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Ontario Halts Cannabis Dispensary Licensing

While a judicial review takes place, the Ontario government is freezing its cannabis retail licensing process.

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While a judicial review takes place, the Ontario government is freezing its cannabis retail licensing process.

The provincial government will issue 75 retail licenses; businesses were selected via a randomized lottery process earlier this year. The problem is that 11 business owners were disqualified after missing administrative deadlines. Those business owners challenged the decision. A Sept. 25 hearing will determine whether they’ll be allowed to work their way back into the marketplace.

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"To my mind, this is just absolutely crazy the way this thing transpired," attorney Peter Brauti told CBC News. Brauti represents the 11 business owners who are challenging the province’s decision. 

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After disqualifying those businesses, the Ontario government went ahead and selected 11 new businesses for cannabis retail licenses. Attorneys for the province argued that this two-week stay is a disservice to those business teams that are otherwise preparing to open their dispensaries.

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