A small amount of Eastern Ontario municipalities to opt out of province's cannabis plans

OttawaSun.com
Jan 22, 2019
Vito Pilieci

Only a handful of smaller municipalities in Eastern Ontario have chosen to opt out of the province’s plans to allow the sale of cannabis through retail locations.

In Eastern Ontario, Casselman, East Hawkesbury, the Township of Frontenac Islands and the Township of Lanark Highlands have reported to their plans to opt out when it comes to allowing pot shops to be set up within their boundaries in the months ahead.

According to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), which is the government body handling the rollout of cannabis sales in Ontario, municipalities have until Tuesday, to notify the government of plans to opt out of cannabis sales. If they do not notify the government, “by default, private cannabis retail stores will be allowed within that jurisdiction beginning April 1, 2019,” reads the AGCO’s website.

Those municipalities that opt out of sales, can opt in at a later date if they choose. But those who opt in must remain committed, under the provincial framework.

While Eastern Ontario seems gung ho to get cannabis sales moving, the Greater Toronto Area seems to be taking a more measured approach. Large municipalities such as Mississauga, Newmarket, Milton, Oakville, Pickering and Richmond Hill are among a long list of municipalities that have chosen to opt out of the province’s plans.

The province’s list detailing which municipalities are in and which are out is available on the AGCOs website. It will be published in its finalized form Wednesday.