So You Want to Open a Cannabis Store in Ontario? It’ll Cost You $10k to Apply

Attention would-be cannabis store operators, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has published the required fees for cannabis retail-related licenses and authorization.

And, it’s at least $10,000 for the first store.

The AGCO released its guide for regulating cannabis retail earlier this month. Among the requirements: a retail operator license ($6,000), a retail store authorization for each outpost ($4,000), and a Cannabis Retail Manager License ($750) for each authorized store location–though individual proprietors or partners can skip that last fee if they’re acting as the retail store manager for a particular location.

Registration for cannabis retail licenses is set to begin Dec. 17, and applicants will be required to meet all of the eligibility criteria set out in the Cannabis Licence Act including requirements that relate to store layout and location.

Brick and mortar cannabis stores will finally be permitted in Ontario as of April 1, 2019 and will add a welcome, tactile, alternative to the online ordering via the provincially-run OCS.