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On October 17, 2018, recreational cannabis became legal in Canada. From municipalities through to the Federal Government this will have impact on all levels of government. Each level of government has distinct responsibilities in ensuring that the legalization of recreational cannabis is implemented with consideration to community safety, health and economic opportunity.
The provincial government introduced legislation to allow the private sector to retail recreational cannabis in Ontario April 1, 2019. Consumers 19 or older can purchase recreational cannabis through an online retail platform operated by the Ontario Cannabis Store. To learn more, please visit the Government of Ontario's Cannabis page.
Federal Government |
On October 17, 2018, the The Cannabis Act (Bill C45) came into force. It puts in place a new, strict framework for controlling the production, distribution, sale and possession of cannabis in Canada.
Protecting the health and safety of youth is a top priority. Be aware that the Cannabis Act establishes serious criminal penalties for those who sell or provide cannabis to youth. It also establishes a new offence and strict penalties for those who use youth to commit a cannabis offence.
View the Government of Canada's website for further information. |
Provincial Government |
Recreational cannabis was legalized on October 17, 2018 by the Federal Government. Ontario’s Government for the People has put rules in place to keep cannabis out of the hands of children and youth, keep our roads safe and combat the illegal market. Ontario now has laws in place (after extensive public and stakeholder engagement) about how, where and who can buy and possess cannabis in the province. The government also moved forward with a tightly regulated private retail model for cannabis that launched April 1, 2019. Medical cannabis will continue to be subject to different rules than recreational cannabis. View the Province of Ontario's website for further information. |
Retail Licence Requests |
The government of Ontario has announced the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) as the regulator for privately run recreational cannabis stores. The AGCO’s focus will be on the safe, responsible and lawful sale of cannabis, consistent with the government legislation, once enacted. The AGCO moved quickly to define the licensing process for private retailers and has worked closely with the government to support having private stores licensed and open for business. The AGCO will provide a list of municipalities who have opted-in to private sales of cannabis and how to obtain a retail licence request. |