Even as provinces discuss opening up direct trade of some alcohol products across Canada, cannabis sales remain under the tight control of provincial authorities.
Most recently, nine provinces and one territory signed a memorandum of understanding to allow direct-to-consumer alcoholic beverage sales with other participating Canadian jurisdictions. Only Newfoundland, Nunavut, and Northwest Territories have not yet signed on. The plan is expected to unfold fully by mid-2026.
The move, while part of a more long-standing effort, has gained considerable headwinds in the wake of recent efforts in Canada to increase domestic and international trade options following US President Donald Trump's efforts at stoking a trade war with Canada.
But while the provincial rules around alcohol sales are beginning to loosen, the provinces' grip on their respective jurisdictions' cannabis sales remains as tight as ever, despite being managed by the same or similar provincial agencies.
Like alcohol, provinces and territories have control over the distribution and sales of cannabis within their borders. Agencies like the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC), and British Columbia's Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) oversee both of these products, along with others, in a similar fashion.
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