Chatham-Kent will be home to at least one provincially operated cannabis retail store by July of next year.
The municipality recently received the news from the provincial Finance Ministry, which is seeking a partnership between the newly formed Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation and hosting communities.
Chatham-Kent Mayor Randy Hope said in a media release, “We look forward to meeting with provincial officials to ensure that any store located in Chatham-Kent is done so only after the municipality has had direct input on its location.”
“It’s important,” Hope continued, “that we ensure our local zoning bylaws are respected and that the wishes of the community play a role in where any stores will be placed.”
He said it is still his belief that the municipality deserves some compensation through a percentage of sales or some other method to ensure that it can meet any issues that arise.
“If there are social issues that arise from the legalization of marijuana and government retail stores, it shouldn’t be the municipality’s responsibility to bear the costs while the federal and provincial governments rake in the profits,” he said.
In April 2017, the Government of Canada introduced legislation to legalize cannabis across Canada. In response, the Government of Ontario introduced the provincial Cannabis Act that would support the transition to legalized cannabis in Ontario, and the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation Act, that would establish the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation (OCRC) as a subsidiary corporation under the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) to retail cannabis.
Under the proposed approach, the retail and distribution system would include an online province-wide sales channel by July 2018 and up to 150 stand-alone stores in 2020, starting with 40 by July 2018 and rising to 80 within the first year. This proposed retail system would sell cannabis and cannabis-related items only, not alcohol.
