The Province of Ontario has created the Ontario Cannabis Store (O.C.S.) to operate the Province’s retailing of recreational cannabis. The O.C.S. is a provincially owned and operated entity like the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (L.C.B.O.).

The Province has identified Oshawa for a provincially operated cannabis retail store but a location has not yet been identified.

The City is currently conducting a public consultation process to obtain community comments on locational considerations for potential cannabis retail store locations.

Under the existing provisions of Zoning By-law 60-94, a cannabis retail store would be considered a retail store and is permitted in any zone in which a retail store is permitted.

The City is in the process of conducting a public consultation process to obtain community comments on locational considerations for potential cannabis retail store locations. Once the City’s public consultation process is complete the City’s locational criteria will be provided to the Province to inform their search for a suitable retail store location in the city.

The Province of Ontario has created a webpage dedicated to providing information on cannabis legalization including providing clarity on permitted and prohibited activities. Some points include:

• The minimum age for possessing, purchasing, using, and/or growing recreational cannabis in Ontario will be nineteen (19). This is the same for the sale of tobacco and alcohol within the province.
• You will only be able to use recreational cannabis in a private residence (including outdoor spaces such as backyards and porches) and in your unit or on your balcony, if you live in a multi-unit building (but this depends on your building’s rules or your lease agreement).
• You will not be able to use recreational cannabis in any public place, workplace or motorized vehicle.
• You cannot drive while drug-impaired.
• You will only be able to buy recreational cannabis from the provincially-run Ontario Cannabis Store.
• You will only be able to possess up to thirty (30) grams (about one ounce) of dried cannabis in public at any time.
• You will be able to grow up to four (4) plants per residence, not per person. Seeds and seedlings will be available for purchase from the Ontario Cannabis Store

No official date has been set. The Federal legislation is still under development. Please continue to monitor Federal updates.

Current information can be found on the Ontario Cannabis Store web page. Some of the information found here includes:

• Why the Federal government decided to legalize cannabis
• Where cannabis will be sold
• What kind of products will be sold
• What stores will look like

At this time, the role of the City of Oshawa’s Municipal Law Enforcement Officers is limited. It is difficult to determine how enforcement roles may be shaped while the legislation remains in development.

Enforcement agencies affiliated with Durham Region (ex. Durham Region Police Services and Durham Region Public Health) may have a more active enforcement role. For instance, Durham Region Police Service will likely be involved in enforcing illegal possession, impaired driving, illegal distribution, and illegal dispensaries.

It is important to note that the forthcoming Provincial legislation permits the smoking of cannabis in your backyard, on your porch and on your balcony (provided this is not prohibited by your building rules or lease agreement). However, the legislation does not permit smoking in public spaces. For further information on what will and will not be permitted, please visit the provincial web page on cannabis legalization.