Approved products banned from regulated stores — but freely available on the black market. Who is Ottawa protecting?

TORONTO, March 10, 2026 /CNW/ - The Independent Convenience Store Alliance (ICSA), which was launched in the summer of 2025, is speaking out in response to a recent Toronto Star article documenting the spread of illicit nicotine pouches among teenagers in Toronto.

The story confirms what the industry has been saying for months: removing nicotine pouches from regulated stores didn't make them harder to find. It just changed who's selling them.

"Convenience store owners have sold age-restricted products responsibly for decades," said Hani Al-Shikarchy, Spokesperson for the ICSA. "The overwhelming majority follow the rules. But the current policy has handed a market to illegal sellers while pushing legitimate retailers to the sidelines."

Ottawa has banned approved nicotine pouches from the very stores where Canadian smokers already shop — stores with trained staff, age verification systems, and compliance obligations. Meanwhile, those same products flow freely through online retailers, and black-market channels. So, the question has to be asked: Who is Ottawa protecting? It's not youth. And it's certainly not the law-abiding retailers who have followed every rule put in front of them.

Al-Shikarchy was direct about the bind that creates. When customers can already source nicotine pouches through unregulated channels, a blanket ban on licensed retailers doesn't protect anyone — it just removes the accountability that comes with regulated retail.

"Some operators, who are finding it hard to compete, may be tempted to skirt the rules when they see illegal sellers filling the gap," Al-Shikarchy acknowledged. "We don't condone that. But the answer isn't stricter exclusion of responsible retailers — it's bringing these products back into a channel where age verification and compliance can actually be enforced."

The ICSA supports real enforcement consequences for retailers who break the law, including meaningful fines and increased inspections. It also supports strict controls if nicotine pouches return to the convenience channel — behind-the-counter placement, no visible display — consistent with how tobacco and vaping products are already handled.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said as much last week, acknowledging that prohibition is fuelling the illegal market rather than curbing demand. The ICSA agrees.

"Prohibition moves demand underground. That's exactly what we're watching happen," said Al-Shikarchy. "Convenience store operators want to be part of fixing this — not locked out while the illegal market grows."

The ICSA in collaboration with other industry groups, will continue engaging with federal and provincial policymakers to advance a regulatory approach that protects youth, holds retailers accountable, and doesn't cede the market to unregulated sellers.

SOURCE Independent Convenience Store Alliance