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“We want to make sure that the market is not dominated by one or two parties,” Mulroney said. “If municipalities and local residents feel that the concentration is too high or there are issues related to the store location or the particular applicant, they have an opportunity at that time to speak directly to that.”

The Progressive Conservative plan for pot is a stark change from the Liberals’ rules.

Under the previous regime, pot was to be sold in government-run stores and Ontarians would only have been able to consume it in private residences.

The new rules will see cannabis sold online by a government agency when it becomes legal Oct. 17, and in private stores next year. The legislation further allows cannabis to be smoked by those over 19 wherever the smoking of tobacco is permitted.

The Progressive Conservatives estimated that they will save $150 million by not opening 150 government-run stores expected under the Liberals by 2020.

The government did not say how much it will cost for the Alcohol and Gaming Commission to handle the increased work of vetting and approving licenses and inspecting hundreds of private pot shops.

The new rules have drawn a range of reactions.

David Clement, the Toronto-based North American affairs manager for the Consumer Choice Center, a consumer advocacy group, said the government’s plan will help ensure those who can legally consume cannabis are able to access it.

The previous rules “disproportionately impacted low-income consumers” by barring them from consuming cannabis outdoors and potentially in their home if it was banned by a landlord or condo board, he said.