With the legalization date for recreational marijuana looming, the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) has partnered with 26 licensed producers to distribute cannabis purchased online.
The OCS, which will be Ontario's only online retailer when recreational marijuana is legalized in the fall, said Monday that the supply agreements with Health Canada-authorized producers were competitive.
One local company in Clearview Township has been chosen to supply medical marijuana for the OCS when it begins selling the product online in October.
“We’re really excited. We’ve been working and saving and packaging thousands of kilos, so we are ready to go, and can’t wait for orders to start,” said Cronos Group CEO, Michael Gorenstein.
Peace Naturals is owned by the Cronos Group and is now the largest employer in Clearview. It was the first company in Canada to be licenced by Health Canada to grow medicinal marijuana and to sell extractions.
The Progressive Conservatives' new plan to have cannabis sold through a private retail model is a contrast to the Liberals plan for a provincial government monopoly on cannabis sales.
The province was to operate 150 brick-and-mortar stores by 2020, but the new plan means sales at physical stores won't start until April 2019.
- With files from the Canadian Press
