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With respect to private retail, the Province announced that it will launch an online application portal for those who are interested in applying for “non-medical cannabis retail licenses” in the spring. There will be two types of retail licenses: one type for self-contained cannabis stores and another for stores in rural communities.
The Province released its Private Retail Licensing Guide, which provides a comprehensive scheme for budding private cannabis retailers in the Province. Of note, having operated an illegal dispensary prior to legalization will not, on its own, exclude applicants from being considered for licenses, nor will having a record of criminal activity.
There will be no cap on the number of licenses issued at the Provincial level, although local governments will have an opportunity to either prohibit retail cannabis stores or to cap the number of stores within their jurisdiction. Local governments will have similar control over the locations of cannabis retail outlets.
The LCLB will implement certain restrictions to ensure diversity in the market and to avoid monopolization by certain licensed producers. Among these restrictions, private cannabis retailers with a close association to licensed producers will be prohibited from selling any of that LP’s product. Private retail owners will not be permitted to accept or request any inducements from federally licensed producers. Retailers will not be permitted to obtain cannabis for sale from anyone but the LDB.