Retail cannabis stores will not be permitted in Mississauga.

At its recent meeting on Dec. 12, city council chose to opt-out of allowing private retail shops to sell cannabis in Mississauga. The federal government legalized cannabis on Oct. 17, 2018 and the province has since made it available for purchase via its online portal the Ontario Cannabis Store.

"This is a very concerning provincial distribution model for private retail of cannabis," Coun. Chris Fonseca said.

Councillors Fonseca, John Kovac, Carolyn Parrish, George Carlson, Dipika Damerla and Pat Saito agreed the municipality is being rushed into making a decision without any control or planning. Councillors discussed the possibility of taking a wait-and-see approach based on how retail stores affect other municipalities over the next six months to a year.

"I don't want Mississauga to be a guinea pig," Damerla said. "I think we're better off taking a prudent approach."

Council voted 10-2 on the motion to opt-out of retail cannabis stores, with councillors Karen Ras and Sue McFadden voting against the motion.

The privately-owned stores would have been licensed by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission, which will also govern the rules and regulations around the stores. For example, stores cannot be located within 150 metres of the property line of a public or private school.

Municipalities are prohibited from licensing or regulating the sale of cannabis, which was a major cause of concern among councillors.

"Their (the province) legislation is flawed, and needs to be revised," Carlson said.

The city had to make a decision by the provincially mandated deadline of Jan. 22, 2019.