Alberta online cannabis sales set to expand delivery service

It will soon be easier than ever to buy cannabis in Alberta.

Starting March 8, private cannabis stores in the province will be able to offer online sales and deliver products through the mail right to your door.

NEW:

Alberta to allow online cannabis sales and delivery for licensed retailers.#yeg #yyc #ableg pic.twitter.com/POigzOVJT8

— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) March 7, 2022

This will replace the provincial website which has been operating since soon after cannabis legalization happened back in 2018.

The Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission heard desires from stores to start selling online, and this process had been in development ever since the summer.

There will be a continued focus on reducing the influence of the black market, and it is hoped this will provide even more legitimate options for Albertans who want to purchase cannabis.

The AGLC will also continue work to make sure the websites offering sales are legitimate, including requiring certain things to be shown on the websites to indicate they are not scams.

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It’s hoped this plan will also reduce red tape and any costs to the government that may have come up by managing online sales of cannabis.

It is up to individual retailers to figure out how to get their products to customers, which may just include sending it through the mail like the provincial website did. But there are also discussions happening that could see cannabis delivered through services including Skip The Dishes and Uber.

One prominent retailer is not taking that route, though, and is instead ready to use their own staff to get products out.

“We’re delivering with staff members, same day, so within 90 minute windows,” said Amber Craig, spokesperson for Four20 Premium Market. “So we actually have a quicker solution than what the AGLC was doing, so I think that also allows us to be a little more competitive than what existed previously.”

Craig said we learned through the pandemic that people prefer to have things delivered promptly, and they won’t be subject to any delays through the mail. They also did not have to hire any more staff to do the deliveries, with employees instead agreeing to take on extra hours if they wish to take the shipments out while still being able to maintain service levels at storefronts.

Craig is also hopeful this can cut into the business of the black market, by offering a regulated and safe product which can also be delivered quickly. In addition, it can help serve more people who may not have been able to go into stores for various reasons.