In December 2023, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) updated you on the development of new standards related to regulatory reporting requirements, which have been scheduled to come into effective on April 1, 2024.
We are writing today to inform you that the effective date will be extended to July 1, 2024 in order to provide Ontario’s licensed cannabis retailers with additional time to achieve compliance.
Background
The AGCO and the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) have launched a new and improved approach to cannabis data reporting to enhance efficiencies, support rapid compliance and reduce burdens for you as a licensed cannabis retailer.
Specifically, the AGCO and the OCS are implementing a new point-of-sale (POS) data platform to help stores meet their reporting requirements more effectively. The solution is designed to help reduce the burden on retailers of manual data collection and improve operational efficiencies for retailers.
It automatically extracts, standardizes, and automates required monthly reports directly from data already housed at the retailers’ point of sale – providing automated on-demand reports and eliminating the need for manual monthly report preparation and submission. It will also improve data accuracy to better fulfil mandated provincial and federal government regulatory reporting requirements.
What this means to you
The AGCO has introduced a new set of standards, the Registrar’s Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores using the Point-of-Sale Data Reporting Platform, relating to the new regulatory requirements for cannabis stores.
By July 1, 2024, all cannabis retailers in Ontario are required to comply with the new Standards, which includes using a compatible POS system and fully transitioning to the new platform. Each retailer will be notified by the AGCO when they are subject to the new Standards. For retailers that are ready to transition in the months prior to July 2024, this notification may occur before July 1, 2024.
As of July 1, 2024, the new Standards will be in effect. At that time, the Registrar’s Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores using the Point-of-Sale Data Reporting Platform will be renamed Registrar’s Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores. The current Registrar’s Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores, which currently co-exist with the new Standards, will cease to be in effect.
Once you are successfully onboarded onto the new platform, the AGCO will confirm with you via direct email that you can stop submitting your manual Excel reports. Your POS system will automatically collect and submit the required data for your store. Until that time, you will need to keep submitting the Excel reports until you receive written confirmation by email from the AGCO that your transition is fully complete.
All Ontario cannabis retailers are required to have fully transitioned to this new platform is by July 1, 2024, at the latest.
The OCS has ensured that multiple security measures are in place to ensure the protection of data. This includes security and vulnerability testing with a third-party to thoroughly evaluate the platform and the use of encryption hashing and security best practices.
How do I ensure that my POS system is compatible
- If you haven’t already done so, contact your POS provider as soon as possible to confirm that they will be working with the OCS to set up the POS Data Reporting Platform for you.
- If your POS provider is not currently working with the OCS to provide you with the POS Data Reporting Platform, you will need to find a different integrated POS provider who is able to do so. To do this, you can refer to this List of POS Providers who are ready to onboard retailers.
- Note: To fully transition to the POS Data Reporting Platform, you must first resolve any outstanding data issues related to your previous manually submitted Excel reports. We encourage you to resolve any such issues as soon as possible.
For more information
If you have any questions about your Ontario Cannabis Data Reporting requirements, please contact cannabisreporting@agco.ca
If you require further information about the ongoing engagement of POS providers, please contact OntarioCannabisDataReporting@ocs.ca