Indopedia All Things Marijuana
The devil is in the details when it comes to the proposed framework for a legal marijuana market in Canada’s largest province. On Wednesday, the Ontario Liberal government introduced legislation that was very similar to the official announcement released on Sept. 8, with a few added components that will take effect in July.
First, police will be granted “interim closure authority” to shut down a retail operation if cannabis sales are suspected. Anyone found working in an unlicensed dispensary can be fined up to $250,000 and receive up to two years in prison. Further, the businesses will face penalties of up to $1 million.
If these businesses continue to operate, the penalties can escalate, with further daily fines of $100,000 to individuals and $500,000 to businesses.
The bill also puts significant restrictions on landlords who knowingly lease their property to unlicensed dispensaries. Property owners face fines of up to $250,000 and risk being imprisoned for up to two years.
“These shops, to the best of my knowledge, are illegal, have always been illegal, will continue to be illegal and are not contemplated as being part of the regime going forward,” said…
