Ontario says portal for cannabis store applications operating ‘as planned’ Published 23 hours ago | By Matt Lamers
The portal to submit applications for Retail Store Authorizations (RSAs) opened at the designated time Monday morning and “all is proceeding as planned,” according to a spokesperson for the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
That’s an improvement over last year, when a rush of applicants for the store lottery system overwhelmed the regulator’s website.
The portal for prospective store operators to file RSA applications opened March 2 at 12:01 a.m. ET. Candidates who received or applied for a Retail Operator License (ROL) are now allowed to submit up to 10 RSA applications.
Ontario could see a windfall of recreational marijuana store openings this year as the province looks to make up ground with the rest of the country. Just under 800 Retail Operator License submissions had been filed for adult-use stores in Ontario as of last week since the AGCO started accepting open market applications on Jan. 6.
Experts say the main constraint facing the rate of openings in Canada’s largest market will likely be the pace at which the agency issues RSAs.
Ontario’s few dozen approved stores stand in contrast to the 643 adult-use stores already issued licenses in Alberta and British Columbia.
Ontario expects to issue around 20 RSAs per month starting in April.
“The time required for the AGCO to conduct its eligibility assessment and issue a license to eligible applicants is dependent on a number of factors, including the completeness of the application submitted and an applicant’s timely response for outstanding information/clarifications,” the AGCO spokesperson said.
“The AGCO is committed to moving complete applications through as quickly as possible and will only license applicants who meet all legal and regulatory requirements.”
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