Ontario Cannabis Lounges Possible
Provincial Government Announces It’s Asking Ontarians for Feedback – LPC
Ontario cannabis lounges and cafés as well as open-air festival licences could be available in the future. The provincial government said it considering what it calls “consumption venues”. That would include special occasion permits for outdoor festivals and concerts.
“We are asking Ontarians to share their feedback as we explore certain expanded cannabis-related business opportunities,” said Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey. “What we hear from the public and expert groups will help to inform possible next steps.”
Downey called the consultation on Ontario cannabis lounges “part of our responsible approach to protecting families and communities”.
Meanwhile, consultant Robyn Rabinovich, who advises cannabis sector clients, said the proposal could help fight black market cannabis.
“There are a lot of opportunities for businesses like cafés and restaurants to start making steps into the cannabis industry,” Rabinovich said. “This could ensure it’s done in a regulated and safe way.”
Ontarians have until March 10 to provide their input on Ontario cannabis lounges. However, there are no timeline to make changes.
Ontario Cannabis Lounges, Although the Gold Standard, Would Be Difficult to Justify Legally – LPC
Few in the industry would argue against Ontario cannabis lounges. Consumers like a nice, social place to gather. Licensed producers would see it as another avenue of revenue. Café owners existed before official legalization, and would be chomping at the bit to be there again.
However, one difficulty would be getting around Ontario’s smoking laws. You could argue that since everyone in Ontario cannabis lounges would be “smokers” – or at least willingly enter knowing that smoking is the purpose. But one of the reasons they were put in place was to protect the health of workers. Making a legal exception for cannabis consumption over tobacco would be difficult. This is addressed in the very first question listed in the government feedback form. (Download the Cannabis Consumption Establishments feedback form here.)
This idea is being floated as part of Ford’s plan to open up Ontario’s retail cannabis market. This article states that the province has now received over 700 licence applications since it scrapped the cannabis lottery system. (Please see link to full article below.)
It’s unknown whether or not public consultations on Ontario cannabis lounges will be transparent. Feedback would not be legally binding in any way. Although it would be nice to see cannabis lounges, there is a chance that special occasion permits will pass while lounges fail. Given that cannabis is already freely consumed at these venues anyway, selling permits in outdoor spaces would be another revenue source for government.
This editorial content from the LPC News Team provides analysis, insight, and perspective on current news articles. To read the source article this commentary is based upon, please click on the link below.
