A customer says the high from earlier has worn off, so they must be fine. What does CAMH say?
CannSell: Intoxication and refusing a sale
The ban on selling to anyone who is or appears intoxicated, signs of cannabis impairment, overconsumption, proxy buying, compliance records and police powers on premises.
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- Every answer explained
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- 12 questions
- Topic drill
Study reference: Ontario cannabis retail law and AGCO guidance (Oct 2026), Ch. 7 Intoxication and refusal — Cannabis Licence Act s. 7 (5); Cannabis Control Act ss. 8, 17; Registrar's Standards 1.1, 5.1, 8.1
All 12 questions in this test
Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.
A customer says the high from earlier has worn off, so they must be fine. What does CAMH say?
- Effects on functioning can outlast the feeling of being high
- Impairment only lasts as long as the person feels euphoric
- Once the high ends, impairment is always fully gone too
- Only first-time users stay impaired after the high fades
A curbside customer who prepaid online appears heavily intoxicated when picking up. What applies?
- Do not hand it over; the rule covers distribution
- Hand it over, because the sale was completed online earlier
- Hand it over if a sober friend signs for the order instead
- Hand it over, but only after checking the customer's ID
Under the Cannabis Control Act, does the ban on selling to intoxicated persons apply only to licensed stores?
- Yes, it applies only to authorized retail stores
- Yes, it applies only to the Ontario Cannabis Store
- No, but it applies only between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.
- No, it applies to any person who sells
A regular customer arrives slurring words and swaying after drinking. They ask for cannabis. What should staff do?
- Sell a smaller amount so they do not overconsume
- Refuse the sale because the customer appears intoxicated
- Sell it if the customer promises to go straight home
- Sell it, because alcohol is not covered by cannabis law
Which signs suggest someone may have overconsumed cannabis?
- Mild dry mouth after a single puff hours earlier
- Feeling relaxed and slightly hungry after a meal
- Panic, paranoia, hallucinations or extreme confusion
- Talking calmly and clearly about their day at work
Which records must a store keep to show it follows the rules on minors and intoxicated persons?
- Records of each staff member's personal cannabis use
- Records of every customer's home address and income
- A photo of every customer who enters the store each day
- Records showing compliance with CCA sections 7 and 8
To whom must a cannabis store refuse to sell?
- Anyone who is or appears to be intoxicated
- Only people intoxicated by cannabis, not alcohol
- Only people who fail a breath test
- Only people who admit they are intoxicated
Which sign may suggest a customer is impaired by cannabis?
- Clear speech and steady, quick movements
- Paying with exact change in cash
- Asking detailed questions about THC levels
- Confusion, drowsiness and slowed reactions
A manager tells a clerk to complete a sale to a visibly impaired regular. What does the standard require?
- The clerk should sell and record it as an exception
- The clerk may sell if the manager signs the receipt
- The clerk should follow the manager to avoid discipline
- Employees must act lawfully, so the clerk should still refuse
What maximum AGCO monetary penalty applies for selling to a person who appears intoxicated?
- Up to $500
- Up to $2,000
- Up to $250,000
- Up to $15,000
Police believe the Cannabis Control Act is being broken on a premises and order a person to leave. What applies?
- They may stay on the premises if they buy nothing further
- They may return to the premises after one hour has passed
- They may re-enter as soon as the store manager agrees to it
- They may not stay or re-enter that day without police approval
Which physical effect of cannabis can help staff notice impairment?
- Faster and sharper reaction time
- Improved hand-eye coordination
- A lower appetite than usual
- Reduced balance and stability
Intoxication and refusing a sale: key rules to remember
Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗
Intoxicated persons
- A store must not sell or distribute cannabis to a person who is or appears to be intoxicated.
- Under the Cannabis Control Act no person may knowingly sell or distribute cannabis to anyone who is or appears to be intoxicated.
- "Appears to be" matters: staff must act on visible signs; they do not need proof of a substance.
- Intoxication can come from cannabis, alcohol or other drugs; the rule covers any cause.
- AGCO monetary penalty for selling to an intoxicated person: up to $15,000.
- The same refusal rules apply at curbside pick-up and at the door during a delivery (distribution includes handing over).
Records of compliance
- Stores must keep records showing they comply with sections 7 and 8 of the Cannabis Control Act (no sales to under-19s, no sales to people who are or appear intoxicated), for at least 3 years.
signs of impairment
- Signs that may show cannabis impairment: confusion; drowsiness or sleepiness; slowed reactions; trouble remembering, concentrating or paying attention; poor balance and coordination; dizziness or feeling faint; red eyes; dry mouth.
- Behavioural signs can include anxiety, fear, panic, paranoia, or seeing or hearing things that are not there.
- Signs of overconsumption (cannabis poisoning): panic or anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations, extreme confusion; seek help through 1-844-POISON-X, 9-1-1 or a hospital.
- Effects of combined alcohol and cannabis are stronger than either alone.
- A person can remain impaired after the "high" fades.
Staff duties
- All employees must act within the law with honesty and integrity, so a refusal required by law cannot be overridden by a sales target or a manager's request.
- Staff must take reasonable measures to stop a purchase made for someone under 19 (for example an adult buying for a youth waiting outside).
Police powers
- Police who believe the Act is being broken on premises may order people to leave; it is an offence to stay or to re-enter the same day without police permission.
- No one may obstruct a police officer or designated person acting under the Act.
Study the Intoxication and refusing a sale rules as flashcards →
Other topics
- 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.
- 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.