Caroline Mulroney unveils plans, ad campaign ahead of pot legalization
Posted October 9, 2018 2:26 pm.
Last Updated October 9, 2018 3:56 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Caroline Mulroney spoke at an Economic Club luncheon at the Empire Club to highlight the Ontario PC government’s plans for cannabis legalization on Tuesday afternoon.
The Attorney General showed off a government ad campaign that will be rolled out next week.
The government has previously announced that Ontarians will be able to smoke cannabis anywhere cigarettes can be smoked including in a park and while walking down the sidewalk. Mulroney said the ad campaign will serve to educate people about that and other cannabis rules in Ontario.
Mulroney said the government looked at a number of models, including franchise models, before settling on the licensing framework. She said limits will be set for how many retail stores a single operator can hold on that licence.
Applications will open in December, with the government reviewing the backgrounds of those applying. Mulroney said the government wants “only responsible and accountable individuals” to be involved in the trade, adding that they’re looking to encourage small and medium sized businesses to get involved. In addition, she said having a criminal record will not prevent someone from getting a licence to sell pot in Ontario.
When asked by an audience member about Canadians crossing the border with respect to pot regulations, she said she’d work with the federal Justice to make sure Canadians are not penalized for cannabis when crossing the border.
The attorney general did not take questions from journalists.
