- Health Canada — Federal — primary regulator
Issues all LP licenses, sets GPP and quality standards, conducts compliance inspections, issues import/export permits. Primary federal cannabis authority under Cannabis Act 2018.
- LP licenses (cultivation, processing, sale)
- GPP standards enforcement
- Import/export permits
- Compliance inspections
- Cannabis tracking system (CTLS)
- Ontario — AGCO — Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario
Ontario regulates cannabis retail. AGCO issues retail operator and store authorizations. Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) is the provincial wholesaler.
- Retail operator license
- Cannabis retail store authorization
- OCS as sole online retailer
- BC — BCLDB — BC Liquor Distribution Branch
BC regulates cannabis distribution and retail. BCLDB is the sole wholesaler. Private retail stores licensed by LCRB.
- LCRB retail store license
- BCLDB wholesale supply agreements
- Quebec — SAQ/SQDC — Société québécoise du cannabis
Quebec operates a government-controlled retail model via SQDC. Private retail not permitted in Quebec.
- SQDC is sole retailer in Quebec
- Supply agreement with SQDC required for Quebec sales
- Licensed Producers (LPs) — Health Canada licensed
~800+ active LP license holders in Canada as of 2026. Produce cultivation, processing, and/or sales licenses. Medical cannabis LPs supply direct to registered patients.
- Health Canada LP license
- GPP compliance
- Cannabis tracking via CTLS
- Annual renewal
- Medical Patients / Consumers — Registered or retail
Medical: registered with an LP via medical document from healthcare provider. Recreational: purchase from provincially licensed retail. Canada has ~400,000 registered medical patients.