To be eligible to open a retail store and sell recreational cannabis, you must have a CROL. 

You are not eligible for a CROL if:

  • you are under 19 years of age. This includes directors, officers and shareholders of corporations.
  • you have been convicted or charged with certain offences:
    • any offence under the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018 or its regulation
    • certain offences under the Cannabis Control Act , 2017 and Cannabis Act or their regulations
  • you have, or previously had, certain roles or connections with a criminal organization as defined in subsection 467.1(1) of the Criminal Code (Canada):
    • you are, or have been, a member of the criminal organization
    • you are, or have been, involved in the criminal organization
    • you contribute to, or have contributed to, the activities of the organization.
  • you are carrying on activities that are not in compliance with certain laws.
    • certain offences under the Cannabis Control Act, 2017 and Cannabis Act 
  • you have made a false statement or provided false information in your application.
  • you are in default of filing a tax return under a tax statute administered and enforced by the Government of Ontario, or have any outstanding amounts owing and past due of tax, penalty or interest under those laws and have not made payment arrangements;
  • you have a business number with the Canada Revenue Agency and have not filed a tax return under certain federal or provincial legislation.
  • the application will be made by a corporation and more than 25 percent of the corporation is owned or controlled, either directly or indirectly, by one or more licensed producers (LPs)or their affiliates.
  • you will not be financially responsible in operating your cannabis business.
  • you will not operate your cannabis retail business in compliance with the law, or with integrity, honesty or in the public interest.
  • you will not have sufficient control over the cannabis retail business
  • you had a CRSA in the past but the authorization was revoked

Generally, you must wait two years to apply again for a CROL if you:

  • applied for a new licence or renewal licence in the past but were refused, or
  • you had a CROL in the past but the licence was revoked.

You may have conditions put on your CROL to address any specific risks or concerns.  There are also conditions in the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018 that apply to all CROLS. 

You cannot transfer your CROL to another person or business.