Ontario is launching a public awareness campaign on the rules and risks of pot smoking next week as recreational cannabis becomes legal across the country on Oct. 17, a move the opposition New Democrats say is “late.”

Attorney General Caroline Mulroney told a luncheon meeting of the Empire Club that ads on traditional, digital and social media will telegraph details of rules, regulations and health and safety measures for smoking weed.

“While you will be seeing some of our advertising on the airwaves, we are placing particular focus on engaging people, and particularly younger people, on the digital and social channels where they are spending an increasing amount of their time,” Mulroney said.

“It should go without saying that these ads do not promote cannabis use or the cannabis market, but will instead focus on social responsibility, including the serious health and addiction risks of short and long-term cannabis use.”

She did not provide details on the cost of the ad campaign, preview any ads or take questions from the media.

New Democrat MPP Peter Tabuns said the ad campaign should have started months ago, not the same week legalization takes effect, to have a better impact in terms of the dangers of pot smoking.

“It’s very late in the game,” he added, criticizing Premier Doug Ford’s government for pouring resources into halving the size of Toronto’s city council for the municipal election in two weeks instead of into a marijuana education effort.

“Taking action against democracy in the city of Toronto was obviously a much higher priority for Mr. Ford than this,” Tabuns said.

Pot smoking will be allowed anywhere it’s legal to smoke cigarettes under amendments proposed for the Smoke-Free Ontario Act.

The new Progressive Conservative government has shifted gears from the previous Liberal plan to open a small number of provincially owned stores.

“We concluded that such a system was incapable of seriously competing with the illegal market and in turn would leave our communities more vulnerable and susceptible to the underground market,” Mulroney added, elaborating on a decision first revealed in August.

Instead, private operators will be licensed to sell weed in shops that can open next April 1. No limit has been set on the number of such stores, although the government reserves the right to limit the market share of operators with more than one licence.

In the interim, the only legal source of weed will be online at the government-owned Ontario Cannabis Store. It won't take orders until Oct. 17, so deliveries likely won't be made in time for celebratory toking on legalization day.

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Mulroney said potential pot store operators should note the locations they choose will be the subject a 15-day public comment period supervised by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, and urged them to “be mindful of the importance of local responses.”

Municipalities not wanting brick-and-mortar cannabis stores within their boundaries have until Jan. 22 to opt out, but can reverse that decision later.