Under the Cannabis Act and Regulations, cannabis can be sold for both recreational and medical purposes.
While the federal government oversees the sale of cannabis for medical purposes, the provincial and territorial governments are responsible for the sale and distribution of recreational cannabis. To sell cannabis to medical patients, a Sale for Medical Purposes license is required. To sell cannabis recreationally, a Retail Licence is required in the province/territory where the cannabis retail store will be located.
Each province and territory has established its own unique regulatory framework to manage the distribution and sale of non-medical cannabis within their jurisdiction. As a result, each province and territory has adopted either a government-run retail model, a privately-run model, or a hybrid of the two, engaging in cannabis retail through both brick-and-mortar and online stores.
Learn more about licences for Recreational Sale