Based on these updates, there’s no doubt that Canada is shaping up to be a haven for cannabis users. More provinces and territories will follow suit with enough time and public pressure.
Recreational and medicinal cannabis has been legal in Canada for almost four years. The passage of the Cannabis Act made the country the second in the world to totally legalize it, after Uruguay. It stands to reason that the market is quite huge and will only grow in the following decades.
That said, rules and regulations governing cannabis use aren’t uniform across the country; one of these concerns transport or delivery. Most provinces and territories require cannabis retail stores (CRS) like Mamba Budds and others to have a secure delivery system. By ‘secure,’ it means the cannabis must be in a sealed container and stored in an area inaccessible to the driver.
Depending on where you live, cannabis delivery may or may not be available, so it’s good to be in the know. This article will discuss the most recent updates regarding cannabis delivery in the various provinces and territories.
Alberta
Last December, the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Corporation (AGLC) implemented changes for CRS to take effect this March. These changes include dismantling the AGLC’s online cannabis sales platform, albertacannabis.org, and granting CRS rights to make cannabis deliveries.
The latest update confirms that CRS can deliver cannabis to customers using their own delivery staff or anyone contracted by the CRS. However, third-party services like Uber and Skip aren’t included in the new ruling as of the moment.
The eventual closure of albertacannabis.org means licensed retailers will have to set up their own e-commerce outlets. These sites must also employ “age gating” measures to prevent minors from purchasing cannabis (the minimum age in Alberta is 18).
Manitoba
After 45 days of accepting inputs from the general public, the Manitoban government enacted amendments to its Liquor, Gaming, and Cannabis Act (LGCA) last December. Signed into law in 2018, the LGCA—specifically Regulation 120/2018 of the Act—serves as the foundation of the province’s management of retail cannabis.
One of these amendments involves holding third-party delivery services responsible for the safe and secure delivery of cannabis to customers. According to this official press release, the move will help protect restaurants and CRS from blame if a cannabis delivery through a third-party service goes awry.
Another amendment involves implementing a “minor agent program,” where agents will attempt to buy cannabis from CRS to see if they enforce rules on selling cannabis to underage persons. The minimum age for cannabis purchase in Manitoba is 19.
Ontario
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ontario government temporarily authorized CRS to offer delivery and curbside pickup services to support local businesses. While there’s no word when the government will repeal this order, it’ll be a big blow to Ontario’s cannabis market if it decides to do so.
In light of this, last October, the government announced plans to amend two of its cannabis laws to allow delivery and curbside pickup permanently. These laws include the Cannabis Control Act of 2017 and the Cannabis License Act of 2018 prohibiting such features.
While there have been no significant developments on this front for a while, there’s no reason it won’t receive enough priority. Permanently permitting cannabis delivery in Ontario is on its list of endeavours to reduce red tape and nurture economic development in the province.
In the meantime, licensed retailers should continue following the guidelines issued by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO):
- Delivery and curbside pickup are only allowed between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.
- The pickup location should be in a space not far from the retail store.
- Only direct employees are allowed to make cannabis delivery runs.
- For pickups, the recipient should be the customer who made the order.
- For deliveries, any member of the receiving household over 19 can receive the cannabis.
- The cannabis must be inside secure packaging at all times.
Yukon
Like Ontario, the Yukon government temporarily allowed cannabis delivery at the height of the pandemic. However, that emergency measure ended last September, leaving some local CRS in dire straits as they’ve already sunken thousands into setting up their online stores.
A month later, the government stepped forward with planned amendments to the Cannabis Control and Regulation Act to allow e-commerce and delivery services. This is a milestone for Yukon, considering it only has five licensed CRS one sanctioned producer in the territory. The move will no doubt attract investors from the cannabis industry.
Conclusion
Based on these updates, there’s no doubt that Canada is shaping up to be a haven for cannabis users. More provinces and territories will follow suit with enough time and public pressure.
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