Licensing
To open a retail store and sell recreational cannabis, you need three things from the AGCO:
You also need to have a contract with the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS). You can only sell cannabis that has been made by a producer licensed under the Cannabis Act (Canada) to make cannabis for commercial purposes and which is sold through the OCS or as permitted by Ontario Regulation 468/18. For more information, see Information Bulletin: Sale of cannabis from one Retail Store Authorization Holder to another now permitted.
Everyone who works at your store will need to take and pass a cannabis retail employee training program that the AGCO approves of. This needs to happen before their first day of work in the store.
Operating a cannabis retail store on a First Nations reserve
To operate a cannabis retail store on a First Nations reserve, you must apply to the AGCO for a Retail Operator Licence (ROL) and a Retail Store Authorization (RSA).
Applicants for a cannabis retail store on a First Nations reserve must show that the Band Council has approved the store’s location. A Band Council resolution is needed to complete the application.