An unlicensed shop puts an 'Ontario Authorized' seal in its window. What does Ontario law say?
CannSell: Running the store
Hours 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.
- No sign-up
- Every answer explained
- Independent · not a government site
- 14 questions
- Topic drill
Study reference: Ontario cannabis retail law and AGCO guidance (Oct 2026), Ch. 8 Store rules — O. Reg. 468/18 ss. 9, 13, 17, 19; Cannabis Licence Act ss. 7, 20, 22; Registrar's Standards 2.1 to 2.7; Cannabis Act (Canada) ss. 29, 36, 37
All 14 questions in this test
Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.
An unlicensed shop puts an 'Ontario Authorized' seal in its window. What does Ontario law say?
- The seal is decorative and has no legal meaning
- Only authorized retailers may use the seal
- Shops that have applied for a licence may use the seal
- Any shop may use the seal if it sells legal products
Can a cannabis store sell products through a vending machine?
- Yes, but only for accessories after 11 p.m.
- Yes, if a licensed manager restocks it daily
- Yes, if the machine checks ID electronically
- No, dispensing devices are prohibited
What is the minimum size of the cannabis retail seal displayed at the store entrance?
- 5 cm wide by 7 cm tall
- 10 cm wide by 10 cm tall
- 17 cm wide by 20 cm tall
- 30 cm wide by 40 cm tall
How must cannabis and accessories be displayed?
- So young persons cannot see them, even from outside
- On open shelves so customers can pick products up
- In the front window to attract adult customers passing by
- Next to the entrance where everyone walking in can see
During what hours may an Ontario cannabis retail store be open to the public?
- From 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. on any day
- From 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on any day
- Any hours the municipality allows
- From 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on any day
Within what time after receiving its store authorization must a store begin selling cannabis?
- At any time, there is no deadline
- Within 30 days, or the authorization lapses
- Within one year, and keep selling after that
- Within five years of the authorization date
Can a cannabis store share its retail space with a coffee shop customers walk through?
- No, it must be walled off from other businesses
- Yes, if the coffee shop closes before 7 p.m. each day
- Yes, if the coffee shop also sells cannabis accessories
- Yes, as long as staff check ID at the coffee counter
Which area must the store's surveillance cameras clearly capture?
- Entrances and exits, including where ID is checked
- Only the parking lot, and only at night
- Only the staff washroom door and hallway
- Only the manager's private office and desk
Besides the seal, what must a store post in a conspicuous place inside the store?
- The store's monthly sales figures
- Each employee's home address
- The retail store authorization
- The landlord's lease agreement
Where must the official cannabis retail seal be displayed at a store?
- Where it is visible from outside the public entrance
- Only on the store's website, never at the door
- Behind the counter, next to the cash register
- In the staff room with the training records
What rule applies to sensory display containers that let customers see and smell cannabis?
- They must be locked, tamper-proof and not removable
- They may hold free cannabis supplied by a licensed producer
- They must be emptied and refilled every hour of business
- Customers may open them to touch and smell the product
How long must a store keep its surveillance video recordings?
- At least 30 days
- At least 3 years
- At least 24 hours
- At least 7 days
How must every cannabis sale at a store be made?
- As a pre-ordered sale
- As a recorded sale
- As an anonymous sale
- As a cash-only sale
Who may have access to the cannabis stored in a retail store?
- Anyone the landlord lets into the building after hours
- Delivery drivers from the producer at any time
- Only staff, from receipt until sale or destruction
- Any customer who has already shown valid ID
Running the store: 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 ↗
Hours
- A cannabis retail store may be open to the public between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. on any day (O. Reg. 125/26 amendment).
- Curbside distribution next to the store is also limited to 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- AGCO monetary penalty for opening outside permitted hours: up to $15,000.
Seal and authorization display
- Cannabis may not be sold unless the store displays the Ontario cannabis retail seal ("Ontario Authorized" / "Détaillant autorisé en Ontario", white trillium on black).
- The seal must be visible from outside the public entrance and be at least 17 cm wide by 20 cm tall; English, French or both versions may be used.
- The seal must also appear prominently on any store website or app, with the authorization number, holder's name, store operating name and address.
- The retail store authorization must be posted in a conspicuous place inside the store.
- If the authorization is revoked or not renewed, the seal must be removed as soon as practicable.
- During a suspension, a sign in the Registrar's approved form must be displayed so it is visible from outside the entrance.
- Only authorized retailers may use the seal or claim to be authorized (Cannabis Control Act s. 8.1).
Retail space
- The retail space must be enclosed by walls separating it from any other business and from any outdoor area.
- Customers cannot enter or pass through the store to reach another business (except a common area of an enclosed mall).
- Receiving and storage areas cannot be accessible to other businesses or to the public.
- An ATM may be located in the retail space.
Operating
- Sales must start within one year of the authorization being issued and continue afterwards.
- Cannabis may be distributed only in person in the store, in an area immediately adjacent to it, or by delivery.
- All sales must be recorded sales.
Physical store
- A secure, high-resolution surveillance system must run at all times with 24-hour coverage of entrances and exits (including where ID is checked), pick-up areas, point of sale, receiving, sales floor and storage, plus just outside the store.
- Video must be kept at least 30 days and given to the AGCO on request.
- All cannabis must be stored securely and accessible only to staff from receipt to sale, destruction or return.
- Outdated, recalled, damaged or otherwise unsellable cannabis must be kept separate from other cannabis.
- Sensory display containers (to see and smell product) are allowed only if locked, tamper-proof and not removable; patrons must not be able to touch the cannabis.
- Cannabis in sensory display containers must be bought from store inventory through the point-of-sale system.
- The store must have exterior signage clearly identifying the business (Standard 6.1).
Display
- Cannabis and accessories must not be displayed where a young person could see them, including from outside the store.
- Selling through a self-service display or a dispensing device such as a vending machine is prohibited.
Products and education
- Stores choose how to display products, but cannabis must stay secure and accessible only to staff.
- Store-run educational sessions for customers are up to the operator; responsible-use information must be available.
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.
- 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.
- 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.