Private Cannabis Sector Ontario: Recreational marijuana use will become legal in Canada as of Oct 17.
Once the federal government announced it would be legalizing marijuana, it left it up to the provinces to license the product and oversee its distribution and sale.
A Private Cannabis Sector Ontario on the Cards
Today, the Ontario government has reportedly decided to allow private stores to sell the drug once the legalization date arrives.
An official announcement is expected next week from Finance Minister Vic Fedeli and Attorney General Caroline Mulroney, outlining a plan to allow the private sector own and operate cannabis shops.
For now, the exact details remain to be seen but what we do know is that Ontario is drawing inspiration from Alberta.
Alberta and Ontario
The new system looks like it would mirror Alberta's cannabis model; which allows for privately run cannabis stores to sell the drug once they receive a license granted by the Gaming and Liquor commission.
In Alberta, the Gaming and Liquor Commission will be responsible for the overseeing of the private retail sector, and Ontario now is going to mimic this it seems.
However, the government would still control the distribution of the product to the stores and take responsibility for any online marijuana sales.
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It's Been Hinted Before
The previous Ontario government under Kathleen Wynne had stated it would give the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) a majority stake on the sale of recreational cannabis. This meant an approx of 40 stores opening under an LCBO subsidiary called the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS).
Alongside that, Doug Ford, Ontario Premier, had previously indicated a private sector for cannabis retail, saying only a few weeks back that the "government should stick their nose into everything."
