Cannabis in Ontario

The latter aspect varies as to ownership of retail outlets (by the provincial government or private enterprise) but all provinces and territories include an option for on-line sales.

[5][6] In 2019, the Ontario government initially issued 25 retail licenses for brick-and-mortar stores to sell recreational cannabis; the selection was based on strict criteria and a lottery system.

[15] In early November, Canada Post advised the OCS that the names and addresses of 4,500 customers had been accessed by an individual without authority to do so.

Cannabis edibles are sold in the province in various forms, including baked goods, candies, and beverages.

[20] In 2017, Statistics Canada reported that the province had the fourth highest per capita usage in the country of 21 grams per person.

[24] For the duration of 2016–2018, the city of Hamilton was nicknamed "Hamsterdam" due to the association with Amsterdam and the cannabis market.

The black market remained persistent, according to an October 2019 report, partly because of a lack of retail outlets in many communities and because of lower prices charged by dealers operating illegally.

[27] There are two separate licensing applications for individuals and corporations that gives the right to grow, sell, import/export, sterilize, clean and prepare industrial hemp.

[29] Uses of industrial hemp include construction materials, textiles, paper, rope and twine, various food products, cosmetics, and fuel.