Alberta’s marijuana legislation mix of private, public sales

EDMONTON — The Alberta government plans to control the online sale of legalized marijuana, but will leave over-the-counter sales to private operators.

Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley introduced the rules in proposed legislation Thursday, but details on how sales would work have yet to be determined.

“This is a major shift for our province and one that has to be made very quickly with a lot of complex questions,” Ganley said. “We believe this plan represents what the majority of Albertans want to see.”

There are still questions about how online weed would be delivered and whether liquor stores would be allowed to sell marijuana if they erected a barrier and had a separate entrance for cannabis customers.

Ganley said the government will finalize those decisions by early next year.

Marijuana distribution would be run by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission and there would be ways to ensure that minors couldn’t buy weed via the internet. Private cannabis stores would have to be separate from stores selling alcohol, tobacco or pharmaceuticals — but how that would be legally defined hasn’t been determined.

How many cannabis stores would be allowed would be up to the commission, but retailers would have to undergo background checks. All staff would have to be 18 or older.