Town of Georgina opts out of allowing retail cannabis stores within municipality

The Town of Georgina has decided it will opt out of allowing retail cannabis stores within the municipality.

At a meeting on Wednesday morning, councillors in Georgina voted 4-3 in favour of opting out of allowing bricks-and-mortar stores within the town.

The province has given municipalities until Jan. 22 to decide whether to allow the pot shops within their jurisdiction.

If a municipality decides to opt out, they must notify the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) before the deadline, or they will be opted in by default.

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The AGCO announced on Friday the 25 winners of its “expression of interest” lottery, who will be granted retail cannabis licences to operate the province’s first pot shops.

However, now that the Town of Georgina has decided to opt out, this means residents will have to travel outside the town to purchase cannabis legally from a retail store once they open, or will have to purchase online through the Ontario Cannabis Store.

Currently, the only legal way to purchase cannabis in Ontario is online through the Ontario Cannabis Store.

The first 25 retail stores are expected to open across the province on April 1, 2019.