Though the Ford government says it’s planning to introduce new measures to crack down on illicit cannabis sales, legal retailers are questioning why it took eight years following legalization for enforcement tools to be bolstered.
Several legal sellers told Global News they want Ontario to take the new rules a step further, by allowing the legal market to innovate and modernize cannabis sales by lifting some restrictions on how and where pot can be sold.
Increasing the appeal and ease of the legal product is what the industry truly needs to combat illegal enterprises, said Mike Dunn, the owner and founder of 1922 Cannabis in Toronto, a licensed cannabis dispensary.
“People don’t buy illegally because they want to break the law. They buy because it’s easy,” said Dunn.
On Monday, the Ministry of the Attorney General announced the Ford government will introduce new legislation to “strengthen enforcement” against illegal cannabis sales by providing “new tools” to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario to tackle unauthorized sellers.
The legislative changes would include “the authority to conduct inspections, seize illegal cannabis products and equipment and issue administrative monetary penalties,” said the attorney general in a news release this week.
The illegal market for cannabis sales in Ontario has been prolific. When cannabis was legalized in October, 2018, the legal market was only responsible for 5.4 per cent of purchases, according to the Canadian Press. Legal sales only overtook illegal sales for the first time at the end of 2021.
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Now, illegal cannabis retailers make up about 30 per cent of cannabis sales in Ontario, according to the ministry.
Omar Khan, with High Tide, the parent company of retail chain Canna Cabana, said the new legislation will allow the Alcohol and Gaming Commission to seize products and issue fines without the burden of proof needed for criminal prosecutions.
Anytime a new illegal seller emerges near any store, legal enterprises are threatened, he said. There are about 1,800 legal retailers across the province, according to the Ministry of the Attorney General.
“We’re encouraged by this move,” he said. “Every indication that I’ve heard says that the government is taking this seriously.”
But the province has faced criticism for its approach to shutting down illegal pot shops over the last few years.
In early 2025, Carleton Grant, Toronto’s executive director of municipal licensing and standards, said the city hadn’t been given adequate municipal funding to enforce rules against illegal stores.
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Ford should have shored up enforcement on illegal retailers soon after cannabis was legalized, according to some legal sellers. Now, they say, the government has an opportunity to make legal sales more appealing and further discourage illegal sales.
Some illegal vendors offer late night delivery options, with cannabis products just a text away on a customer’s phone. Cannabis can be delivered legally in Ontario but hours are restricted from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Dunn’s retailer, 1922 Cannabis, does offer delivery using bike couriers to try to tap into the ease customers are looking for.
“Enforcement can close doors. It can’t make the legal option easier,” said Dunn.
Khan said the new tools will only work if the Alcohol and Gaming Commission is provided with enough resources. He also agrees with Dunn that Ontario’s retail framework for cannabis needs modernization.
“Whetheter that’s looking at the potential for consumption spaces, consumption lounges for cannabis drinks or cannabis edibles,” he said. Ontario could follow Alberta, which allows temporary cannabis store licences for adults-only music festivals, he said.
“A lot of provinces are letting cannabis stores sell munchies and snacks and a few other things to increase revenue lines. We hope and encourage the Ontario government to take a look,” he said.
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles said she wants to see what the Ford government firmly proposes before determining if the legislation will be effective.
“They talk a lot before they come back to the legislature, but we need to see the details of what they’re proposing,” she said.
The planned new legislation has not been released yet. The legislature is not sitting, as it was put on a 21-week long summer break that began in June. MPPs are scheduled to return on Oct. 27.
who ever could have expected that the feds could bungle the legalization/control of a plant that literally grows wild almost anywhere.
I get mine through an illegal outlet because the prices are far cheaper and quality far superior. Not to mention restrictions on edible strengths in legal dispensaries! The prices are a joke
@Disgusted With Ontario’s Government
LOL Doug Ford is hardly Conservative and if a Liberal government were doing it a minister’s wife would be getting a big illegal contract or some other backwards glaring conflict of interest that would never be punished
The Sellers of “Legal” cannabis to the LCBO only care because it’s cutting into their profit margins. A story of more greedy people pretending to do things for the safety of others.
People shop for cannabis outside of the LCBO because it allows their dollar to go further. More misinformation. Not surprised.
The government always forgets the key word in blackmarket is market. It’s more efficient than the government regulated stores.
Who the hell buys black market pot in 2026?!?
I HATE pot heads, it’s all garbage!
It’s never old or dry in weed stores in BC
BC here. Similar issues with the govt here, they are not cracking down on grey market stores, primarily because they are on Band land and I don’t think they want to stir things up.
IF they don’t want to enforce the law (imagine if they opened illegal liquor stores!), then they can at least level the playing field and allow the legal, tax paying, law abiding stores to offer the higher dosage gummies and edibles.
Allow snack foods and other options to increase their ability to create income. Above all though, ENFORCE the law.
“Because it’s easy” hahaha no, because it is BETTER.
I don’t believe that being able to issue fines without any proof is a good law I believe it is a slack lazy law and I believe it will come back to bite you on the ass down the road
Legal pot shops provide you products that are years old and they have lost their moisture and quality. They are the worst thing to ever happen. The prices sore and the customer service is garbage. ” Illegal ” is double the quality and half the cost.
Wrong. He’s lying. People still buy illegal pot because its cheaper. Its extremely easy to buy pot. We have about 12 stores in my city alone
I’m not sure if they are being ignorant or have to say what they said to keep up an image but it’s because it’s cheaper not easier. This is an era of now now now and most don’t want to wait 4 hours for black market delivery. Going to a brick and mortar is 1000x easier but when’s it’s double the cost and half the options black market will rule over.
The legal shops are set up to fail as government controls mean bad product and ridiculous prices! If you want to build something that will work well for consumers government involvement destroys it! Alcohol, education, union protections, hospitals and health all failing attacked by those who represent us!
They’re mad because they lose customers. Its cheaper. Legal dispensaries charge too much for the same product.
Fuc off.60 bucks an oz from mom and pop grow opps
Screw you. Everybody get screwd in Sunny Ways Canada, so get in line.
Why are we not talking about the multiple hundred of illegal cannabis shops o nativevreserves blatantly underminingbtje legsl cannibis operations as well as undermining taxpayers of sales tax revenues. These operations s while appearing to benefit native communities are in fact mob funded criminal networks involved in not only this activity but other illegal sales. Fear of media indignation and perception of indigenous discrimination. A total farce well known by the RCMP and our spineless politicians.
To all legel shops quit bitching u tax the canabis to death gray market is much better quality cheeper and the legel market is over priced dry trash with no comen sense in canabis so plz shut the hell up complaining u millionaire punks
People don’t buy illegal cannabis because it’s easy. They buy it because Canadians are BROKE and need to save money anyway they can and most ppl are not pleased with the financial situation the government has put us in and will do what makes sense dollar wise while sticking it to the tax dollars anyway they can. Maybe if the “problem” of finances were tackled in a more fair way ppl would be more able to afford gping to legal cannabis stores
Corporations masquerading as government. The rich get richer while the peasants pay up. Anyone that thinks Canada is a democracy hasn’t been paying attention. Those in suits couldn’t manage the rags at a knob gobbling competition, and that’s fact
People buy illegaly because we can get weed that hasnt been nuked in a microwave to prevent mould. Kills the terps. Makes the weed taste terrible. I can get better weed from high-school kids with no idea what they are doing that far exceeds the “professionals” Not a single legal grower seems to have any clue on how to cure weed. Not sure if its greed or regulations but 12 year olds grow better weed. Thc is one part of the equation. Remember when oranges tasted good not just like pulp. Let’s not let weed go the same way as all the flavor in our friuts and vegetables they genetically modified and select bread the flavor out of for quicker grows and higher profits.
They buy because it’s cheaper, greater variety, and quality seems superior, then comes convenience. Mostly a matter of economics, but Canada loves to knee cap industries so illegal or unscrupulous aspects can thrive.
People buy illegally grown pot because rhe people doing it do it right and dont charge gram for gram above an eighth…. When i bought that way i was paying between $160-$180 an ounce where as in retail stores they usually want $220-240
People don’t buy illegal pot because it’s easier. They buy it because it’s cheaper and they can see and smell what they’re buying before they purchase it. When you go to a dispensary, your weed is in a sealed dark container and you don’t get to see what you’re buying until you’ve purchased it and they don’t give refunds or exchanges. Where would you go with your money?
I find it’s just as easy to go to a local shop. Regarding today’s street weed, one doesn’t know what else may be in it.
it’s all about quality and prices, cheap quality at high prices drives customers away to local dealers.
This year I got just shy of 3 lbs for my 4 plants.
I’ve been growing my own for 30+ years.
I have NEVER sold mj.
I give it to friends and family.
There shouldn’t b weed stores run by the government of Canada. There’s no competition. Everything is expensive and u have to pay taxes on everything. Colorado did it properly. Greedy liberal government
Pretty ironic these clowns are now wanting there competition harassed by government alot like how they were treated in the beginning of this circus. Its regulated to a point that nobody wants to walk into a appointed dispensary and get a product packaged 9 months to a year previous AND pay top dollar.. I’ll continue hitting the illegal market like the rest of us with a brain so dispensarys continue to cry and complain.
Legal market isn’t even regulated well, legalization only happened so the gov and big business could get their slice. The people get the short end of the stick as always.
No!
They do it because its cheaper,
And in many cases better
Weed is free, nobody should be paying for it.
Why would I buy something at a store that My neighbour can sell me?
The point of legalization was what again? To free up court time and stop petty charges from hurting folks.. or to corner and monopolize another market?
Who cares, how many illegal dealers are in jail? Liberals let them go, and they were the ones to promote it. Someone got rich from legalization.
Conservatives couldn’t manage a lemon aid stand, so don’t expect them to fix this file either, especially after almost a decade. They just opened the legislature today after over 6 months of them being “off work”, but it won’t be open for long. They’ll close it up again for the Christmas break for another 3 or 4 months. If any other political party did this year after year, the Cons would be screaming their heads off.