The Government of Ontario is taking steps to move to an open market for retail cannabis stores beginning in January 2020.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) will begin accepting operator licence applications from prospective retailers on January 6, 2020 and expect them to open at a rate of about 20 per month. Prospective retailers must post a public notice at their proposed retail location; the AGCO will accept comments from the local community for 15 days.

Removing the temporary cap on the number of private cannabis stores in the province and eliminating pre-qualification requirements for prospective retailers are some of the key changes the government has made to cannabis regulations. Other amendments include increasing the ability of licensed producers in the retail market and allowing them to open a store at one of their facilities and phasing in limits on the number of authorized stores a licence holder can have (up to 75 by 2021), to “ensure fair access for retailers while creating medium and long-term market certainty.”

The province continues to have regulations that deny licences to anyone with certain cannabis-related offences or any association with organized crime, and to require licence holders, cannabis retail managers and employees to complete approved training.

Authorized cannabis stores can now offer click and collect services that allow customers to order and pay for products online for in-store pick-up.

Retailers are required to comply with the Cannabis Licence Act and regulations, as well as the AGCO’s Registrar’s Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores.

source: Ontario News