Story filed by Taylor Ablett
Ontario’s plan to sell pot next summer is a complicated one. That’s the reaction from Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Norm Miller as Ontario has released its framework for how legalization is going to work. The province says it plans to open 150 stores by 2020, which includes 80 by 2019. It says it will also be selling pot online and the LCBO will be overseeing the storefronts and the online ordering service.
On top of that, the minimum age to buy will be 19 and all current marijuana dispensaries will be shut down. Miller says the government couldn’t have come up with a more bureaucratic way of distributing marijuana.
Miller says the government planning to go with new storefronts instead of investing in current locations could have election implications.
There’s also no word yet if our area will have a dispensary or not. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance says the locations will be built based on the illegal market and regional distribution across Ontario. He also says the province is going to work with municipalities to hear the priorities when choosing a location, for example proximity to schools.
Miller says the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario will likely be talking about the government’s plan sometime this week, as the Legislature resumes today, and will come up with an official party stance.
More details about the government’s framework is available on website.