Doug Ford is reportedly getting set to rip up his predecessor’s plan for recreational cannabis retail in Ontario. Multiple reports indicate the Progressive Conservative government will switch to a private model, rather than keep storefront pot sales in the hands of the province.
The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday, July 27, edition that an unnamed source says Ontario Finance Minister Vic Fedeli and Attorney-General Caroline Mulroney will announce plans next week to allow the private sector to own and operate bricks-and-mortar cannabis shops.
The Globe's Laura Stone and Christina Pellegrini write that the source says the government will still control the wholesale and distribution of the product to the stores and manage on-line sales.
The move marks a seismic change in how Ontarians will shop for legal recreational weed come Oct. 17. It also opens the door for the companies and entrepreneurs that end up being awarded retail licences to profit from the green rush that has already been so lucrative for many investors and licensed producers.
The province's previous Liberal government had planned to give the Liquor Control Board of Ontario a monopoly on the sale of recreational cannabis, with 40 physical stores set to open this year under a subsidiary of the LCBO called the Ontario Cannabis Store.
Now, the Ontario system is expected to mirror the Alberta model. It is not known yet how many retail store licences will be granted under Ontario's new model.
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