Ontario 2025: AGCO’s Online Compliance Push—Retail Seal, RSA Display, and Website Submissions

AGCO Cannabis Retailer Website Compliance 2025: What Ontario Retailers Must Know

Ontario’s cannabis retail landscape is undergoing another major compliance shift. As part of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario’s (AGCO) ongoing commitment to safeguarding consumers and supporting legitimate operators, a significant new digital compliance requirement has been put into effect: By July 8, 2025, all Ontario cannabis retailers were mandated to submit their store websites to the AGCO and demonstrate strict adherence to updated online storefront standards.

This blog post provides a comprehensive breakdown of these requirements, why they matter, the steps cannabis businesses must take, and what further regulation to expect heading into late 2025.

Why the AGCO Is Focusing on Retailer Website Compliance

The Canadian cannabis market continues to evolve, with online engagement playing a significant role in sales and brand awareness. Recognizing this, the AGCO’s July 2025 compliance push is designed to:

• Strengthen consumer protection online.
• Uplift public trust in licensed retailers.
• Weed out illicit websites masquerading as legitimate storefronts.
• Ensure consistent and responsible cannabis messaging across all retailer digital touchpoints.

By tightening digital storefront standards, the AGCO is setting a clear benchmark for what’s expected from reputable cannabis retailers as the industry matures.

Key Compliance Areas: What Retailers Must Audit

AGCO’s 2025 guidance emphasizes several website compliance checkpoints. Successful adherence isn’t just about avoiding penalties—it builds consumer confidence and helps set compliant operations apart from less diligent competitors.

1. Prominent Official Retail Seal Placement

Every authorized retailer must display the Official Ontario Cannabis Retail Seal clearly and prominently on their store website’s landing page. This seal serves as a visual indicator to consumers that the site belongs to a fully licensed operator and not an unregulated or illicit seller.

• The seal should not be buried deep in footers or require multiple clicks to access.
• It must be easily visible upon arrival at the homepage.
• Retailers can download the official seal imagery and placement guidelines from AGCO’s website.

2. Responsible Sales and Awareness (RSA) Materials Display

Effective July 2025, AGCO also requires that RSA resources—educational information about responsible cannabis use and legal purchase parameters—must be displayed conspicuously on every retailer site. This includes content about:

• Safe storage of cannabis products
• Legal age requirements for purchasing and consuming cannabis
• Recognition of the harms of impaired driving
• The difference between legal and illicit products

RSA materials should be static, untampered with, and accessible from the homepage (not solely in terms or disclosures pages).

3. Website URL Submission to AGCO

Retailers are obligated to submit the full, live website URL to the AGCO for review. This move allows AGCO to:

• Audit the site for compliance prior to or during random inspections
• Track the presence of non-compliant or expired URLs

Missed submissions or submission of broken/incomplete links can result in conditions being placed on a license.

4. Age-Gating Mechanisms

Ontario mandates strict age verification on all cannabis retailer sites. Your website:

• Must have a robust age-gate system (e.g., requiring users to verify their birthdate before entry)
• Should prevent any access to minors under 19
• Needs to remain active whether the visitor is on desktop or mobile

The AGCO has signaled ongoing scrutiny for ineffective or easily bypassed age gates. Don’t let this be a weak spot in your compliance profile.

5. Accurate Store and Licensing Information

Each website must include up-to-date details on:

• Store address and contact info
• Store hours
• The legal Ontario retailer license number
• Name of the licensed entity operating the location

Inaccurate or omitted information could not only confuse consumers, but lead to formal compliance action.

6. Removal of Inducements and Prohibited Claims

Per Ontario’s cannabis regulation, websites may not:

• Offer inducements (such as discounts tied to purchase quantity, loyalty points, giveaways)
• Make medical or unsubstantiated health claims about products
• Use language that appeals to minors

The AGCO routinely audits for unauthorized promotions and illicit marketing tactics online—violators can face license conditions, financial penalties, or even suspension.

Submission Window and Enforcement Timeline

The July 8, 2025 deadline was a hard stop for retailers to both:

• Ensure their website met these compliance standards, and
• Submit their site URL for AGCO review.

Retailers who missed the deadline may face:

• Additional conditions placed on their license (e.g., periodic digital compliance checks)
• Compliance orders or written warnings
• The threat of suspension or revocation for egregious or unaddressed breaches

AGCO enforcement historically includes unannounced audits and web-based monitoring, particularly during big compliance rollouts.

What’s Next: Forthcoming Guidance for Third-Party Marketplaces and Click-and-Collect

The July 2025 requirements are part one of a multi-phase online cannabis compliance initiative. The AGCO has announced that, by Fall 2025, further guidance will be released addressing:

• Third-Party Marketplace Listings: Expect detailed rules for retailers using external platforms or aggregators to promote inventory or facilitate sales. This will address compliance gaps seen in 2024 regarding non-compliant marketplace advertising or unauthorized inducements.
• Click-and-Collect Consumer User Flows: The AGCO will clarify “where and how” age gating and retail seals need to appear in user journeys where products are reserved online but picked up in-store.

Retailers should stay proactive and closely monitor AGCO’s cannabis updates or subscribe to industry association bulletins to catch future announcements as soon as they are published.

Steps Every Retailer Should Take Now

Strong compliance isn’t just reactive; it’s an ongoing process. Here’s how cannabis businesses can get—and stay—ahead:

1. Website Audit Checklist

• Verify that the official Retail Seal is on your home/landing page and is prominent
• Confirm the presence of RSA materials and that they are accurate and complete
• Test age-gating mechanisms on all browser and device types
• Check for accurate store name, address, license number, and contact details
• Remove any inducements, games, or unauthorized promotional language

2. Staff Training and Policy Updates

• Ensure digital marketing and IT teams understand these compliance requirements
• Implement regular internal reviews to maintain up-to-date online content
• Provide refresher training on what constitutes a compliant website and what new changes may mean for daily operations

3. Prepare for New AGCO Guidance

• Begin mapping how your site flows for click-and-collect orders or marketplace partnerships—these will soon be subject to heightened compliance checks
• Set up alerts for new AGCO communications on digital and marketplace regulations

Penalties for Noncompliance: What Businesses Risk

Ontario’s cannabis enforcement regime is built on progressive discipline but has teeth. If a retailer fails to comply with the new online requirements, the AGCO may:

• Impose conditions or remedial actions on the license
• Issue fines or written warnings
• Suspend or revoke licenses for repeated or serious violations

As AGCO continues to refine its digital enforcement tools and deploy web crawlers for license validation, risk tolerance for online noncompliance is lower than ever before.

Takeaways—for Retailers and Consumers Alike

The AGCO’s 2025 digital compliance rollout demonstrates a clear direction: authority and consumer protection are extending beyond the physical dispensary. Retailers who invest in robust, transparent, and fully compliant online presences will be best positioned for growth and risk mitigation as the Ontario cannabis sector matures.

For cannabis consumers, the visibility of the official Retail Seal and up-to-date RSA information offer peace of mind—helping them confidently distinguish legitimate sales channels from less secure or illicit options.

Stay up to date and ensure your compliance strategy is bulletproof—visit CannabisRegulations.ai for personalized support, ongoing updates, and regulatory resources.