Alberta liquor regulator staffing up as legalized cannabis nears

The government agency that will oversee the distribution of recreational cannabis in Alberta has ramped up recruitment of new employees for the budding industry.

In January, the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) started posting jobs related to cannabis licensing, spokeswoman Michelle Haynes-Dawson says.

“A lot of our people that work in that area have some sort of law enforcement or police studies background,” she said Thursday, adding the agency is looking for people with at least five years of experience in regulatory inspections.

One recent posting that closed Jan. 19 offered a salary of up to $92,000 for an investigator whose work would include looking at cannabis licensees.

“These positions are very much in parallel with the type of positions we have for our liquor and gaming sides of the business,” Haynes-Dawson said.

The Alberta government says it will release more details on cannabis regulations in February or March.

Those rules will stipulate where shops can be located as well as the distance between them.

Legislation will also outline how the AGLC licensing will work.

The NDP has opted for privately owned brick-and-mortar stores while keeping online sales under government control.

Retailers will be banned from selling any unrelated goods, including munchies.

Finance Minister Joe Ceci confirmed in December the AGLC would put a markup on cannabis, in addition to a provincial tax.

The recruitment push at the AGLC will continue through the planned legalization of recreational marijuana July 1, HaynesDawson said.

“Once cannabis becomes legal ... we’ll certainly need more bodies to help us fill those responsibilities to ensure the safety of product as well as the industry.”

A lot of our people that work in that area have some sort of law enforcement or police studies background.