City of Hamilton looking for feedback on licensed private retail cannabis stores
HAMILTON, ON - December 21, 2019 – The City of Hamilton is seeking community input on licensed private recreational cannabis retail stores in Hamilton. City of Hamilton residents are invited to complete an online survey between December 21, 2018 and January 9, 2019 at 5 pm.
Survey feedback will help inform next steps as Hamilton City Council considers whether to opt in or opt out of allowing licensed private retail cannabis stores in Hamilton.
Currently, in Ontario, the only place to legally purchase recreational cannabis is online through the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS). The provincial government is moving forward with a regulated private, bricks and mortar, retail model for cannabis that will launch April 1, 2019. These stores will be licenced through the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), not by the municipality.
The provincial government gave Ontario municipalities a one-time opportunity to opt out of having provincially licensed retail cannabis stores in their communities. The deadline for City Council to make this decision is January 22, 2019. The City could opt in at a later date, but then would not be eligible for a portion of the funds being offered by the provincial government. The survey findings will be included in information presented to City Council on January 14, 2019 to support decision-making in advance of the January 22 deadline.
Resources
City of Hamilton Retail Cannabis Survey: hamilton.ca/CannabisSurvey