Alberta’s NDP government has announced a list of rules that all retailers must abide by when cannabis becomes legal in July 2018.
Kathleen Ganley, the Minister of Justice and Solicitor General, announced the rules at a conference in Calgary on Friday.
They included who can own a cannabis store, where it can be set up and what sort of freedom retailers have over the price of the products.
“These regulations will help support four policy priorities; keeping cannabis out of the hands of children, protecting public health, promoting public safety on roads, in workplaces and public spaces and limiting the illegal market.”
According to the new rules, anyone seeking to sell cannabis must undergo a mandatory background check to prevent those with previous convictions for drug trafficking from selling cannabis.
Ganley said this is to prevent the illegal market from seeping into the legal one. However, the regulations do allow some leeway because a simple possession charge would not necessarily lead to a disqualification.
While it's difficult to see if the measures would ultimately cut out the black market for cannabis, Ganley says that she hopes that with pricing and regulation, the legal market will capture as much of that market as possible.
"We hope that will continue to increase as we go forward but of course that's got to be balanced against a number of other things like protecting youth and protecting public health."
She also says there will be a limit on the number of licences that a group can hold.
“This is a new market for Alberta, so until we have a better idea of how the market will work, the market regulations are to ensure that no one person, group or organization can hold more than 15 percent of the licences in the province.”
That limit will be revisited sometime in the future if necessary.
All staff who works in cannabis stores will need to be qualified. The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission will retain a list of qualified workers and stores will only be allowed to use individuals from that group.
“This is the same system that the AGLC uses for the gaming industry,” Ganley said. “This will benefit Alberta’s cannabis industry by ensuring we have qualified workers who can help protect public safety and public health.”
The regulations also state that cannabis stores must not be within 100 m of schools and provincial health care facilities.
Ganley says that it is up to each municipality in Alberta to either adopt that standard or adjust their zone to best suit their needs.
“If municipalities choose not to put in place their own bylaws, they can apply to a specific variance to the provincial rules if need be.”
As for the stores themselves, Ganley says the hours of operation will be the same as liquor stores, between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m.
Cities may also shorten these hours if it suits their needs.
All stores must also have security cameras and alarms and all cannabis products must be inside locked showcases, accessible only by staff members.
Cannabis sales are limited to those aged 18 or older and anyone under that is not even allowed inside any stores.
“Children and youth will not be allowed in cannabis stores, even if they are accompanied by an adult.”
Ganley said that all consumption of cannabis products inside those stores is also prohibited.
“The system we are putting in place in Alberta will create an environment in which retailers can legally sell cannabis and provide access to safe products while keeping the health and safety of Albertans in mind.”
The province will be keeping in touch with municipalities to keep them informed about the process as legalization approaches.
Dave Berry, vice-president of the AGLC, says that certification courses for workers at cannabis stores will be available on their website in May.
"Applicants must complete mandatory training that is about four to six hours in length and they will also need to submit a criminal background check from their local police service. The training certification number will complete their training process."
As for producers and the price the AGLC could potentially pay them for the cannabis they produce, Berry said there are no formal estimates at this time, but the agency submitted proposal to busineses based on what they could produce.
"That closed on February 12 and we were very pleased with the response rate. We are evaluating that right now with regards to price. We really are cognizant of the fact that one of the policy objectives is to reduce the illicit market so the final price of the product needs to do that."
Bruce Leslie, with Calgary Economic Development says his agency sees cannabis as part of the agri-business industry in the city.
"The opportunities for cannabis in the medical and recreational consumption, in accordance with the regulations that you just heard about, from all levels of government is one of the areas we are investigating for potential growth."
Leslie says there is no estimate yet on how big the industry will be in terms of economic impact on Calgary.
"At this point, we are getting approached by businesses from up and down the value chain from across Canada and outside of Canada."
Licence applications will be accepted starting March 6, with more information on the process available on the AGLC’s website.
The AGLC will also be in charge of online sales of cannabis and further details on that will be available later this year.
