CannSell certificate: how to get it
How to get the CannSell certificate for Ontario cannabis retail work: who must have it, the AGCO-approved programs and their cost, the online course and final exam, retakes, the certificate and the manager licence. Official AGCO sources.
By the Canada Exam Prep Editorial Team ·
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- Checked October 17, 2026
In Ontario, everyone who works in a cannabis retail store must complete a cannabis retail employee training program approved by the Board of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) before their first day of work. CannSell is one of the approved programs, and passing it gives you the certificate that shows you meet this requirement.
This guide covers who needs the training, how to choose an approved program, what the online course and final exam involve, what it costs, what happens if you fail and what store managers need on top of it. Each fact links to the AGCO page, or the official course page, that it comes from. Our free practice tests and mock exam cover the same rules on age, identification, intoxication and the law.
Step by step
Check that the training applies to you
Store authorization holders, retail manager licence holders, every other person working in the store, including those who make deliveries, and people providing security services for the store must all complete an approved program before their first day of work.
Source: AGCO — Educational requirements for cannabis retail staffChoose an AGCO Board-approved program
The AGCO lists two approved programs: CannSell, at $69.99 plus HST, and CTC 1: Cannabis Retail Certification Program from Cannabis Training Canada, at $64.99 plus HST. Both are online, delivered in English or French, and take about four hours.
Source: AGCO — Educational requirements for cannabis retail staffComplete the online course
CannSell Standard is a self-paced online course that works on a phone, tablet, laptop or desktop. You can finish it in one sitting or over several sessions; the provider estimates four to six hours plus the final exam.
Source: CannSell — CannSell StandardPass the final exam with 80% or more
Every approved program requires at least 80 percent on its final exam. The CannSell Standard final exam has 25 questions, so you need 20 correct.
Source: AGCO — Educational requirements for cannabis retail staffRetake if you need to
CannSell gives one retake when you contact its team, for two attempts in all. After two failed attempts, two more attempts cost $50.
Source: CannSell — CannSell StandardReceive your certificate
When you pass, CannSell issues a digital certificate and a verifiable digital badge that you can show an employer.
Source: CannSell — CannSell StandardFinish before your first shift
The licensee must make sure every employee has completed the approved training before their first scheduled shift, and must also obtain criminal background checks from employees as part of hiring.
Source: AGCO — Frequently asked questions: retail store operation
Who can get it
- Required for holders of a Cannabis Retail Store Authorization (CRSA) and of a Cannabis Retail Manager Licence (CRML), for all other store employees including delivery staff, and for people providing security services to the store. Source: AGCO — Educational requirements for cannabis retail staff
- The CRSA holder is responsible for making sure all employees meet the training requirement. Source: AGCO — Educational requirements for cannabis retail staff
- Store managers also need a retail manager licence: applicants must be 19 or older, act with honesty and integrity, have no charges or convictions under the cannabis statutes and no ties to organized crime, and not have been refused or had such a licence revoked in the last two years. Source: AGCO — Apply for a retail manager licence
What it costs
| Item | Amount | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| CannSell course and final exam | $69.99 plus HST | Source: AGCO — Educational requirements for cannabis retail staff |
| Cannabis Training Canada's Cannabis Retail Certification Program (the other approved program) | $64.99 plus HST | Source: AGCO — Educational requirements for cannabis retail staff |
| CannSell extra attempts after two fails | $50 for two more attempts | Source: CannSell — CannSell Standard |
| Retail manager licence, store managers only (non-refundable) | $750 for a new two-year licence; renewal $500 for two years or $1,000 for four years | Source: AGCO — Apply for a retail manager licence |
Fees change. Check the amount on the official page or with the provider before you pay.
Where to take the test
Both approved programs, including the final exam, are taken online, in English or French. There is no test centre to book. Source: AGCO — Educational requirements for cannabis retail staff
What to bring or have ready
- For the course: internet access and a phone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer. Source: CannSell — CannSell Standard
- For a job in a store: expect the licensee to ask for a criminal background check as part of hiring. Source: AGCO — Frequently asked questions: retail store operation
- For a retail manager licence on iAGCO: your employment and unemployment history, your most recent tax return and assessment (or an explanation), the operator and store name and address with your job offer or hire date, and your social insurance number. Source: AGCO — Apply for a retail manager licence
After you pass
Keep your digital certificate or badge to show an employer. Passing does not end your obligations: CannSell reminds holders that they must keep up with AGCO rules as they change. Source: CannSell — CannSell Standard
Validity and renewal
The CannSell Standard certification does not expire, so there is no renewal. It covers Ontario's AGCO rules only and is not a certificate for other provinces. Source: CannSell — CannSell Standard
Common mistakes
- Starting work before you finish. The training must be done before your first day of work, not during your first weeks. Source: AGCO — Educational requirements for cannabis retail staff
- Taking a course that is not on the AGCO's list. Only AGCO Board-approved programs meet the requirement. Source: AGCO — Educational requirements for cannabis retail staff
- Assuming security or delivery staff are exempt. People providing security services and employees who make deliveries need the training too. Source: AGCO — Educational requirements for cannabis retail staff
- Managers stopping at the certificate. A store manager also needs a retail manager licence from the AGCO, applied for on iAGCO. Source: AGCO — Apply for a retail manager licence
- Expecting the certificate to carry over to another province. CannSell covers Ontario's AGCO rules only. Source: CannSell — CannSell Standard
Prepare for the test
Free practice written from the official material: full practice tests, a study guide, a printable sheet and a timed mock exam.
- CannSell practice tests169 original practice questions with explanations
- CannSell practice test (printable PDF)50 CannSell practice questions on ID checks, purchase limits, edibles, refusing sales, delivery and store rules, with a separate answer key. Print or save as a PDF. Free.
- CannSell study guideFree CannSell study guide: 287 key points from the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018, O. Reg. 468/18 and AGCO guidance in plain words, organised by topic, each topic linked to its practice questions.
- CannSell Mock Exam 1 – 25 QuestionsUntimed practice · answers explained
- CannSell exam simulator25 new random questions every time, full screen, no hints
We last checked the official pages on October 17, 2026. Rules and fees can change; the official source always wins.
FAQ
How to get the CannSell certificate: common questions
How do I get a CannSell certificate?
Register for CannSell, complete the self-paced online course and pass the final exam with at least 80 percent. You then receive a digital certificate and badge to show your employer.
How much does CannSell cost?
The AGCO lists CannSell at $69.99 plus HST. The other approved program from Cannabis Training Canada is $64.99 plus HST.
Can I take CannSell online?
Yes. The approved programs are delivered online only, take about four hours and are offered in English or French.
How many questions are on the CannSell exam?
The CannSell Standard final exam has 25 questions, and you need 80 percent, which is 20 correct.
What happens if I fail the CannSell exam?
Contact CannSell for your one retake. If you fail twice, you can buy two more attempts for $50.
Does the CannSell certificate expire?
No. The CannSell Standard certification does not expire, but you are expected to keep up with changes to AGCO rules.
Do I need CannSell to work in an Ontario cannabis store?
You need an AGCO Board-approved program, completed before your first day of work. CannSell is one of the two approved programs; the Cannabis Training Canada program also meets the requirement.
Keep practising
- CannSell practice test (printable PDF)50 CannSell practice questions on ID checks, purchase limits, edibles, refusing sales, delivery and store rules, with a separate answer key. Print or save as a PDF. Free.
- CannSell study guide
- CannSell Mock Exam 1 – 25 QuestionsUntimed practice · answers explained
- CannSell Mock Exam 2 – 25 QuestionsUntimed practice · answers explained
- CannSell Practice Test 125 questions with explanations
- CannSell Practice Test 225 questions with explanations
- CannSell Practice Test 325 questions with explanations
Practice by topic
- Training and certificationWho must complete AGCO Board-approved cannabis retail training before the first shift, the two approved programs, the 80% final-exam standard, background checks and training records.
- Licences, managers and store locationsRetail operator licence, store authorization and retail manager licence, what managers do, age 19 for applicants, the five-store limit, the 150-metre school rule, public notice and municipal opt-outs.
- Legal age and checking IDAge 19 in Ontario, ID checks at the door for anyone who appears under 25, the good-faith ID defence, fake ID, proxy purchases, no staff under 19 and youth offences.
- Products, sources and purchase limitsBuying only from the OCS, what else a store may sell, the 30-gram limit per visit or order, federal equivalency amounts, THC limits for edibles and extracts and packaging rules.
- Cannabis and its effectsTHC and CBD, onset and duration for inhaled and ingested cannabis, short- and long-term effects, overconsumption and poisoning, pregnancy, mixing with alcohol and safe storage.
- Lower-risk use guidelinesCanada's Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines: delaying use, lower-THC products, avoiding synthetics and smoking, occasional use, six hours before driving and who should not use, plus the store's duty to share responsible-use information.
- Intoxication and refusing a saleThe ban on selling to anyone who is or appears intoxicated, signs of cannabis impairment, overconsumption, proxy buying, compliance records and police powers on premises.
- Running the storeHours of 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., the cannabis retail seal, posting the authorization, enclosed retail space, surveillance, secure storage, sensory displays and the ban on self-service and vending machines.
- Delivery, curbside and online salesWho may deliver, delivery hours of 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., residences and private places only, ID at the door, returning undelivered orders, curbside pick-up rules and First Nations delivery restrictions.
- Advertising, promotion and inducementsWhat store advertising may not do, federal promotion limits, no free product or contests to drive sales, and the rules on inducements from licensed producers.
- Records, inventory and destructionThree-year records, monthly inventory counts, certified point-of-sale systems, destroying unsellable cannabis on camera, recalls, inter-store transfers and preventing diversion.
- Inspections, offences and penaltiesAGCO inspections and inspectors' powers, whistle-blower protection, fines under the Cannabis Licence Act and Cannabis Control Act, monetary penalties and Licence Appeal Tribunal hearings.
- Where to use it, transport and drivingWhere adults may and may not smoke or vape cannabis in Ontario, possession and home-growing limits, carrying cannabis in vehicles and boats, and impaired-driving consequences.