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If the government were to allow private retailers to engage in e-commerce such as click and collect or same-day delivery options, it would go a long way towards creating more access for consumers living in those Ontario communities where politicians made the foolish decision to opt out of letting cannabis retailers operate in their towns. In a scenario where private online retail options were legal, we could see consumers in “dry” suburbs ordering online to pick up on their way home from work, or even better, ordering for same-day delivery directly to their home. A delivery option for residents in dry communities would help meet their access needs, especially when compared to online ordering with the OCS, all while respecting the will of prohibitionist city councillors who don’t want cannabis retail. Unfortunately, the government monopoly ensures such a scenario is impossible.

Allowing for communities to opt out of cannabis retail was already a mistake, because it ultimately signals to black-market actors that those supposedly dry jurisdictions are still open for illegal business. Preventing online ordering and delivery from private stores outside those communities dogpiles on to that growing problem and makes the situation much worse.

Consumer access and consumer choice matter in terms of curbing the black market, but these policy failures could have larger implications. Those who never wanted cannabis to be legal to begin with will be front and centre arguing that legalization has failed to curb the black market and has failed to meet its objectives. Policies like community opt-outs and a government e-commerce monopoly act as a ball and chain for the legal market, limiting its ability to compete, which is a huge disservice to Ontario’s cannabis consumers.

David Clement is the North American affairs manager at the Consumer Choice Center.

Editor’s Note:All legal cannabis sold by private retailers must be purchased through the Ontario Cannabis Store. A previous version of this article named an incorrect government agency.