News

Ontario’s pot opt outs

Published on January 22, 2019 by oz. staff

Dozens of Ontario municipalities have decided to opt out of having a cannabis store in their community.

Some of the communities are big cities, including Mississauga, Markham, Oakville, Pickering, Richmond Hill and Vaughan.

Full list here.

Municipalities who opt out can reconsider, but those who allow the stores can’t revoke permission.

Rod Elliot, a senior vice-president and cannabis expert at the consulting firm Global Public Affairs, told the Toronto Star that the decision to opt out was largely made by older, more conservative councils.

“Most local governments rely on the advice of staff reports and I don’t think I came across one city staff report that recommended opting out,” Elliot said. “So the decision by some councils to opt out I think was purely political.”

Here’s a handy map put together by The Growth Op showing who’s in and who’s out in Ontario.