ONTARIO – The provincial government announced that it implemented the latest phase of strict regulations regarding cannabis on Wednesday, Nov. 14.
The private cannabis store system, operated under the oversight of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), is set to begin April 1, 2019. Stores will be permitted to open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. There is a market concentration limit of 75 stores per operator.
One of the new regulations has established that there needs to be a minimum of 150 m between cannabis retail stores and schools, including private schools and federally funded off-reserve First Nation schools.
“The purpose of these regulations is to keep kids safe and to ensure all people operating in this tightly-regulated retail system behave with integrity, honesty, and in the public interest,” said Attorney General, Caroline Mulroney in a press release.
The following is a list of additional rules implemented, outlined by the Ontario government on the provincial website:
- Retailers will not be permitted to allow anyone under the age of 19 to enter their stores. This approach and other regulations were developed to address the risk of youth exposure to the cannabis retail market.
- Specific instances in which applicants will be denied a license, including cannabis-related criminal offences. Notably, illegal cannabis retailers who were operating after October 17, 2018 are not eligible for Ontario cannabis sales licenses.
- A prohibition on the issuance of a license to any individual or organization who has an association with organized crime.
- Requirement that individuals or entities applying for an operator license demonstrate their tax compliance status to show that they are in good standing with the government.
- A requirement for all private recreational cannabis retail storefronts to be stand-alone stores only.
- Individuals with a store authorization, cannabis retail managers and all retail employees will be required to complete the approved training to ensure that any individual who works in the cannabis retail market is trained in the responsible sale of cannabis.
“The application process for private cannabis retail store licenses will begin on Dec. 17, 2018, and we will be ready with laws and regulations to protect Ontario’s youth and to combat the criminal market in response to the federal government’s legalization of cannabis,” said Mulroney.
The government intends to provide $40 million over two years to assist municipalities with the costs associated with implementing recreational cannabis legalization.
To find out more about the licensing process for recreational cannabis storefronts, visit www.agco.ca.
