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BY: MICHELLE EATON

Canada is the first G7 country to legalize recreational cannabis,and Ontario can reap the rewards as long as we play our cards right.

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The potential is clear: we just need to take the right steps to get the most out of it.

With the first private retail stores opening in Ontario less than a month ago, it’s time to talk pot and what’s next for this fast-moving industry.

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce recently released a report, Supporting Ontario’s Budding Cannabis Industry, which makes recommendations to both the federal and provincial governments as to how they can take advantage of our first-mover status.

Ontario is home to over half the licensed producers in the country.

Close to 6,000 of the 10,000 Canadian jobs in the cannabis industry are located here.

Deloitte estimated the industry could create up to 150,000 jobs country-wide following legalization.

The academic and research opportunities alone are also considerable: Forty-four of Canada’s post-secondary institutions are located in this province, some of which are already offering or developing cannabis-related programs.