Alberta (Canada): details of future recreational cannabis sales

Last Thursday, the province of Alberta, Canada, detailed certain points of the future regulatory framework for recreational cannabis.

Like announced in October, The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) will be the main wholesaler of cannabis products. Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley has indicated that the province will opt for a private distribution system.

The AGLC will also be responsible for all online cannabis sales in the province and will oversee the regulation and control of retail vendors. The conditions for applying for and receiving a cannabis sales license will be made public next year.

«This legislation represents the culmination of extensive engagement and research on legal cannabis,» explained Minister Ganley. «It puts our provinces in a position to not only meet the federal deadline of July 1, 2018, but to do so in a responsible manner that promotes public health and safety for all Albertans.»

The legal age of access to cannabis is 18. It will not be possible to sell alcohol and cannabis in the same place.

Alberta residents and tourists will be able to possess up to 30 grams in public, and adults will be able to grow up to 4 plants per household, in line with federal recommendations.

Between June and October, the province of Alberta gathered the opinions of 60,000 of its residents on the regulatory framework to be put in place.

The rules announced by Alberta are in stark contrast to those announced by Québec at the same time, including a provincial monopoly on cannabis sales and a ban on self-cultivation.

Cannabis legislation in Alberta