Ontario Retailers Demand End to Canada’s Pharmacy-Only Nicotine Pouch Rule
Ontario convenience store owners have called on the provincial government to join Alberta in pressing Ottawa to scrap its pharmacy-only rule for nicotine pouches. The Ontario Convenience Stores Association (OCSA) warned that federal restrictions have effectively surrendered the domestic market to organized smuggling rings.
In a November 3 statement, the OCSA cited data from an EY Canada report indicating that illegal cigarettes now account for 42% to 53% of Ontario’s total cigarette market. The association stated that unregulated vapes and pouches now flow directly through these established illicit pipelines.
“Governments can’t keep further regulating and restricting approved products while allowing the black market to flourish,” said OCSA chair Kenny Shim, adding that the legal market “has now been completely lost to the black market.”
Federal Restrictions and the Growth of Contraband Supply
Under Health Canada’s August 2024 ministerial order, nicotine pouches must be sold exclusively behind pharmacy counters and are restricted to mint or menthol flavors. Imperial Tobacco’s Zonnic remains the sole authorized brand nationwide. Éric Gagnon, vice-president of corporate and regulatory affairs at Imperial Tobacco Canada, told FM93 that an estimated 90% of Canada’s smokeless nicotine market is now illegal.
The scale of the illicit supply chain became evident on August 10, 2026, when Canada Border Services Agency officers at the Blue Water Bridge seized two contraband pouch shipments valued at more than $3.8 million.
Rising Political and Clinical Pushback
Criticism of the federal policy continues to mount across provincial and international forums. At the Global Forum on Nicotine in Warsaw, pharmacist Todd Prochnau reported that the pharmacy-only policy has created retail access barriers, increased administrative pressure on pharmacy staff, and muddied public risk communication.
Provincial leaders have voiced similar concerns. “It would be funny if it wasn’t so serious, but only the federal government could take a legal, regulated product and make it more difficult for adults to purchase, yet easier for kids to get their hands on,” Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally told Global News.
Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel rejected easing the regulations on September 22, while acknowledging the challenge of intercepting illegal products. “I cannot say that as a health minister, I can track every single package in the illicit market. That would be completely not serious for me to say that,” Michel said.
- Ontario Retailers Demand End to Canada’s Pharmacy-Only Nicotine Pouch Rule - November 7, 2026
- Russia’s Vologda Region Bans Retail Vape Sales Starting March 2027 - November 6, 2026
- Nicotine Pouches Aid Smoking Cessation, UK Study Says - November 5, 2026
