Alberta Cannabis Dispensaries Prepare for Recreational Marijuana

When Canadian provinces moved toward recreational marijuana legalization, cannabis retailers geared up for a flood of new consumers. At the time, the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission announced that close to 250 Alberta cannabis dispensaries would receive licenses to sell to adult-use clientele. Moreover, these licenses were expected to cost commercial cannabis retail owners $700 for annual renewal.

The Province of Alberta issued stringent regulations to ensure that public safety remained the primary objective. As Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley noted, “These regulations will help support four policy priorities — keeping cannabis out of the hands of children, protecting public health, promoting safety on roads, in workplaces and in public spaces, and limiting the illegal market.”

Background Checks and Employee Training

Before business owners or employees could begin working in Alberta cannabis dispensaries, they were required to undergo a thorough background check and an online sell-safe training course. Vice-president of regulatory services, David Berry, noted that each applicant had to consent to a criminal background check, provide detailed financial information, and pay application fees.

Ganley went further by saying “Conviction such as trafficking, or producing illegal drugs, or associations to organized crime or violence will make someone ineligible for a retail licence.” Oversight and enforcement of Alberta’s cannabis regulations for retailers would be conducted by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission. At the time, the AGLC was still developing protocols for how online sales would work.

Compliance for Alberta Cannabis Dispensaries

While the province set its own standards of compliance for cannabis retailers, it gave municipalities the option to adjust operating hours and buffer zones for schools and healthcare facilities.

Operating hours for marijuana dispensaries across the entire province were set at 10 a.m. to 2 a.m., the same as liquor stores. In addition, the buffer zone for cannabis retailers was set at 100 metres from schools or provincial health-care facilities.

Alberta cannabis dispensaries also needed to meet strict security requirements, including video surveillance and alarm systems. As a result, retailers had to invest in compliant infrastructure before opening their doors.

Canadian Cannabis Dispensary Response

Many investors and business owners of cannabis retailers were pleased with the new regulations, citing the protections they offered smaller businesses. For instance, the owner of the 420 Clinic in Calgary, Jeff Mooji, expressed his thoughts on the new legal statutes: “AGLC has done a really good job regulating the liquor industry over the past 20 years, and I’m glad to see they’ve done a really educated approach to this.”

He added, “We’re dealing with Big Cannabis, [Big] Business, Big Pharma, Big Alcohol, Big Tobacco — I mean they’re all involved. It’s nice that the little guy such as myself will be able to get involved [too].” Once marijuana businesses received their licenses, they needed to equip their storefronts with compliant dispensary software. Indeed, using cannabis software that provides specific tax tiers, reporting functionality, inventory tracking, and customer management proved extremely advantageous as traffic increased.

IndicaOnline can provide all of these features and much more for Canadian marijuana dispensaries. Therefore, burgeoning cannabis retailers can sign up for a free demo to get familiar with the software and speak with one of our training representatives for a thorough walkthrough.