Cannabis in Alberta became legalized on October 17, 2018 following the coming into force of federal Bill C-45. Production, distribution and consumption of cannabis had been prohibited in Canada since 1923. While some other provinces distribute cannabis through publicly owned retail monopolies, Alberta allows private companies to sell cannabis at licensed retail storefronts and online. Private retailers must purchase cannabis from the provincial wholesaler, the AGLC. Originally, the Alberta government was the sole entity permitted to retail cannabis online within the province but as of March 8, 2022, private retailers are permitted to do so and the province has since exited the retail business.
In contrast with slow rollouts in provinces such as Ontario, which initially utilized a lottery system to distribute retail licences, Alberta had no restrictions on the number of licences issued and had the most cannabis dispensaries per capita in Canada soon after legalization. The province's successful implementation of legalization led to some outlets describing it as the "pot capital of Canada."