Oshawa council green lights private cannabis shops

Oshawa council has high expectations for how local cannabis stores could benefit the city after it voted to host pot shops.

At a special meeting at city hall Thursday night, council voted 7-4 in favour of allowing private retail cannabis stores in Oshawa, Ont., instead of the other option on the table — opting out, or prohibiting, this type of business in the city.

Durham-based cannabis consultant Marko Ivancicevic is crossing his fingers that he’ll be able to open his own cannabis shop in Oshawa. He says he has submitted his expression of interest to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, which regulates Ontario’s retail cannabis outlets and will be randomly picking the winning applicants Friday.

Global News reached out to Oshawa’s mayor, Dan Carter, on the council decision, but he was unavailable for an interview.

In deciding which option to choose, council considered the results of a recent city survey, in which 62 per cent of people said ‘yes’ to hosting cannabis stores in the city. Many said the benefits include economic opportunities and job creation, according to a public report.

The nearly 40 per cent of people who shot down the idea of having private cannabis stores in Oshawa cited reasons such as increased access to cannabis by youth and negative impacts on the city’s reputation.