Queen’s Park gears up for cannabis monopoly, Jan 15
Without reaching out to the existing cannabis industry the government decided it knows best about all things pot-related and, based on their experience, they should be the lone cannabis retailer for the province. Ontario has vowed a crackdown on any “illegal” storefronts, subjecting owners to stiff penalties. But one thing about the drug industry that Ontario fails to grasp is when one avenue is shut down another pops up.
The market Ontario will have difficulty shuttering is vast and expansive. There are no storefronts. Buying weed online is fast, convenient and private and if the government cannot meet demand or price with online sellers, the government will be the losers. What plan does Ontario have for shuttering the online world?
Ontario may very well have the largest cannabis market in Canada, but if one main goal of legalization is to eliminate the black market Ontario will be the least successful at doing so.
Ross Reynolds, Halifax