Ontario, Canada officials have indicated that they will shut down all illegally operating cannabis dispensaries in the province over the next year, but will license 30 to 60 for retail sales, according to a report from CBC News. The provincial government will also create a cannabis control board to regulate the industry.
According to the report, Ontario will set the legal age to purchase cannabis at 19, a year older than the age recommended by the federal government task force. Retail sales will not occur inside existing Liquor Control Board of Ontario stores as previously suggested by Premier Kathleen Wynne.
Wynne was one of several premiers who called for an extension of the legalization timeline in July, concerned that public safety issues had not been addressed.
“The starting point is, have we met the public safety concerns, are we sure we have the provisions in place to protect youth, do we understand what the highway traffic implications are?” Wynne told CBC News. “It’s those issues that we have to resolve because we have to keep people safe.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said federal officials plan to stick to the original, July 2018 deadline despite the concerns of premiers.