Earlier today (July 3), the Ontario Government announced that the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), the provincial regulator for cannabis retail storefronts, will be having a second cannabis store lottery on August 20 for 42 private cannabis store licences. There will also be up to eight licences on First Nations reserves, which will take place through a separate process.
The 50 new private cannabis retail stores will be authorized once they meet the licence requirements and will be approved to open on a rolling basis, beginning in October 2019.
The government has also established new pre-qualification requirements that, according to the news release, will streamline the licensing process with the AGCO and ensure that licensees are able to open more quickly. Prospective retailers must demonstrate that they have secured appropriate retail space that could be used as a cannabis retail store and that they have access to enough capital required to open a cannabis retail store. Licensed retail stores may now be opened in any municipality regardless of population size, granted the municipality did not opt-out of the retail cannabis market.
The 50 new private cannabis retail stores being licensed will be allocated regionally around Ontario as follows:
- East Region: 7 stores
- GTA Region: 6 stores
- Toronto Region: 13 stores
- West Region: 11 stores
- North Region: One store in each of the following cities: Kenora, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay and Timmins
- First Nations reserve: Up to 8 stores
For more information please check the AGCO website: https://www.agco.ca/cannabis/second-allocation-expression-interest-lottery or contact David Black, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy at dblack@cfa.ca.