Majority of Ontarians Oppose Government Cannabis Stores

TORONTO, Sept. 12, 2017 /CNW/ -- According to a Nanos Research poll, the majority of Ontario residents support private sector cannabis stores over government run stores.

The Ontario government recently announced cannabis regulations that will have the province create a Cannabis Control Board of Ontario, similar to the LCBO. The CCBO will control the sale of legal cannabis. As part of the announcement, the Ontario Government announced that there will be no forms of private cannabis sale allowed in the province. The Consumer Choice Center (CCC) condemns this proposal as a bad deal for consumers, and against the will of Ontario residents. The government banning private sector cannabis stores is a move that not only limits consumer choice but also enables black market sales.

Toronto-based David Clement, the North American Affairs Director for the CCC, condemned the regulations as limiting choice and innovation. He also highlighted how such regulations empower the dangerous black market for cannabis.

"Ontarians have already made it clear that they don't want government run stores controlling the sale of legal cannabis. The move to create a cannabis control board will simply replicate the existing issues we see with the LCBO and alcohol. The province should embrace private retail and the wants of consumers," Clement said.

In addition to cannabis, the Nanos survey also demonstrated that a majority of Canadians oppose the government's move to plain package tobacco, that a majority of Canadians oppose banning homesharing and ridesharing apps like Airbnb and Uber, and that a majority of Ontario residents want private alcohol sales as opposed to the current LCBO model.

The CCC represents consumers in over 100 countries across the globe. We closely monitor regulatory trends in Ottawa, Washington, Brussels, Geneva and other hotspots of regulation, and inform and activate consumers to fight for #ConsumerChoice. Learn more at consumerchoicecenter.org.

SOURCE Consumer Choice Center

David Clement, North American Affairs Manager, Consumer Choice Center, [email protected], 905-220-0704