The Conservative government announced on August 13, 2018 that “the Government of Ontario will not be in the business of running physical cannabis stores.” Instead, Ontario will implement a private retail model by April 1, 2019; a dramatic shift from the previous Liberal government's plan for 150 brick-and-mortar Ontario Cannabis Stores (then planned to be a subsidiary of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario) outlets by 2020.[1]
[1] Ministry of Finance, “Ontario Announces Cannabis Retail Model” (August 13, 2018), online: Government of Ontario; Bill 36, Cannabis Statute Law Amendment Act, 2018.
[3] Ministry of Attorney General, “Cannabis Statute Law Amendment Act, 2018” (September 27, 2018), online: Government of Ontario.
[5] Cannabis Licence Act, 2018 at s 4(1).
[6] Supra, note 6 at s 4(5) and s 18.
[7] Government of Canada, “Introduction of the Cannabis Act: Questions and Answers” (March 13, 2018), online: Government of Canada.
[8] Supra, note 6 at s 3(6).
[9] Shawn Jeffords & Paola Loriggio, “Ontario government says recreational cannabis can be smoked wherever tobacco smoking allowed (September 26, 2018), The Canadian Press, online: Global News.
[10] Supra, note 4; Rob Ferguson, “Ontario won’t set limit on number of private marijuana stores” (September 26, 2018), The Toronto Star, online: The Star; Justin Giovannetti, Christina Pellegrini & Marina Strauss, “Ontario proposes capping number of stores for cannabis growers, open market for recreational sales”, (September 26, 2018) The Globe and Mail, online: The Globe and Mail.
[11] Supra, note 6 at s 4(4).
[12] Supra, note 2 at s 11 of Schedule 1.
[13] The Cannabis Control Act, 2017, RSO 2017, c 26 at s 11(1)(a).
[15] Supra, note 2 at Schedule 2, s 5.
[16] Supra, note 6 at s 41(1).
[17] Supra, note 6 at s 41(3) and (4).
[18] Supra, note 6 at s 4(7), 4(9), 4(11) and 4(14).
[19] Supra, note 6 at s 42.
[20] Supra, note 6 at ss 4(6)(6).
[21] Supra, note 6 at s 43.
[22] Supra, note 6 at s 26.
[23] Supra, note 6 at 36.