Adding an Age Gate to your Website

Modified on Tue, 13 Aug at 4:58 PM

Ensuring Compliance via Age Gates

Age gates play a vital role on retailer websites in accordance with the Cannabis Act, serving as a preventive measure against minors accessing cannabis-related content or products online.

Once implemented, a Soft Age Gate functions as digital barrier for a cannabis website, requiring users to self-attest their age before gaining access.

NOTE: This is NOT the same as a Hard Age Gate, which WAS required in Alberta according to provincial regulations set by AGLC prior to October 13, 2023.

Example of a Soft Age Gate (ocs.ca):

How to Add a Soft Age Gate:

Certain web builder platforms have built-in age gate features like widgets/plugins. Some platforms, like Squarespace, require the use of external applications.

Elfsight is an external application that you can add to your website. They offer a free trial plan for a soft age gate that supports up to 200 views, with a subscription option priced at $5 US per month for unlimited views. This subscription is ad-free and has more customization options.
See this step-by-step guide if you are interested: How to Create an Elfsight Age Gate + Add it to your Website.
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NOTE: Squarespace was used in this demo. Buddi is not affiliated with Squarespace nor Elfsight.
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Soft Age Gate vs. Hard Age Gate

Soft Age Gates are federally mandated in accordance with the Cannabis Act. All provinces are subject to this less restrictive version, which acts as a digital barrier for a cannabis website.
Soft Age Gate:
- Self-attestation is sufficient (e.g. the user enters their date of birth upon entering the website).
- This requires third-party tools; it is not included in the Buddi menu.
Hard Age Gate:
- Requires formal age verification processes (e.g. the user presents an ID card in person).
- This feature is available as an option in Buddi. Retailers can Enable a Hard Age Gate for their online menu. This means a user must sign up for a profile in the menu, get age-verified by staff, then sign into the profile to view the full menu.