Alberta is loosening liquor and cannabis regulations to give small producers more freedom and help them reach new customers, including those riding on so-called party bikes.Under new changes to the Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Regulation, local liquor producers will now be allowed to serve their own products aboard mobile taverns or “large format bikes,” a move the province says eliminates outdated restrictions that blocked producers from showcasing their brands.“We are proud that these amendments not only cut red tape in the retail segment of the liquor marketplace, but also directly open more opportunities for small manufacturers to grow their businesses,” said Dale Nally, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction..The province also announced that liquor retailers can now set up shops inside large commercial buildings they already occupy, provided the liquor store has a separate entrance and floor-to-ceiling walls to distinguish it from other operations.Cannabis producers are also seeing changes. Federally licensed growers and processors will now be allowed to apply for a retail licence to sell their own products directly from the same site — an arrangement known as farm-gate sales. Alberta becomes the latest province to allow such sales, which aim to support local growers while giving consumers more access to homegrown cannabis products.Officials say the reforms are part of a wider effort to reduce regulatory burdens and promote competition in the liquor and cannabis industries.Alberta currently has more than 1,600 liquor retailers offering over 35,000 products and 752 licensed cannabis stores selling 2,356 different cannabis items.
