An Ontario cannabis retail licence will not be issued to a corporation if more than 9.9 per cent of it is owned or controlled by one or more licensed marijuana producers or their affiliates, the province said Thursday, dealing a blow to pot growers who have stakes in retail.
The province's new pot retail regulations also stipulate that this restriction applies whether the marijuana producer's ownership of the corporation is direct or indirect.
The Cannabis Council of Canada welcomes the additional clarity but is "disappointed" as the regulations may have some "unintended consequences," said its executive director Allan Rewak.
"So many licensed producers have invested, in a passive way, in a lot of retail chains... And unfortunately this could and likely will prevent those players from engaging in this marketplace."