Calgary OKs cannabis sales at adults-only festivals and events

Joey Chini · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 30, 2025 4:53 PM EDT | Last Updated: 18 minutes ago

Calgary metropolis assembly amended a bylaw Tuesday to let the sale of cannabis products astatine 18+ events successful the city.

The amendment to the Business Licence Bylaw permits temporary cannabis income astatine adults-only amusement events and commercialized shows, and prioritizes Calgary-based retailers, according to a merchandise from the city.

The regularisation alteration comes aft Coun. Kourtney Penner introduced a announcement of question successful February calling for the bylaw to beryllium amended.

"This amendment marks a important measurement guardant for Calgary, aligning our section regulations with provincial changes and supporting our city's vibrant amusement scene," said Michael Briegel, lawman main of business information with the city.

"By allowing cannabis income astatine 18+ events, we are ensuring compliance and implementing information measures to support minors."

The bylaw takes effect May 15 and prohibits the merchantability of cannabis astatine events wherever minors are besides allowed. Only section retailers with an progressive oregon existent concern licence whitethorn merchantability cannabis astatine adults-only events, pending approval from Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) for impermanent licence extensions.  

Previous rules meant that cannabis depletion was confined to designated areas and the merchantability of marijuana products had to beryllium kept abstracted from those areas.

Coun. Penner, who represents Ward 11, says changing the bylaw improves information astir cannabis sales without changing existing usage regulations astir wherever it tin beryllium consumed.

"The biggest contented is really safety. So erstwhile you're transporting a substance done a ample environment where radical are having a large time, there's just, you know, accidental for things to spell wrong," she said.

"And truthful having a safe, unafraid tract truly conscionable helps you power it and modulate the distribution. It volition beryllium nary antithetic than if you spell to the brew gardens and you locomotion up to the antagonistic and you were capable to get your brew astatine a festival."

Penner says it volition yet beryllium the festival oregon event's prime to let cannabis vendors to run astatine their event.

She notes that cannabis vendors won't beryllium seen astatine regular bars and venues that are adults-only though, arsenic they person to comply with provincial rules. She says AGLC volition beryllium overseeing licensing for vendors who privation to temporarily acceptable up store astatine events.

"It truly falls nether the proviso of a festival. So again, it has to beryllium compliant with an AGLC licence," Penner said. "If it was a circumstantial festival, 1 night, ticketed entry, perhaps. Again, they're going to person to cheque that with AGLC."

Nathan Mison, founder and president of Diplomat Consulting, a regulatory steadfast that has been advocating for changes to rules astir the merchantability of cannabis, says it makes consciousness for Calgary to instrumentality this measurement successful alignment with provincial rules.

Mison, besides 1 of a the founders of Fire & Flower Cannabis Co., says his firm was progressive successful calling connected the state to let for cannabis income astatine adults-only events.

"We're blessed that Calgary has travel to the array and that determination volition beryllium accidental for cannabis depletion astatine festivals and events successful the ongoing future," helium said.

Mison's steadfast besides founded Positive Intent Events (PIE), a institution focused connected creating opportunities for cannabis depletion astatine festivals and different 18+ unrecorded events successful Alberta.

PIE, successful concern with cannabis institution High Tide, has already hosted a cannabis depletion garden at the International Fringe Theatre Festival in Edmonton, with more events lined up successful that metropolis this year, helium says.

"We're present excited that there's the anticipation that we could person the Calgary Stampede and different unthinkable events successful Calgary," Mison said.

WATCH | Edmonton's International Fringe Theatre opens its first-ever cannabis garden:

Mison says clearing different regulatory hurdles to get cannabis gardens astatine events similar the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival successful Calgary might instrumentality a small spot longer, but he's optimistic.

"It mightiness beryllium hard to person [Stampede] included for this year, arsenic robust arsenic it could be, but, you know, the opportunities to person those conversations astir what those possibilities should be start today," helium said.

Mison adds that the acceptance of these rules could unfastened the doorway for different forms down the line.

"I deliberation present [lawmakers] are starting to spot this is an economical accidental for not conscionable festivals and unrecorded events," helium said. "The natural extension of that is clubs, java shops, cannabis chefs, cannabis restaurants — wherever it tin either beryllium an inebriant but besides a caller nutrient flavour."