Ontario Wake & Bake …Province seeking public feedback on a proposal to allow cannabis stores to open as early as 7 am | Cannabis Law Report | How to order Skittles Moonrock online
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Ontario is currently seeking public feedback on a proposal to allow cannabis stores to open as early as 7 am, two hours earlier than the current 9 am allowance.
Ontario’s Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG) is seeking feedback on the proposal to amend provincial regulations.
Under the current regulatory framework, the permitted hours for cannabis retail store operations in Ontario are between 9:00 am and 11:00 pm. The formal change requires amendments to those provincial regulations. The MAG is also proposing regulations to allow cannabis delivery services to pick up products as early as 7:00 am, although permitted delivery times would remain 9:00 am to 11:00 pm, mirroring delivery rules for alcohol retailers.
In a public notice, the MAG says the proposal would reduce regulatory burden by giving retailers greater flexibility in setting their operating hours. It would also support increased profitability by enabling stores to open two hours earlier each day.
The agency says that it hopes such changes will, over time, help legal cannabis retailers to better compete with unlicensed, illicit retailers and would create operational efficiencies for inspectors at the AGCO.
The consultation is open to the public from April 9 through April 24, 2026.
The proposed changes are not expected to result in new compliance costs and are expected to reduce regulatory burden for private cannabis retailers by allowing greater flexibility in operating hours. The proposed changes are also not expected to result in any new operational costs for the AGCO and would create efficiencies for inspections through alignment with the hours of operation in the alcohol retail framework.
Ontario considering allowing cannabis stores to open two hours earlier
Extending Cannabis Retail Store Hours
Summary of the proposal
The Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG) is seeking feedback on a proposal to amend Ontario Regulation 468/18 under the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018 (CLA) to permit authorized cannabis retail stores to open to the public as early as 7:00 a.m. This change would support retail store authorization (RSA) holders.
Under the current regulatory framework, permissible hours of cannabis retail store operation are set out in section 17 of Ontario Regulation 468/18. Currently, permissible hours of cannabis retail store operation are set between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. Amendments to this section are required to enable cannabis retail stores to open to the public at 7 a.m. In doing so, permissible hours of cannabis retail store operation would become 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. To ensure pick-up services can occur during this timeframe, corresponding amendments are also required to section 20.1 of O. Reg. 468/18 to enable pick-up services to start at 7 a.m. Permitted delivery hours would remain unchanged as 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. – in alignment with delivery rules for alcohol retailers – and amendments would be made to section 20.2 of O Reg. 468/18 to reflect this.
This proposal would reduce regulatory burden by providing retailers with greater flexibility in setting their hours of retail operation. It would also support increased profitability by enabling stores to open two hours earlier each day. Retailers would be able to set their own hours of retail store operation between the permissible hours of 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. and would still be able to set their own hours of delivery between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m.
Over time, expanded retail store hours may help legal retailers capture sales currently diverted to the illicit market, thereby supporting the government’s efforts to combat illegal cannabis activity and enhance community safety. Aligning the operating hours of cannabis and alcohol retailers would also create operational efficiencies for inspectors at the AGCO.
Relevant dates
Posted Date: Apr 9, 2026
Comment Due Date: Apr 24, 2026
Last Updated: Apr 9, 2026
Analysis of the regulatory impact
The proposed changes are not anticipated to result in new compliance costs and are expected to reduce regulatory burden for private cannabis retailers by allowing greater flexibility in operating hours. The proposed changes are not anticipated to result in any new operational costs for the AGCO and would create efficiencies for inspections through alignment with the hours of operation in the alcohol retail framework.
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