Ontario Announces Cannabis Retail Model

Ontario Newsroom August 13, 2018

Following the federal legalization of cannabis on October 17, Ontario will immediately introduce an online retail channel for cannabis, to be followed by a private retail model by April 1, 2019.

Ontario ‘freezes’ Cannabis Store leasing ahead of possible shift, sources say

Marijuana Business Daily July 19, 2018

Efforts to sign leases for Ontario Cannabis Store outlets have been put on hold as the new government weighs how legal marijuana will be sold to consumers in the province, multiple industry sources have told Marijuana Business Daily.

Executives privately expressed optimism, as the delay potentially signals a pivot to private distribution in Canada’s largest market.

"We're going to have it regulated in LCBOs"

CityNews Leaders Debate May 07, 2018

Kathleen Wynne: But you're going to have [cannabis] in corner stores.

Doug Ford: No, actually I said LCBOs. If you listen to a lot of interviews I've done, I said we're going to have it regulated in LCBOs.

Alan Carter speaks with Ontario PC Party Leader Doug Ford

Focus Ontario, Global News (2:20) March 15, 2018

Alan Carter: "You’ve suggested that you would like to see more free market in cannabis distribution. Could you explain that?"

Doug Ford: "Yeah, I just wanna correct that, and if you play back the record on your sister station, on 640, what I said is I think we start off with the liquor stores, and eventually I believe in the free market. So, I just believe in the free market, and let the market dictate, but we have to be – I wanna emphasize this – we gotta be super, super, super careful. It’s a road that we haven’t went down before. We start off, you know, in our controlled environment under the LCBO. And then, I would be open to putting it out. Again, I wanna see how it goes first."

Alan Carter: "But cannabis in private stores? Would that happen under a Ford administration?" Doug Ford: "Now, now, may, maybe down, down the road, down the road but right now I really, at the beginning, it has to be controlled. Let’s see the effects. Let’s just keep it as it is now in the liquor store and then I’d be open to it, if, if it’s alright, if everything goes smooth. If it doesn’t, then we’re keepin’ it in the liquor stores."