To apply for an RSA, you must have already applied for an ROL with the AGCO (or hold a valid ROL if it has already been issued). Applications for both an RSA and ROL can be submitted at the same time, but the ROL will be issued before the RSA is granted. The AGCO’s fee for a Retail Store Authorization is $4,000 CAD.
This fee is required to be paid upon submission of the application, and it is generally non-refundable. To be eligible for a Retail Store Authorization, the following criteria should be met since there are some places where you cannot open a cannabis retail store:
Ensure you have applied for, or hold, a Retail Operator Licence;
Ensure the proposed location for your retail store is more than 150 metres away from the property line of a school or private school;
Contact the municipality where the store will be located and confirm that the proposed retail store meets local municipal requirements for retail store siting;
Review the Registrar’s Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores to ensure you understand the requirements for your store;
Ensure that the operating name of the proposed retail store complies with all applicable Federal/Provincial legislation related to advertising and promotion.
For farmgate cannabis retail in Ontario, licensed producers (or one of its affiliates) are eligible to apply for a single RSA. In this case, the proposed cannabis retail store must be located on or within the site set out in the federally issued production licence. After you have submitted an ROL and RSA, you can move on to apply for a Cannabis Retail Manager Licence (see below).