Why we list only licensed cannabis stores

Buying from a legal store is the law

Health Canada advises buying cannabis only from the legal retailers in your province or territory. Some provinces go further and make buying from anyone else an offence. Ontario’s Cannabis Control Act, 2017, for example, says no person shall buy cannabis except from an authorized cannabis retailer.

A directory that mixed legal and illegal sellers would make it harder for people to follow those rules. Keeping to official lists means you can treat any store you find here as one that appeared on a government list when we last checked.

Directories have responsibilities too

Ontario’s law also says that no person shall knowingly advertise or promote the sale of cannabis by someone who isn’t authorized to sell it. Whatever the rules in a given province, we think the same standard is right for a directory everywhere. If we can’t point to an official list a store appears on, we don’t list it.

Why official lists, not our own judgment

We could try to decide for ourselves which stores look legitimate, but we aren’t a regulator and we can’t inspect a store. The provinces and territories are the ones who license, permit or run each legal store, so their lists are the most reliable record of who may sell. Relying on them also keeps us neutral: every store gets in the same way, and no store can pay to be listed if it isn’t on an official list.

It also makes our work checkable. Each store page names the list it came from and links to it, so you don’t have to take our word for anything.

Illegal sellers can look convincing

Unlicensed storefronts and websites often look professional. Government sources list common warning signs:

• no age check, in store or online;
• shipping anywhere in Canada (B.C. and Alberta, for example, say legal sellers ship only within their own province);
• referral bonuses, free samples or sign-up promotions;
• payment only by e-transfer or cryptocurrency, with no credit cards;
• products without a provincial excise stamp, or packaging that appeals to young people;
• in B.C., no provincial licence on display in the store.

Alberta’s regulator says illegal online sellers are often connected to organized crime, and that buying from them can put your personal and card information at risk. We don’t think a directory should send anyone there.

What we leave out, and what we add

Because we stick to official lists, there are things you won’t find here:

• no unlicensed stores, “mail-order” sites or delivery services without a licensed store behind them;
• no reviews, ratings, testimonials or rankings of stores;
• no product, brand or price promotion;
• no listings, photos or menus copied from other directories.

What we add is information that helps you check a store yourself: each listing names its official source and the date we last checked it, and links to the regulator. Verified owners can add hours, delivery areas and menus, and paid placements are always labelled “Sponsored”. More on that is on our About page.

When the official lists are out of date

Official lists aren’t perfect. A store can close before the list catches up, or open before its next update. We show the date we last checked each source, and we fix listings when someone tells us and the official source confirms it. If you spot a store that’s closed, or one that shouldn’t be listed, our post on how to report an unlicensed or closed store explains what to do.

In our directory

• Find a licensed store near you

Sources

Facts in this post were taken from these official sources, checked October 26, 2026.

1. Health Canada: Authorized cannabis retailers in the provinces and territories
2. Ontario: Cannabis Control Act, 2017
3. Government of B.C.: Identify or report illegal cannabis sales or production
4. AGLC: Contraband tobacco and illegal cannabis
5. AGLC: New investigation unit tackles illegal online cannabis
6. Government of Canada: Reduce your risk, choose legal cannabis

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