Mississauga votes to allow legal cannabis stores

Mississauga city council has voted to end the city’s ban on legal cannabis stores.

The city was one of dozens of municipalities to bar retail cannabis stores from their communities when legalization came into effect in 2018.

And now, four and a half years later, city council has voted 8-4 Wednesday to opt in.

There was growing concern over the increase in illegal pot shops. The city continues to be disproportionately served by the illegal market compared to communities that opted in, according to data from the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS), the province’s wholesaler for legal retailers.

A staff report recommends ending the ban, but at last weeks general committee meeting about half of councillors who spoke about the issue were not in support of the city lifting the ban. Those who voted against say they’re concerned about the placement of stores and claim residents have not been given enough time to offer input.

Mayor Bonnie Crombie said she had originally been concerned that municipalities have no real control over where legal cannabis shops can be established, and that several stores would be clustered in one area.

But, at the meeting today, Crombie spoke in favour, saying now it’s clear that cannabis is going to be offered in Mississauga, whether legally or illegally, so she wants to ensure it is at least a safe product for residents.

The OCS reports that the legal market has been steadily growing since 2018 and eating into illegal business. More than 50 per cent of cannabis sales are now through the legal market, according to their report.

With files from The Canadian Press