The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) announced this morning that applications for the province’s first three brick and mortar cannabis store have been made for locations in Toronto, Brampton, and St. Catherines.
The applicants are among the 25 winners of a lottery implemented in part of the province’s plan to phase-in privately-owned cannabis retail amidst supply shortages. Held in mid-January, the lottery attracted interest from nearly 17,000 would-be cannabis store operators across the province.
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Today’s announcement signals the onset of a 15-day Public Notice Process period in which time the proposed stores are required to publically post a notification of its application in the storefront. The two-week window provides an opportunity for residents of the respective municipalities to submit objections for consideration by the Registrar charged with issuing or refusing the applicant’s Cannabis Retail Store Authorization.
Proposed Cannabis Stores in Ontario
- Ganjika House, 186 Main St. S., Suite 190, Brampton
- The Niagara Herbalist, 33 Lakeshore Rd., Unit 15, St. Catherines
- Ameri, 20 Cumberland St., Toronto
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If approved, the applications for retail outlets in Toronto, Brampton, and St. Catherines would “represent, respectively, one of the five stores allocated to the Toronto Region, one of the six stores allocated to the Greater Toronto Area Region and one of the seven stores allocated to the West Region,” according to the AGCO.
Stores are expected open by April 1, 2019 or licensees could face stiff penalties. Expect the remaining 22 licensees to make their store applications public in quick succession as the deadline to open approaches.
