Just a few short days after being shut completely, the mighty cannabis lobby has convinced the Ontario government to allow for the delivery and pick-up of products while the stores remained closed to the public.
The news broke last night as Premier Doug Ford signed an emergency order restoring the Ontario cannabis service.
NEW: A fresh emergency order in council will see private pot shops reopen for online and phone sales for pickup and delivery only. Private storefronts closed on the weekend after the PCs whittled down the list of essential biz #onpoli https://t.co/EtGBiQllBm
— Sabrina Nanji (@sabrinananji) April 7, 2020
According to a statement on the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) website, the move was made to stem what could have been a return of illegal pot shops in addition to supporting the new small businesses that have been open for less than a year since cannabis was legalized in April 2019.
“To continue the fight against the illegal Ontario cannabis market and support cannabis retail store operators and legal recreational cannabis consumers, the Government of Ontario has issued an Emergency Order to temporarily allow authorized cannabis retail stores to offer delivery and curbside pick-up. These changes are effective immediately and will last for the duration of the period of declared provincial emergency, with the possibility of extension if the government’s Emergency Order on business closures is extended,” the statement read, in part.
Cannabis retailers, such as Superette, seem to approve of the move, ahem.
Live feed of our Zoom Click & Collect meeting. See you tomorrow Ottawa ✌? Details coming soon!!! pic.twitter.com/gro84YSr9N
— superette (@superette_shop) April 8, 2020
We applaud #Ontario for its quick and decisive leadership in allowing the safe resumption of #cannabis retail sales via click-and-collect. Thank you Premier @fordnation. Our sales team is on it – here’s a throwback visit w, retailer @choombrand #cannabiscanada pic.twitter.com/SalaoPJq9H
— WeedMD (@WeedMD) April 8, 2020
The news comes with a number of AGCO guidelines for both pick-up and delivery options including the standing rule that no more than 30 grams of dried cannabis per person can be purchased at one time. Only products available within the store will be available to purchase via delivery or pick-up.
To pick-up products, amongst other requirements, the location for picking up the cannabis and other things must be an outdoor area in close proximity to the retail store. Customers are not allowed into the store. As for delivery, stores are not allowed to use third-party services.
For a full list of regulations see the AGCO website.
