The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) announced that the provincial government has given the green light for cannabis retailers to provide home delivery and in-store pickup services of cannabis products.
According to a bulletin released this week, the Government of Ontario has established new rules to enable cannabis retailers to offer delivery and curbside pick-up services on a permanent basis beginning March 15, 2022.
Some retailers that had been offering delivery during the pandemic of covid-19 said that they plan to continue the service, but “face a series of challenges that range from drivers’ insurance to employee safety”.
Ontario has one of the most developed cannabis sectors in the country.
Ontario is one of the Canadian provinces that most facilitates the development of the cannabis sector. According to the bulletin, not all companies of the province will be able to deliver cannabis. Only the authorized retail store owners or their employees will be able to make deliveries to a residence or private place, including places such as hotel rooms. Delivery by third parties won’t be permitted.
“Please note that the new delivery rules will still not allow cannabis retail stores to operate wholly or primarily as delivery businesses,” the AGCO said. “The new rules will allow cannabis retailers to continue to safely provide consumers with greater choice, convenience, and better access to legal recreational cannabis.”
Authorized physical stores will be able to deliver under strict requirements.
Orders must be placed with a specific store to receive a delivery and be fulfilled with products stocked on-site. Cannabis products will only be able to be delivered during the opening hours of the store.
License holders must ensure that customers accessing their stores are at least 19 years of age and must display the official Ontario cannabis retail seal. Furthermore, according to current rules governing the click-and-collect transactions, these must be “conducted in an area adjacent to the store that is picked up by the store’s monitoring system.”
In regards to First Nations communities, delivery “will be permitted, unless the community has requested that delivery be restricted,” said the AGCO. According to Mugglehead magazine, “First Nations band councils that want to restrict cannabis delivery can submit a band council resolution to the AGCO. Upon receipt, the agency will notify all retailers, and the restriction would come into affect 30 days after notice.”
