City to receive $185,000 in first cannabis funds

Peterborough is being dealt some of the revenue from marijuana sales to be used for policies and enforcement related to the newly legalized recreational drug.

In total $185,590 is being given to the city from the Ontario Cannabis Legalization Implementation Fund, with the first payment of $97,795 in late January and the rest in March.

The City of Kawartha Lakes is also receiving nearly $100,000.

The money must be used to cover costs relating to legalization, increased enforcement and policy development.

In October the federal government passed new policies that allowed for the sale of recreational cannabis in Canada.

Each province created its own rules for the sale of cannabis, with Ontario opting for online sales over physical retailers. Currently the only way to buy the drug in the province is through the Ontario Cannabis Store website.

Later in 2019 it’s expected for the province to allow regulated private retailers to begin sales in brick-and-mortar stores.

On Monday, Peterborough’s city council voted to keep the door open to cannabis retailers within the city.

The province offered municipalities the option of opting out of cannabis stores, something Markham and Mississauga have both decided to do.

Municipalities were told that while they could opt out now, there may be financial penalties for doing so.

Cannabis sales are restricted to those 19 years of age or older in Ontario and any stores that open are not allowed to be located near schools.

If a retailer does choose to come to Peterborough it wouldn’t be the first. In 2016 Cannabis Culture opened on George Street offering cannabis and accessories for sale. At the time and to this day it is illegal for private businesses to sell recreational cannabis.

The store was shut down by police twice and one man was fined $12,500. The store was permanently closed shortly afterward.