Licences to Lisa A. Bigioni (West Region) and Dana Michele Kendal (Toronto).

It has also issued a Retail Store Authorization to Choom Cannabis (Niagara Falls) which is operated by Lisa A. Bigioni. 

Once a Retail Store Authorization has been issued, the licensed operator may finalize their store set-up, including ordering and receiving cannabis product and cannabis accessories into their store ahead of opening for business. The AGCO must still conduct a pre-opening inspection to ensure the operators are ready to open for business and sell cannabis products to the public in accordance with the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018, its regulations and the Registrar’s Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores.

 

Apr 25, 2019

Two More Cannabis Retail Stores Approved to Open

The AGCO has completed its pre-opening inspection and has approved the following cannabis retail stores to open. The operators will determine their own opening day and operating hours as permitted in the Regulation.

 

Apr 18, 2019

Three new cannabis stores approved to open, two more operator licences and three store authorizations issued as well.

Three More Cannabis Retail Stores Approved to Open

The AGCO has completed its pre-opening inspection and has approved the following cannabis retail stores to open. The operators will determine their own opening day and operating hours as permitted in the Regulation.

Two More Retail Operator Licences and Three More Retail Store Authorizations Issued

The AGCO has approved and issued Retail Operator Licences to Alexander Altman (GTA Region) and Colin Campbell (Toronto) and Retail Store Authorizations to their respective stores Smok (Ajax) and Tokyo Smoke 333 Yonge (Toronto).

A Retail Store Authorization has also been issued Hello Cannabis Store (Hamilton). A Retail Operator Licence was issued to the operator of that store Santino J Coppolino on Friday.

Once a Retail Store Authorization has been issued, the licensed operator may finalize their store set-up, including ordering and receiving cannabis product and cannabis accessories into their store ahead of opening for business. The AGCO must still conduct a pre-opening inspection to ensure the operators are ready to open for business and sell cannabis products to the public in accordance with the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018, its regulations and the Registrar’s Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores.

The status of current cannabis retail store applications can be found on our website.

The AGCO has published an interactive map that shows the location and the status of cannabis retail stores in Ontario. This map will be updated regularly as the AGCO authorizes and approves additional stores to open. 

 

April 12, 2019

AGCO Issues Four More Cannabis Retail Operator Licences and Three Store Authorizations

The AGCO has approved and issued Retail Operator Licences to Steven Fry (West Region), Saturninus Partners (North Region) and Heather Conlon (Toronto), and has also issued Retail Store Authorizations to their respective stores Canna Cabana Hamilton (Hamilton), Canna Cabana Sudbury (Sudbury) and Nova Cannabis (Toronto). A Retail Operator Licence has also been issued to Santino J Coppolino (West Region), but the authorization has not yet been issued for their store Hello Cannabis Store (Hamilton).

Once a Retail Store Authorization has been issued, the licensed operator may finalize their store set-up, including ordering and receiving cannabis product and cannabis accessories into their store ahead of opening for business. The AGCO must still conduct a pre-opening inspection to ensure the operators are ready to open for business and sell cannabis products to the public in accordance with the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018, its regulations and the Registrar’s Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores.

The status of current cannabis retail store applications can be found on our website.

April 10, 2019

AGCO Issues a New Cannabis Retail Operator Licence

The AGCO has approved and issued a cannabis Retail Operator Licence to Guruveer Singh Sangha.

The applicant was selected in the cannabis Expression of Interest Lottery in the GTA Region and has submitted an application for a retail store authorization in Burlington under the name Pioneer Cannabis Co. 

The Retail Store Authorization application process, which includes inspections by AGCO Compliance Officials, is still in progress for Pioneer Cannabis Co. The public notice period for this store ends on April 16 and an authorization has not yet been issued.

The status of current cannabis retail store applications can be found on our website.

April 9, 2019

AGCO Approves Another Cannabis Retail Store to Open

The AGCO has completed its pre-opening inspection and has approved the following cannabis retail store to open. The operator will determine their own opening day and operating hours as permitted in the Regulation.

The AGCO has published an interactive map that shows the location and the status of cannabis retail stores in Ontario. This map will be updated regularly as the AGCO authorizes and approves additional stores to open. 

April 5, 2019

AGCO Approves Another Cannabis Retail Store to Open

The AGCO has completed its pre-opening inspection and has approved the following cannabis retail store to open. The operator will determine their own opening day and operating hours as permitted in the Regulation.

The AGCO has published an interactive map that shows the location and the status of cannabis retail stores in Ontario. This map will be updated regularly as the AGCO authorizes and approves additional stores to open. 

Mar 31, 2019

AGCO Approves Ten Cannabis Retail Stores to Open as of April 1, 2019

The AGCO has published an interactive map that shows the location and the status of cannabis retail stores in Ontario. This map will be updated regularly as the AGCO authorizes and approves additional stores to open. The following ten stores have been approved to open as of April 1:

Although the AGCO has authorized these stores to open on April 1, the operators will determine their own opening day and operating hours as permitted in the Regulation.

View this infographic to see how the public and store customers will experience Ontario’s regulations related to authorized cannabis retail stores. (Also available in an accessible format).

 

Mar 29, 2019

AGCO Issues another Cannabis Retail Operator Licence and Retail Store Authorization in Toronto

The AGCO has issued a cannabis Retail Operator Licence to Seyedarash Seyedameri and has also issued a Retail Store Authorization to the store Ameri, located in Toronto.

The AGCO must still conduct a pre-opening inspection to ensure the operator is ready to open for business and sell cannabis products to the public in accordance with the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018, its regulations and the Registrar’s Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores.

 

Mar 22, 2019

AGCO Issues Three More Cannabis Retail Operator Licences and Store Authorizations in the East Region

The AGCO has approved and issued Retail Operator Licences to Pure Alpha Holdings, Daniel Telio and Karan Someshwar (all in the East Region), and has also issued Retail Store Authorizations to their respective stores Superette (Ottawa), Spiritleaf (Kingston) and Hobo Recreational Cannabis Store (Ottawa).

The AGCO must still conduct a pre-opening inspection to ensure the operators are ready to open for business and sell cannabis products to the public in accordance with the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018, its regulations and the Registrar’s Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores.

 

Mar 22, 2019

AGCO Issues Two Cannabis Retail Operator Licences and Store Authorizations in the East Region

The AGCO has approved and issued Retail Operator Licences to Brandon Long (East Region) and Patterson and Lavoie (East Region), and has also issued Retail Store Authorizations to their respective stores Brock Street Cannabis (Kingston) and Fire & Flower - York Street Cannabis (Ottawa).

The AGCO must still conduct a pre-opening inspection to ensure the operator is ready to open for business and sell cannabis products to the public in accordance with the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018, its regulations and the Registrar’s Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores.

 

Mar 18, 2019

Cannabis Retail Store Authorized for Burlington

On March 13, the AGCO announced that it had issued a cannabis Retail Operator Licence to David Nguyen. Today, his store RELM Cannabis, located in Burlington, has received its Retail Store Authorization.

Once a Retail Store Authorization has been issued, the licensed operator may finalize their store set-up, including ordering and receiving cannabis product and cannabis accessories into their store ahead of opening for business. The AGCO must still conduct a pre-opening inspection to ensure the operator is ready to open for business and sell cannabis products to the public in accordance with the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018, its regulations and the Registrar’s Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores.

 

Mar 14, 2019

First Cannabis Retail Store Authorized for London

On March 7, the AGCO announced that it had issued a cannabis Retail Operator Licence to Christopher Comrie.  Today, his store Central Cannabis, located in London, has received its Retail Store Authorization.

Once a Retail Store Authorization has been issued, the licensed operator may finalize their store set-up, including ordering and receiving cannabis product and cannabis accessories into their store ahead of opening for business.

After a store has been authorized, the AGCO must still conduct a pre-opening inspection before the store is permitted to open for business. This inspection is conducted to ensure the operator is ready to open for business and sell cannabis products to the public in accordance with the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018, its regulations and the Registrar’s Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores.

 

Mar 13, 2019

AGCO Issues a New Cannabis Retail Operator Licence

The AGCO has approved and issued a cannabis Retail Operator Licence to David Nguyen.

The applicant was selected in the cannabis Expression of Interest Lottery in the GTA Region and has submitted an application for a retail store authorization in Burlington under the name Relm Cannabis Co. 

The Retail Store Authorization application process, which includes inspections by AGCO Compliance Officials, is still in progress for Relm Cannabis Co. The public notice period for this store ended on March 6 and an authorization has not yet been issued.

View the status of current cannabis retail store applications in a table.

 

Mar 11, 2019

Licence and Authorization issued for Brampton’s Ganjika House

Today the AGCO issued a Retail Operator Licence to CGS Foods, selected for the GTA Region in the cannabis retail Expression of Interest lottery. The cannabis retail store to be operated by CGS Foods, Ganjika House, 186 Main Street S., Brampton, has also received its Retail Store Authorization.

As previously noted, even though a store has been authorized, it is not yet open for business. The sale of recreational cannabis through authorized private retail stores in Ontario will not begin until April and stores will open once operationally ready to do so. After a store has been authorized, the AGCO must still conduct a pre-opening inspection before the store will be permitted to open for business.

 

Mar 9, 2019

First two cannabis retail stores authorized 

On March 7, the AGCO announced that it had issued the first three cannabis Retail Operator Licences. Today, the AGCO is announcing that the stores to be opened by two of these operators, The Niagara Herbalist (St. Catharines) and The Hunny Pot Cannabis Co. (Toronto) have now also received their Retail Store Authorization.  

As a reminder, there is a two-step licensing process for cannabis retail stores in Ontario. First, the AGCO must confirm an applicant is eligible to operate a store in Ontario, per the requirements of the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018 and its regulation. If they are, the AGCO issues a Retail Operator Licence. Then, the store itself must meet all regulatory requirements, including the minimum distance from schools, the completion of a 15-day Public Interest process, and other requirements. If approved, the AGCO issues a Retail Store Authorization to that store. Once the Retail Store Authorization has been issued, the licensed operator may finalize their store set-up, including ordering and receiving cannabis product and cannabis accessories into their store ahead of opening for business.

It should be noted that the stores, even though authorized, are not yet open for business. The sale of recreational cannabis through authorized private retail stores is scheduled to begin in Ontario on April 1. Also, after a store has been authorized, the AGCO must still conduct a pre-opening inspection before the store is permitted to open for business. This inspection is conducted to ensure the operator is ready to open for business and sell cannabis products to the public in accordance with the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018, its regulations and the Registrar’s Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores.

 

 

March 7, 2019

AGCO Issues First Cannabis Retail Operator Licences

The AGCO has approved and issued the first three cannabis Retail Operator Licences in Ontario to The Niagara Herbalist and Christopher Comrie in the West Region, and to Hunny Gawri in the Toronto Region.

The Retail Store Authorization application process, which includes inspections by AGCO Compliance Officials, is still in progress for all three stores. Authorizations have not yet been issued for those stores.

• The Niagara Herbalist was selected in the cannabis Expression of Interest Lottery in the West Region and has submitted an application for a retail store authorization in St. Catharines. The public notice period ended on February 20.
• Hunny Gawri was selected in the Toronto Region and has submitted a retail store authorization application for The Hunny Pot Cannabis Co. in Toronto. The public notice period ended on February 21.
• Christopher Comrie was selected in the West Region and has submitted a retail store authorization application for Central Cannabis in London. The public notice period ended on February 26.

View the status of current cannabis retail store applications in a table.

 

February 7, 2019

AGCO Board Approves “CannSell” as the Authorized Cannabis Retail Employee Training Program

After reviewing a number of programs and providers from across Canada, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is announcing that its Board of Directors has approved CannSell as the training program that all employees of privately run cannabis retail stores in Ontario will be required to complete.

CannSell is a training program developed by Lift & Co. in partnership with MADD Canada. It will provide prospective employees of all privately run cannabis retail stores the knowledge they will need to sell cannabis responsibly and in compliance with Ontario law. The training will also provide basic knowledge about cannabis to ensure those who are selling it understand its various forms, effects and consequences of use.

Over the next few years, CannSell will be the required training for all Ontario cannabis retail employees. Under Ontario law, any person who works in a cannabis retail store must successfully complete this training before their first day of work.

CannSell will be available to interested individuals as of February 25, 2019.The training program will take approximately 4 hours to complete and will be delivered as an online program.

Lift & Co. is an established training provider in the cannabis retail space and has created similar training programs for use in other provinces, including Nova Scotia and PEI. MADD is a leading voice in the fight to end impaired driving and is experienced in delivering education and awareness initiatives that help people understand the impact and consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

Lift & Co. and MADD have been able to leverage their experience to develop a customized employee training program for Ontario that will be ready in advance of stores opening in April 2019.

 

 

December  24, 2018

KPMG will be the independent fairness monitor for Ontario’s cannabis retail store lottery

On December 13, the Government of Ontario announced changes to how cannabis retail stores will be allocated across the province. Given the shortage of legal cannabis supply from federally licensed producers, the government will now allow private cannabis retail stores to open in phases and has provided the AGCO the authority to authorize up to 25 stores in the initial phase.

A lottery, conducted by the AGCO, will be held to determine who will be able to apply for one of the 25 initial stores.   

The AGCO has retained the services of KPMG to act as fairness monitor to oversee this lottery. KPMG will not be selecting the lottery winners, but will monitor the lottery in order to assess whether it is conducted fairly and according to the established rules. The AGCO will publish the lottery rules once they have been reviewed by KPMG. We are aiming to publish the lottery rules on January 2, 2019.

The AGCO’s Gaming Laboratory has developed the software program that will be used for the selection of the Expressions of Interest that applicants will submit to enter this lottery. The Gaming Laboratory is the AGCO’s in-house laboratory that uses state-of-the-art equipment to test and analyze the integrity of all lottery, casino and internet gaming systems used in Ontario. The AGCO’s Gaming Laboratory is accredited to the international standard ISO 17025:2005, which is considered the international benchmark for excellence in testing laboratories.

To provide further assurances of the integrity of this software program, the AGCO has submitted it for independent testing and certification from Gaming Laboratories International (GLI^®), an independent  testing laboratory which holds international accreditations for compliance with ISO/IEC 17025, 17020, and 17065 standards for technical competence in the gaming, wagering and lottery industries. Stay tuned for more information.

 

 

December 13, 2018

Government announces changes to the allocation of cannabis retail licensing

The Government of Ontario has announced changes to the allocation of cannabis retail licensing. Read the full text of the government’s announcement.

As the government has indicated, given the shortage of legal cannabis supply from federally licensed producers, it has changed the approach to how private retail stores will be allocated.  Due to this limited supply, the government will allow private cannabis retail stores to open in phases, by providing authority for the AGCO to license up to 25 stores in the initial phase.

The government has made a new regulation under the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018 that allows a lottery system to be implemented to determine who will be able to apply for one of the 25 initial stores. The AGCO will run the lottery and it will be overseen by a third-party fairness monitor. People who wish to participate in the lottery will do so by submitting Expressions of Interest, online, from January 7-9, 2019. As a result, the AGCO will not begin accepting applications for cannabis retail licences and authorizations on December 17, as had previously been announced.

As a next step, the AGCO will be moving ahead to retain the services of a third-party fairness monitor and will provide them with the rules of the lottery. At that point, we will publish the lottery rules to our website and send out a notification as soon they are available. We will also plan a webinar to clearly explain the lottery rules and procedures. The webinar will be scheduled for the first week of January. We will provide further details on the date and how to register for that webinar as soon as they are confirmed.

 

 

November 14, 2018

Proclamation of the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018 and regulations

The Cannabis Licence Act, 2018 and its regulations came into force on November 16, 2018. As of this date, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) officially became the regulator of private recreational cannabis retailing in Ontario.

The Government of Ontario has set up a licensing and regulatory framework to regulate private retail of recreational cannabis. Those who wish to apply for a retail operator licence, open and operate a retail store or work in one will need to learn about and comply with all of the related rules and regulations.

The AGCO will be publishing a Cannabis Retail Regulation Guide on-line. This will be a comprehensive guide that will include relevant information about cannabis regulation in one location.  

Since much of the process is still in development, we will publish new chapters to this guide as information becomes available. We will also send an email alert to subscribers when new chapters have been added. If you have not already done so, you can subscribe to receive email updates.

The chapters of this guide will provide information about:

• The Cannabis Licence Act, 2018 and its regulations
• The Registrars Standards, which will govern the operation of retail stores
• Licence and authorization types, the application process and fees
• The one-time option municipalities have to prohibit cannabis stores from operating in their jurisdiction
• The public notice process related to the authorization of retail stores
• AGCO inspections to ensure store readiness
• The mandatory training that all cannabis store employees will have to successfully complete
• Allowable advertising and promotional activities
• And more…

In order to help potential applicants understand the requirements and prepare their applications, we will be providing a number of supports before December 17, including hosting a series of educational webinars and posting a summary of the required application information.  We will be sharing more information about these supports in the following days.

In the meantime, you can view this infographic that provides an overview of the cannabis retail regulation landscape in Ontario.

Stay tuned for more information to come.

 

 

October 18, 2018

Ontario’s Provincial Legislature Passes Cannabis Statute Law Amendment Act, 2018

Ontario’s provincial legislature passed the Cannabis Statute Law Amendment Act on October 17, 2018. This Act sets out the legal structure for private cannabis retail in Ontario and gives the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) the authority to license, regulate and enforce the sale of recreational cannabis through privately run stores in Ontario. 

More information will be available in the coming weeks.