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Municipalities will need to opt in or opt out of allowing retail cannabis stores to operate in their towns/cities by January 22, 2019. The Town of Pelham is seeking resident feedback on this topic. Please review the following information and take the survey below to share your thoughts.
The legal sale of recreational cannabis is highly regulated. Only legal cannabis that is produced by licenced producers (also highly regulated) can be sold in private cannabis retail stores and only to people 19 years of age and older. This means that access to the youth will be controlled and the product that will be available will be legally produced, will not be altered or cut with other substances so that it will be safer and will be appropriately labelled with regards to its THC potency so that people will know what they are buying and will be able to use it safer.
Important Dates
April 2017 - Federal government introduces legislation to legalize and regulate cannabis.
December 2017 - Ontario passes legislation to regulate the lawful use, sale, and distribution of recreational cannabis.
October 17, 2018 - Legalization includes:
• personal recreational use of cannabis
• use in public and private places
• personal growing (for recreational use)
• Legal online sales (for recreational use)
January 22, 2019 - deadline for Ontario municipalities to opt in or opt out of allowing retail cannabis stores.
April 1, 2019 - Retail cannabis stores in Ontario open.
1. The intent of legalizing cannabis for recreational purposes is to protect access to children and youth, provide for public health and safety, and end illegal sales and illicit trade of cannabis.
2. There’s a framework for private retail stores, regulated and licensed by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
3. Cannabis stores are to be considered like any other type of retail.
4. The licensing system established by the AGCO will have three components: operator licence, a store management licence and a retail location authorization.
5. To be eligible for a retail operator licence a person, among other things: Has to be 19 years of age or older, has not been convicted or charged with certain offences, has not had a connection or role with a criminal organization as defined in the Criminal Code of Canada, has to have sufficient control over the cannabis retail business.
6. Every cannabis retail store must have a licenced retail manager.
7. Retailers are not allowed to permit anyone under the age of 19 to enter the store. All employees, including the retail store operator and manager, are required to complete approved training by the AGCO in the responsible sale of cannabis.
8. A retail store cannot sell cannabis or cannabis accessories to anyone who is under 19 years old, is intoxicated or looks intoxicated, more than 30 grams of dried cannabis (or equivalent amount of another kind) to a person in a single visit or hire anyone who is under 19 years of age.
9. There is funding available for municipalities if they opt in by January 22, 2019. In January, 2019 the first payment of $15 million will be made to all municipalities on a per household basis, adjusted so that at least $5,000 is provided to each municipality. The Town of Pelham will receive $8,838. If the province’s portion of the federal excise duty on recreational cannabis over the first two years of legalization exceeds $100 million, the province will provide 50% of the surplus only to municipalities that have not opted out as of January 22, 2019. Should a municipality opt back in after January 22, 2019 they would not qualify for this additional funding.
10. Municipalities must use the funding to address the implementation costs that directly relate to the legalization of recreational cannabis such as: Increased enforcement (police, public health, by-law enforcement, court administration and litigation), increased response to public inquiries (public education), increased paramedic services, increased fire services, and by-law and policy development (police, public health, workplace safety policy).
Please take the following survey and share your thoughts on retail cannabis stores in the Town of Pelham.
SURVEY: http://bit.ly/2ErPhub
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