No, you can’t get a licence to open a private cannabis store in Quebec. As of October 2026, the Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC), a government-owned subsidiary of the Société des alcools du Québec, is the only business allowed to sell cannabis to the public, in stores or online. There is no provincial cannabis licence for a private dispensary, delivery service or lounge.
That doesn’t mean Quebec is closed to cannabis businesses. You can grow or process cannabis with a federal licence from Health Canada and sell your products to the SQDC, which buys through scheduled product calls. You can also supply the SQDC with accessories, or open a shop that sells pipes, papers and other accessories, as long as you follow Quebec’s strict promotion rules.
This guide explains who licenses what, every approval a supplier needs, what each costs and the order to get them in. Everything was checked against Quebec legislation, SQDC supplier documents, Health Canada and the Autorité des marchés publics (AMP) in October 2026.
Key takeaways
- Private cannabis stores are not allowed in Quebec. The SQDC holds the only retail channel, both in stores and online.
- The realistic way in is as a producer or processor: get a Health Canada licence, then compete in an SQDC product call.
- Selling to the SQDC also needs an integrity clearance from the AMP, the same agency that screens companies bidding on public contracts.
- Quebec’s product rules are tighter than federal rules, so design products for Quebec rather than adapting ones made for other provinces.
- Rules differ by province and change often. Confirm the current requirements with the SQDC and Health Canada before you invest.
Who regulates cannabis businesses in Quebec?
Three layers of government share the job, and each controls a different part of the supply chain.
Quebec: the Cannabis Regulation Act and the SQDC
Quebec’s Cannabis Regulation Act (chapter C-5.3) sets the provincial rules. Section 25 says only the SQDC and producers may buy cannabis from producers, and a producer may sell only to the SQDC or another producer, unless the cannabis is shipped outside Quebec. Section 23 limits commercial transport and storage to the SQDC, people it authorizes and producers. The Act also sets the minimum age at 21 for buying, possessing or entering a cannabis store, and it bans growing cannabis at home.
The Act also lets the government set extra production standards by regulation.
Health Canada: production and medical sales
Under the federal Cannabis Act, Health Canada licenses cultivation, processing, analytical testing, research and sale for medical purposes. You apply through its Cannabis Tracking and Licensing System (CTLS). Medical cannabis is sold by federally licensed sellers to registered clients, not by the SQDC, and Quebec’s retail monopoly doesn’t change that federal route.
Other agencies you’ll deal with
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) issues the excise licence that cultivators, processors and packagers need, plus excise stamps. The AMP, Quebec’s public procurement watchdog, must authorize any producer that wants to contract with the SQDC. Your municipality controls land use for any facility you build.
Cannabis licence types in Quebec
The table lists every licence or approval a Quebec cannabis business might need, and the business types that simply don’t exist here. Health Canada’s screening fees are per application and non-refundable, and its annual fee is the higher of a minimum or a share of the previous year’s cannabis revenue. AMP fees are also non-refundable and are indexed each year.
| Licence or approval | What it lets you do | Application fee | Annual or renewal fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private retail store | Not available; only the SQDC may sell cannabis to the public | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Private delivery service | Not available; the SQDC handles online orders, and carriers it authorizes may transport its products | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Consumption lounge | Not available; smoking or vaping cannabis is banned in places open to the public | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Private wholesale or distribution | Not available; producers sell directly to the SQDC, which runs its own distribution | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Micro-cultivation, micro-processing or nursery (Health Canada) | Grow, process or propagate on a small scale and sell to other licence holders | $2,058 screening fee | Higher of $2,500 or 1% of revenue up to $1 million, plus 2.3% above that |
| Standard cultivation or standard processing (Health Canada) | Grow or process at commercial scale; a processing licence is what the SQDC requires of suppliers | $4,109 screening fee | Higher of $23,000 or 2.3% of revenue |
| Sale for medical purposes (Health Canada) | Sell cannabis to registered medical clients | $4,109 (lower micro rate if combined with a micro or nursery licence) | Same as standard, with a possible exemption if all sales are medical |
| Federal security clearance (Health Canada) | Required for each key person on a federal licence | $2,076 per person | Not applicable |
| Import or export permit (Health Canada) | Move cannabis across the border for permitted purposes | $767 per permit request | Not applicable |
| Analytical testing or research (Health Canada) | Test cannabis for licence holders, or study cannabis | Not published on Health Canada’s fee pages; ask Health Canada | Not published; ask Health Canada |
| CRA cannabis licence (excise) | Cultivate, produce or package cannabis products and buy excise stamps | No application fee; financial security from $5,000 up to $5 million, depending on expected duty | Valid up to five years; renew at least 30 days before expiry |
| AMP authorization to contract | Required before a producer can sell to the SQDC | $539 per enterprise, plus $270 for each shareholder, director, partner or officer checked | $203 annual update |
| SQDC product listing | Sell a specific product through SQDC stores and its website | $500 listing fee per product (SKU), credited against your first payment | Not applicable; products are reviewed in each product call |
| SQDC accessory supplier | Supply accessories to the SQDC; no Health Canada or AMP approval needed | Not published; ask the SQDC | Not applicable |
| Accessory shop | Sell accessories in your own store under Quebec’s display and promotion rules | No provincial cannabis licence; ask your municipality about a business permit | Varies; ask your municipality |
Health Canada’s screening and clearance amounts took effect April 1, 2026, and change each year with inflation. The SQDC’s listing fee comes from its December 2025 Supplier’s Guide. For a wider view of start-up costs, see our guide to dispensary licence costs.
Are cannabis licences open in Quebec right now?
It depends on what you want to do. Here is the status as of October 2026.
- Private retail: Closed, with no plan to open. The Act gives retail sales to the SQDC alone, and a pilot project under the Act is specifically barred from covering retail sales.
- Federal production licences: Open. Health Canada accepts cultivation, processing and medical sales applications at any time through CTLS, with no window or cap.
- SQDC product calls: Scheduled. The SQDC refreshes its shelves in three four-month blocks a year. Submissions for the winter 2027 block closed August 28, 2026, and decisions were due October 23, 2026. The next submission period wasn’t in the SQDC’s October 2025 product call guide, so check with the SQDC for dates.
- Vaping products: The SQDC opened a vaping category in November 2025 but has kept it out of the regular renewal blocks while it gathers sales data. Watch for separate calls.
- Accessories: The SQDC reviews its accessory range once a year, during the fall block.
Buying an existing Quebec producer is possible, since federal licences belong to a company. Any new key people will need Health Canada security clearance, and the AMP screens shareholders and officers, so build both reviews into the deal timeline.
How to become an SQDC supplier, step by step
The graphic shows the usual order for a new Quebec producer that wants its products on SQDC shelves. Health Canada won’t let you start any cannabis activity until your licence is issued, and the SQDC won’t evaluate a product unless every approval is in place when you submit.
The SQDC’s guide says incomplete product submissions are always refused, so check every document before a call opens.
Requirements you’ll need to meet
Ownership and business registration
The SQDC requires a place of business in Canada, a Quebec enterprise number (NEQ), GST and QST registration, a Health Canada processing licence, a CRA cannabis licence with stamping registration and AMP authorization. Suppliers from other provinces can apply if they hold all of these when they submit products. Quebec doesn’t require owners to live in the province.
Background checks and integrity
Health Canada runs security clearances on key site personnel, people with direct control and associated individuals. Separately, the AMP checks the integrity of your respondent, officers, directors, shareholders, partners, trustees and ultimate beneficiaries. You’ll need a Revenu Québec attestation issued within 30 days before you file, an organization chart, recent financial statements and shareholder registers.
Capital and financial security
No Quebec minimum capital rule applies to producers. The main cash requirement is the CRA’s financial security, which must be posted once Health Canada issues your licence and before the CRA licence takes effect.
Real estate and site control
You need a site you control that passes local zoning. Before applying, Health Canada asks you to send written notice to your local police, fire authority and local government. Your site evidence package includes a site plan, floor plans, a description of your physical barriers and a guided video tour.
Security plan
Micro and nursery licences need a physical security attestation. Standard cultivation, standard processing and sale with possession also need details of your visual monitoring and intrusion detection systems. Our security requirements guide covers camera and alarm planning.
Quebec product rules and SOPs
Write procedures around Quebec’s product standards, not just federal ones. SQDC products can’t exceed 30.0% THC by weight (edibles are exempt from that cap). Edibles are capped at 5 mg of THC per portion and 10 mg per package, and candy, desserts and chocolate are banned. Topicals aren’t sold. Labels and packaging need French at least as prominent as any other language. Processors also need a Quality Assurance Person and a good production practices attestation.
Insurance and delivery staff
Neither the Act nor the SQDC guide sets an insurance amount, but your landlord and lender will likely ask for liability coverage. Deliveries to SQDC stores need two people, one keeping watch over the cannabis, and carriers need an SQDC transport authorization and background checks.
Local approval and zoning
Quebec municipalities can’t opt out of SQDC stores the way some US towns ban dispensaries, but they control land use. Section 33 of the Act keeps SQDC stores away from schools and colleges: the shortest public-road route must be at least 250 metres, or 150 metres in Montréal, unless a municipal zoning bylaw expressly allows a closer store.
For a production site, ask your municipality which zones allow cannabis cultivation or processing, and whether you need a permit for building changes, odour control or a change of use. Rural sites may face extra land-use rules, so confirm before you buy.
Social equity and small-business programs
As of October 2026, Quebec has no cannabis social equity or priority licensing program. The SQDC does favour local supply: its product evaluation weighs local sourcing, and products made mostly from Quebec-grown cannabis can carry the Cultivé Québec identifier. To qualify, at least 65% of the cannabis must be grown in Quebec, and only dried flower, ground flower, pre-rolls, hash and kief are eligible. About 64% of the SQDC’s products were certified in the 2025-26 fiscal year.
Federally, micro-class licences carry lower Health Canada fees. Section 62 of the Act also lets Quebec sign agreements with Indigenous nations and communities that adapt the Act’s rules.
Quebec cannabis market at a glance
With one buyer controlling every shelf, the SQDC’s sales data decides which products stay listed.
After you’re licensed: staying compliant
- Federal reporting: Licence holders report monthly through the federal tracking system. Our seed-to-sale tracking guide explains how that data works.
- SQDC performance: Products are scored on net sales, a 98% supplier service level target, returns, recalls and complaints. An underperforming product can be removed after 12 weeks of sales, with four weeks’ notice.
- Payment terms: The SQDC pays 30 days after products reach the store, or 10 days with a 2% discount if you choose that option.
- Advertising: Section 53 allows ads only in printed publications addressed to named adults 21 and over, or on signs visible inside a store, and bars lifestyle images, testimonials and characters. Breaking these rules can cost $5,000 to $500,000.
- Promotions and branded goods: Producers can’t give rebates or gifts to the SQDC or its staff (section 49), and section 50 bans selling non-cannabis items, like T-shirts, that carry a cannabis brand or logo.
- Renewals: Keep your CRA licence, AMP annual update and Health Canada security clearances current, since a lapse in any of them can stop SQDC orders.
Our compliance checklist and packaging and labelling guide are useful references, though Quebec’s rules are stricter than most.
Your Quebec cannabis licence checklist
- Decide your route: producer, processor, accessory supplier or accessory shop.
- Register your company and get an NEQ, plus GST and QST numbers.
- Confirm zoning for your site with the municipality before you sign.
- Send notices to local police, fire and municipal authorities.
- Have key people apply for Health Canada security clearance.
- Submit your Health Canada application in CTLS and your site evidence package.
- Apply for your CRA cannabis licence at the same time as Health Canada.
- Gather your Revenu Québec attestation and apply for AMP authorization.
- Design products and French labels to meet Quebec’s composition rules.
- Watch the SQDC product call calendar and submit a complete file.
- Set up delivery with an authorized carrier, or get your own transport authorization.
For new cannabis businesses: get found on WhereLeaf
Licensed Quebec producers, processors, accessory makers and service providers can add a listing to WhereLeaf so buyers and partners across Canada can find them in our supplier directory. You can compare listing packages if you want a fuller profile. A listing is a directory entry, not advertising, and any copy about cannabis products still has to follow Quebec’s promotion rules.
Comparing markets? See all our cannabis license guides by state and province.
Frequently asked questions
Can I open a dispensary in Quebec?
No. A private store selling cannabis would break section 25 of the Act, whatever it calls itself. Shoppers can check whether a seller is legal with our guide on how to tell if a dispensary is licensed; in Quebec, the answer is that only SQDC stores and sqdc.ca qualify.
How much does it cost to become a cannabis producer in Quebec?
The government and SQDC fees are in the table above. They are a small part of the budget next to a secure building, equipment, staff and the months of work before your first sale, and the SQDC pays only after products reach its stores, so plan your cash flow for that gap.
Can I sell cannabis accessories in Quebec?
Yes. Private shops may sell accessories without a provincial cannabis licence, but Quebec applies its tobacco display and signage rules to them, bans flavoured or scented accessories and forbids selling merchandise branded with cannabis names or logos.
Do I need to live in Quebec?
No. The SQDC accepts suppliers from anywhere in Canada if they have a Canadian place of business, a Quebec enterprise number and every required licence.
How long does it take to start selling to the SQDC?
Health Canada doesn’t publish a fixed processing time for new licences, and the AMP says its review length depends on the file. After that, each SQDC call has a set calendar: products submitted in one window launch months later in the following block, so plan for the federal review plus at least one full product-call cycle.
Can I grow cannabis at home in Quebec?
No. Quebec bans home cultivation for personal use, a rule the Supreme Court of Canada upheld in 2023. The only legal way to grow cannabis in Quebec is under a Health Canada licence, or a federal medical registration.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change, so confirm everything with the Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC) and Health Canada before you apply.
Sources
- LégisQuébec: Cannabis Regulation Act, chapter C-5.3 (current to 2026)
- Gouvernement du Québec: The Legislation on Cannabis in Brief (2026)
- SQDC: Supplier’s Guide (updated December 2025)
- SQDC: Product Call Guide, Merchandising Process (updated October 2025)
- SQDC: Rapport annuel 2026 (2026)
- Autorité des marchés publics: When Is an Authorization Required? (2026)
- Autorité des marchés publics: Fees and Charges (2026)
- Autorité des marchés publics: Comment demander une autorisation de contracter (July 2026)
- Health Canada: Cannabis Transactional Fees for Licence Holders (2026)
- Health Canada: Cannabis Annual Regulatory Fee and Exemption (2026)
- Health Canada: Licence Application Summary for Cultivation, Processing and Sale for Medical Purposes (2026)
- Canada Revenue Agency: EDM6-2 Obtaining and Renewing a Cannabis Licence
- Supreme Court of Canada: Murray-Hall v. Quebec (Attorney General), Case in Brief (2023)
- StratCann (news backup): SQDC Reports $809.5 Million in Sales (2026)
- MJBizDaily (news backup): Quebec Ban on Selling Cannabis-Associated Items Contested in Court (2021)
Last updated: October 2026. Laws and prices change; always check your state or provincial regulator.
