Find Accessible Canadian Cannabis Dispensaries and Related Businesses Near Me

Here are CannabisListings.ca, we believe in supporting the disabled and those generally using cannabis for health reasons vs recreation. For this reason, we list accessibility information for all company listings in our directory.

We particularly support efforts from companies like Harvest Medicine and Zyus who focus on the medical aspects of cannabis distribution in Canada. We find it unfortunate that provinces like Nova Scotia do not currently offer a way for the legal purchase of medical cannabis.

In this article, we talk about the cannabis accessibility at dispensaries and cannabis-related companies across Canada

The Canadian Building Laws

Accessibility laws differ from province to province. However, they exist for all provinces. They can get quite detailed like the AODA Parking Accessibilities policy for the province of Ontario.

The first line of a recent statcan report on disabled Canadians stated

In 2017, one in five (22%) of the Canadian population aged 15 years and over – or about 6.2 million individuals – had one or more disabilities.

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-654-x/89-654-x2018002-eng.htm

You would think that profitability would be enough of a driver for companies; nevertheless, there are standards that are required and suggestions that are optional. In our Canadian cannabis directory, we list the various accessibility steps that government and private dispensaries have taken, to the best of our knowledge.

To collect dispensary accessibility data we:

  • We reach out to the company headquarters
  • Call branches
  • Visit locations

All of our listings are able to showcase this information including, producers, schools, and tour operations. We encourage all of the companies in our directory, to share and update this information.

Cannabis Dispensary Accessibility

Before legalization, staying open was a dispensary’s focus. Today, they have to compete for traffic, so making their premises accessible for disabled people is an important aspect of their success.

In the wake of legalization, the focus has been on opening and/or creating franchises. The race is on for dominance in the Canadian cannabis industry. In that wake, the original proponents of legalization have been forgotten.

We assure you that our team at CannabisListings.ca have not forgotten you. We list the following accessiblity information for each location

  • Handicap Parking
  • Door Opener Button
  • Concierge
  • Wheelchair Ramp
  • Elevator

If the information is missing from any of our listings, don’t hesitate to use our contact us form or comment on the listing itself

The reality of cannabis store accessibility in Canada

It’s important to note that regardless of what you have seen in other countries, Canada has a very distinct Cannabis store layout requirements. Specifically, each province has its own rules. For example, the BC Government license policies for stores requires that cannabis should not be in reach of customers

With that said, we find that most dispensaries have some type of accessibility. Its usually a result of the space they rent; however, some government organizations have shown the way like the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) who publishes a list of their OADA compliant locations.

Some go above and beyond with high levels of accessibility. Going out of there way to attract as many customers as possible. However, the best type of accessibility continues to be online ordering and delivery which typically monopolized in each province by their crown corporation. We also list online shipping as a feature you can search for within our directory to best find a corporation with special powers or the relevant provincial crown corporation.

Conclusion

Everyone needs access to cannabis in the legal Canadian market. The Canadian government considers it a right and the provinces agree. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) is an Ontario law mandating that organizations must follow standards to become more accessible to people with disabilities. 

Many cannabis-related companies have implemented the steps necessary to facilitate access to disabled Canadians. Some go above and beyond. We will continue to be your ultimate source for accessible cannabis dispensaries and related businesses

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