Premier Doug Ford and the Ontario Progressive Conservative government have signalled that cannabis will be sold in privately owned stores rather than through the newly created and government-owned Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS), with Ontario following the lead of the four Western provinces and Newfoundland and Labrador in selling cannabis through a private or mixed retail system.
This policy shift in Canada’s largest province is a game-changing development for the budding cannabis industry. Overnight, private cannabis retailers in Canada doubled their potential customer base, as this decision gives private retailers access to an estimated 2 to 2.5 million adults in Ontario, who will likely purchase recreational cannabis once it becomes legal on Oct. 17.
Our research shows that the Ontario PC government’s decision likely will be popular among cannabis users, even if it goes against the preferences of the broader public. Among adult residents of the GTA, more than half would prefer a wholly government-owned model, with three in 10 open to a mixed system, and 15 per cent preferring a fully privatized system.
However, this overall preference for government-owned cannabis retailers is driven mainly by people who will never walk through the doors of these stores. [Read More @ Toronto Star]
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