Ford government investigating merits of temporary places to address addiction crisis //

TORONTO — Ontario will sell recreational cannabis online only when it is legalized Oct. 17 and allow “tightly regulated” private retail stores into the weed business by next April 1.

The sales model from Premier Doug Ford’s government marks a sharp shift from the Liberals’ plan for 150 brick-and-mortar Ontario Cannabis Stores modelled on the LCBO by 2020.

“The government of Ontario will not be in the business of running physical cannabis stores,” Finance Minister Vic Fedeli said. “Instead, we’ll work with private sector businesses to build a safe, reliable retail system that will divert sales away from the illegal market.”

The province will soon begin consultations on rules that retailers will have to follow — including those on hours of operation and guidelines for training staff, Fedeli and Attorney General Caroline Mulroney said. They promised a zero-tolerance policy with “severely escalating fines” for any pot retailers operating in illicit markets on the side.

Retailers must buy their supplies from federally licensed producers and all stores will have to sell products in plain packaging, with all supplies coming from the Ontario Cannabis Store as the wholesaler. Prices have not been determined.

Dispensaries now deemed illegal will remain outside the law — but officials said in a background briefing that it is yet to be determined if they will be eligible to apply to become licensed retailers. Criteria haven’t been set. Fedeli urged dispensaries to shut down now, saying “we won’t want to do business with people running an illegal business.”

The online sales will be through the Ontario Cannabis Stores website, with age verification to make sure buyers are the legal age of 19, and proof of identity will be required on delivery. Products will likely be sold with an official seal “to help consumers identify legitimate retailers,” a statement said. The seal pictures the official Ontario trillium flower logo — not a marijuana leaf — below the words “Ontario Licensed.”

Municipalities will be able to reject cannabis stores within their boundaries — a move that will make pot sales a “ballot question” for many voters in local elections this fall, interim Liberal Leader John Fraser said.