North Dumfries council has voted to opt in to allowing retail cannabis stores, meaning all the municipalities in Waterloo region have said yes to pot stores.

Ontario municipalities will be presumed automatically to allow retail cannabis stores unless they inform the provincial government they have decided to opt out. The deadline for municipalities to tell the province that they are opting out is Tuesday.

Wellesley township was first to opt in on Jan. 8. Kitchener, Waterloo and Wilmot voted to opt in on Jan. 14. Woolwich and Cambridge followed suit on Jan. 15.

Guelph voted in favour of permitting pot stores in December.

In Waterloo region, city and township staff said allowing retail stores in their municipalities presented a safer alternative to the illegal cannabis market.

"Waterloo Regional Police Services have indicated that it is likely that cannabis-related profits and related crimes will be reduced by adopting a legal cannabis retail model," the City of Waterloo said in a release.

Municipalities ask for changes

But the municipalities also have asked the government to make some changes to the provincial legislation.

Woolwich passed a resolution asking the government to allow municipalities to distinguish in zoning bylaws between other types of retail outlets and cannabis stores "to ensure that the locations are appropriate, particularly in regards to nearby residential uses."

Kitchener voted to pass a municipal retail cannabis store policy, which was a recommendation from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. In the policy, Kitchener recommends the province should not allow stores within 150 metres of addiction service providers, supportive housing and shelters, libraries and community centres.

The province is going to allow private recreational cannabis retail stores to open starting April 1, although the number of stores in Ontario is limited to 25. Residents can currently order marijuana online through the Ontario Cannabis Store.