How to add an Age Gate

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, Age Gates function as digital barriers within a website's framework, requiring users to self-attest their age before gaining access.

Certain web builder platforms feature built-in age gate widgets/plugins, while others, like Squarespace, require the use of external applications.

Step-by-step Guide: How to Create an Elfsight Age Gate + Add it to your Website.

Note: Squarespace was used in this demo.

Elfsight offers a free trial plan supporting up to 200 views, with a subscription option priced at $5 US per month for unlimited views. This subscription is ad-free and provides expanded customization possibilities.

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

***IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR ALBERTA RETAILERS***
Effective Friday, October 13th, 2023:
AGLC has amended its policy interpretation regarding reasonable age-verification steps for online retail cannabis sales. Retailers can now use self-attestation as a sufficient age-gating procedure for their websites and social media content.
 

Soft Age Gate vs. Hard Age Gate

'Soft Age Gates' (in this article) 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 the website.

'Soft Age Gate' = 'Self-Attestation Age Gate'

More Resources

AGLC Letter: Cannabis Age-Verification Letter to Retailers (Oct 13 2023)

Article: Amendments to AGLC's Age-Verification Policy: An Overview for Retailers

Article: FAQs - Age-Verification in Alberta

Article: How to add an Age Gate (applicable to all provinces)