Results of Ontario’s pot licence lottery announced

TORONTO – Ontario has announced the first 25 companies that can apply for cannabis retail licences in the province.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario says Tripsetter Inc., The Niagara Herbalist and Pure Alpha Holdings are among those that have been selected through a lottery.

The agency accepted expressions of interest for the licences earlier in the week.

Those selected have five business days to turn in their applications along with a $6,000 non-refundable fee and a $50,000 letter of credit.

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The licences are being divided regionally, with five going to the east of the province, seven in the west, two in the north, six in the Greater Toronto Area and five in Toronto itself.

Recreational cannabis can currently only be purchased legally in Ontario through a government-run website, with the first private stores set to open April 1.

WATCH: Prospective pot shop owners put in bid for Ontario cannabis store lottery

2:20 Prospective pot shop owners put in bid for Ontario cannabis store lottery