At the December 17 Council meeting, MV Council will consider a Resolution whether to permit the licensing of pot shops within the Township’s boundaries. The Current has therefore ended its online poll which has been running since September 16. Readers were asked, “Should Madawaska Valley allow cannabis retailers (pot shops) within its boundaries?” The final tally stands at:
- YES 63.51 percent
- NO 36.49 percent
The Current thanks readers who participated in the poll.
Province to use lottery to grant licences
On this subject, the Ontario Government announced on December 13 that it is changing the licensing process for recreational retail cannabis stores in Ontario. The change has been made necessary by the shortage of supply of cannabis across the country. In a joint statement, the Attorney General and the Minister of Finance of Ontario said,
It is the federal government’s responsibility to oversee cannabis production and to provide a viable alternative to the illegal market by ensuring there is sufficient supply to meet consumer demand. Yet, we continue to see severe supply shortages across the country in legal, licensed recreational cannabis stores.
Photo: Dylan Nolte
The statement goes on to announce that because of this shortage, Ontario will be taking steps to ensure that private cannabis retail stores open in phases. In the initial phase, up to only twenty-five licences will be issued so operators can open for business on April 1, 2019 and stay open. The granting of licences during this initial phase will be determined through a lottery system . All interested parties will be able to submit an expression of interest form online to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) in the period January 7 to January 9, 2019. These will be put into a lottery pool for a draw which will be conducted on January 11, 2019.
Minister of Finance (2018, Dec.13) Ontario Takes a Phased Approach to Cannabis Retail Licensing Due to National Supply Shortages [Press release]\
Featured image: get budding on unsplash.com
