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TORONTO — The Canadian cannabis industry was chomping at the bit Friday over the prospect of being allowed to sell legalized marijuana in Ontario through private-sector pot shops, and not just those of the provincial government.

Until recently, the official plan for retailing recreational cannabis to consumers in Ontario — which would become Canada’s largest market after the drug’s scheduled legalization on Oct. 17 — involved a tightly controlled and government-owned monopoly.

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But new Premier Doug Ford had previously made remarks suggesting that model could be in for some tweaking. And after media reports surfaced Thursday about Ford and the Progressive Conservative government considering private pot stores, the Canadian cannabis industry snapped to attention.

For a company like leading marijuana producer Canopy Growth Corp., a move towards privatization could provide a new way to introduce itself and to educate customers in the province with a bricks-and-mortar store. The company had previously expressed interest in operating a retail pot shop at their headquarters in Smiths Falls, Ont., and earlier this month announced it planned to acquire retail-focused Hiku Brands Company Ltd.