Marijuana To Be Sold In Private Stores?

According to an article in the Globe And Mail, the Ontario government will reportedly allow private stores to sell marijuana once it becomes legal on Oct. 17th. The new system would mimic the proposed Alberta model, which will allow for privately run cannabis stores to sell marijuana with licences granted by the liquor commission.

Kathleen Wynne and the Liberal government had previously planned to give the Liquor Control Board of Ontario a monopoly on the sale of recreational cannabis. Forty stores are scheduled to open this year under an LCBO subsidiary called the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS).

The article also states that a source in the provincial government said that Attorney General Caroline Mulroney and Finance Minister Vic Fedeli are expected to make an announcement next week to outline the new plan to let the private sector own and operate cannabis shops. The source also said that the government would still control the distribution of the product to the stores and manage online sales.