Saskatchewan will sell legal weed in private stores and online

Saskatchewan will hand control over recreational cannabis distribution to private retail stores, the government said on Monday. The prairie province is taking a different approach to legalization from Ontario and Quebec where recreational marijuana will be sold through government-controlled stores.

Saskatchewan will issue about 60 cannabis retail permits to private operators in as many as 40 municipalities and First Nation communities once legalization comes into effect this summer, the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) said in a statement.

Municipalities and First Nations with at least 2,500 residents will be able to apply for retail permits, and communities will also be able to opt-out of having a cannabis store in town if they so choose, authorities said.

“Saskatchewan strikes a balance between public safety and access for consumers,” Gene Makowsky, the provincial minister responsible for the SLGA, said in a statement. “It’s also important to our government that the 40 municipalities and First Nations selected for retail locations have the opportunity to decide whether they want cannabis retail stores in their community.”

'Good character'

Cannabis retailers will have to establish a standalone storefront, with the option to also sell the product online. Retailers will be limited to selling cannabis, cannabis accessories and ancillary items.

Stores must also have the ability to track and report on cannabis inventory, the government said, and specific details around permits and application timelines will be announced in the coming weeks.

Prospective marijuana retailers will need to show they have the financial capacity to operate a store. Qualified applications will then be put into a lottery to see who can get a license, so long as they meet a "good character" requirement for selling the product. The Saskatchewan government did not provide details on what being a "good character" entails.

The exact number of permits offered for private stores will be determined once authorities know how many communities want to opt-out of having a cannabis retailer in their town, the government said.

The government plans to announce the minimum age for cannabis consumption in Saskatchewan this spring.