Shopping For Legal Cannabis
How to Spot an Illegal Cannabis Store
At first glance, it’s hard to tell whether a store you’re buying from is legal or not. Here are a few ways to spot a legal shop.
Last updated February 14, 2025 | Published on December 16, 2019
As cannabis became legal, the buying process became more sophisticated. However, the illegal market has become more sophisticated too. Buying cannabis illegally isn’t as obvious as you may think — it can feel a lot like shopping in your favourite store or on your favourite website. Luckily, there are a few ways you can make sure you’re buying legal cannabis, in-store and online.
Look for the seal
All legal stores must display the Cannabis Retail Seal on the outside of their store, in a location where it's visible from the entrance. It must be at least 17 by 20 centimetres. Legal cannabis websites must also display this seal.
Find it on the Store Locator
Not sure you’re shopping at a legal store? You can always double-check if the store you’re shopping at is legal with the OCS Store Locator. If you search “cannabis store” on some popular maps apps, you’ll see results for both legal and illegal stores.
Why should I buy from a legal store?
There are lots of reasons to buy legal cannabis.
The biggest reason is quality assurance. All of our products and the places they’re grown and processed go through strict testing and cleanliness checks to ensure your cannabis is free of unapproved pesticides and harmful bacteria like E. coli, and contains the amount of THC it claims to.
