A Little Light Reading: Cannabis Act, All of Canada and Cannabis Law In Ontario
The government of Canada is getting ready to roll out their authorized Cannabis Retail Store program.
The goal is to have “approved or authorized” stores open by April 1st, 2019.
In my province (Ontario) a lottery is being held to award stores to 25 eligible applicants.
The 25 winners will be drawn on Friday, January 11th, 2019 and the results will be posted on the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario’s website on January 12th, 2019.
Here’s their official timeline from their website:
Listed below are important links that speak to Federal and Provincial (Ontario) Cannabis laws, plus regulations from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.
Published by the Canadian Minister of Justice, current to December 12, 2018.
Please be careful that you are working with the most current version of the Cannabis Act, if you need to reference it.
It was amended twice in December. Once on the 6th and then again on the 12th.
You’ll be able to download the entire document from the link below:
https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-24.5/FullText.html
Other important links:
Cannabis Licences Act of Ontario, current to December, 2018 from the Province of Ontario’s website.
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/180468
The Expression of Interest Lottery Rules for Ontario, current to January 4th, 2019 from the Alcohol ad Gaming Commission of Ontario’s website.
Winners in Ontario will have 66 days to open a store in compliance with Canadian law, federally, provincially and in accordance with the Alcohol and Gamig Commision of Ontario.
Sound like fun to you?
Best of luck to the initial winners.
On your marks, get set...GO!
~ Rebecca
Even with such limited options for retailers, cannabis educators like you will be more in demand than ever. It is surprising how many different approaches to legalization different governments have taken. And how the whole industry continues to evolve after legalization, too. My parents live in Arkansas, which approved medical marijuana quite awhile ago, but there still is nothing working. Right next door, Oklahoma approved medical marijuana in June and it was available to folks before 2018 ended. Here's to folks finding the relief they are seeking, and from a plant that should be available to anyone.
Happy New Year to you and yours @haphazard-hstead!
It’s been a job just to keep up with all the rules. The federal government decided to share the job of distribution with the Provincial governments. Each province and territory decided how they wanted to handle retail cannabis sales so it will be interesting to see what happens in each part of the country.
I couldn’t agree more!
Good to chat with you.
Good luck in trying to follow it all!
Thank you for shining a light on it. Everybody needs to know what's in the new laws, as our legal landscape has changed forever, with new expanded police powers.
And as you know, legalization ended so many businesses, including ours before it could truly begin. Many shattered plans, relationships, health, etc. A Canadian tragedy, in our opinion.
#endcannabisprohibition
It breaks my heart when I think about all the people who are getting thrown under the bus, so to speak. Laws are still changing and we’re seeing laws for different people: re Shoppers Drug Mart
At least this means Shoppers will finally stop kicking us out of their shops for smelling like cannabis..
Great news, my friend, and let us know how the lottery will take place in order to know better about the situation in Canada! Thank you Rebecca
This is good news for you. We have a criminal punishment for storing over 100 grams in our country.
We have criminal punishment (including 14 years in prison per offense) for things just as innocent as that, here in Canada. It was a fake legalization, only for the corporations, and everybody else is still going to jail.
they still haven't opened the stores yet? 😂 gov sure know how to take their time
It is a bit crazy at the moment....even just trying to find the official documents needed to proceed legally in any form of commerce related to the herb.
In my area, there’s 3 levels of regulations which require compliance.
Entry fees to play the government game:
$75 for the lottery application
$50,000 letter of credit to the government to draw down if deadlines are missed (penalties will be incurred.)
$6000 for the Retail Operator Licence
$4,000 for the Retail Store Authorization
$750for the Cannabis Retail Manager Licence
If you’re even going to consider running a store, you’ll need $61,000 before your horse even leaves the gate.
It took California 1 year to do this. So far it seems it’s working out. I know Oregon really fucked up. I here prices per pound of top shelf fell to 500$!!! Good for the consumer, but not good for the farmer.
We think lower prices are a win. Cannabis is a weed and can be grown for similar prices as many other plants. Right now it's the most expensive plant in Oregon, even at these lower prices. This is the free market at work, something we should all be cheering. "Bad for farmers"? Only if they're unable to compete. The ones who can't should go out of business, which is healthy for the overall market. Wishing for prices to stay high isn't right in our opinion. Low prices encourage high quality as growers compete to bring in buyers. If California legalized and prices didn't drop, it's they who did things wrong!
Very great point! I suppose me sitting back and watching, since I grow my own has got me listing to one side of the argument, but I also grow indoors and its not cheap.
haha i should of known this was @drutter
Allegedly, the only place you’ll be able to buy dried cannabis inventory wholesale for your retail store is through the government.
They’ve positioned themselves to control prices.
We shall see.
April 1st huh?^^
April 1st is the deadline for the first 25 authorized (physical bricks and mortar) retail cannabis stores to open in the province of Ontario. Each province and territory were given the task of deciding how “they” would legally distribute cannabis in their respective regions. The provincial government of Ontario is citing shortages from the federal government as the reason for initially caping the number of stores.
I see. Well good luck with your efforts! I am somewhat divided on the positivity of legalization but I wish many people great novel explorations into the psyche they have never been able to undertake. <3
The rules and ultimately the laws are still in flux.
Legalization has meant we’ve had to make room for a new boss in Dodge. One that is interested in collecting taxes and administrative fees, as well as securing sales territories at the expense of the “Mom and Pop” compassionate shops. That part has been ugly.