When Justin Trudeau makes pot legal in Canada next summer, Kathleen Wynne is going to tightly control how it's sold in Ontario.
On Friday, the province announced it plans to sell marijuana at approximately 150 stand-alone stores run by the LCBO. The first 80 cannabis shops will open across Ontario by July 1, 2019. Ultimately the plan is to have 150 stories up and running by 2020. The stand-alone stores are being introduced to ensure pot is not sold alongside alcohol.
The LCBO will also handle online sales.
Under the new regulation rules, private marijuana dispensaries, which have popped up around the province, will be closed.
"We are committed to getting this transition right. When it comes to retail distribution, the LCBO has the expertise, experience and insight to ensure careful control of cannabis, helping us to discourage illicit market activity and see that illegal dispensaries are shut down," said Minister of Finance Charles Sousa, who announced the plan with Ontario Health Minister Eric Hoskins and Attorney General Yasir Naqvi.
The province said it will work with municipalities, local police services, the OPP, and the federal government to develop a "proactive enforcement strategy" to help shut down illegal dispensaries.
Marijuana sales will be restricted to those 19 and older and recreational use will be banned from public places.
"We’ve heard people across Ontario are anxious about the federal legalization of cannabis. The province is moving forward with a safe and sensible approach to legalization that will ensure we can keep our communities and roads safe, promote public health and harm reduction, and protect Ontario’s young people," said Naqvi.
A final decision on pricing and taxation of the drug has not yet been made. Discouraging consumption and eliminating the illegal market will be considered before price points are established, according to the province.
The federal government introduced legislation in April to legalize recreational marijuana by July 2018. Ontario is the first of the country's provinces and territories to unveil a regulation plan.