More than half of Ontario communities are saying yes to drugs

While Ontario won’t see any legal cannabis storefronts until April, the deadline for municipalities to opt-in or out is here and more than half of the province is saying yes to drugs.

The Ford government chose to give Ontario’s municipalities a one-time option to opt-out of having cannabis retail stores in their communities. They were given until January 22, 2019 to inform the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) of their decision, in writing. Those that send no notification to the commission will by default be allowed to have private cannabis retail.

Of Ontario’s 414 local municipalities, a total of 279 have chosen to opt-in. Only 77 have chosen to opt-out, according to the AGCO’s website. A further 58 are marked as “unknown” — meaning they didn’t inform the AGCO of their decision, and after today, will be considered open for business when it comes to pot.

The complete list of municipalities is below.

Opted-in to allow cannabis retail:

Adelaide-Metcalfe, Township of
Admaston/Bromley, Township of
Ajax, Town of
Alberton, Township of
Algonquin Highlands, Township of
Alnwick/Haldimand, Township of
Amherstburg, Town of
Armour, Township of
Armstrong, Township of
Arnprior, Town of
Arran-Elderslie, Municipality of
Asphodel-Norwood, Township of
Athens, Township of
Augusta, Township of
Aurora, Town of
Aylmer, Town of
Bancroft, Town of
Barrie, City of
Bayham, Municipality of
Belleville, City of
Billings, Township of
Black River-Matheson, Township of
Blind River, Town of
Bonfield, Township of
Bracebridge, Town of
Bradford West Gwillimbury, Town of
Brampton, City of
Brighton, Municipality of
Brock, Township of
Brockton, Municipality of
Brockville, City of
Brooke-Alvinston, Municipality of
Bruce Mines, Town of
Burk’s Falls, Village of
Burlington, City of
Burpee and Mills, Township of
Callander, Municipality of
Calvin, Municipality of
Cambridge, City of
Carlow/Mayo, Township of
Cavan Monaghan, Township of
Central Elgin, Municipality of
Central Frontenac, Township of
Central Huron, Municipality of
Central Manitoulin, Municipality of
Centre Hastings, Municipality of
Champlain, Township of
Chatham-Kent, Municipality of
Chatsworth, Township of
Clarence-Rockland, City of
Clarington, Municipality of
Cobalt, Town of
Cobourg, Town of
Cochrane, Town of
Coleman, Township of
Collingwood, Town of
Cornwall, City of
Cramahe, Township of
Dawn-Euphemia, Township of
Deseronto, Town of
Douro-Dummer, Township of
Drummond/North Elmsley, Township of
Dryden, City of
Dubreuilville, Township of
Dutton/Dunwich, Municipality of
Dysart, Dudley, Harcourt, Guilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre and Clyde, United Townships of
Ear Falls, Township of
East Ferris, Township of
Edwardsburgh/Cardinal, Township of
Elizabethtown-Kitley, Township of
Elliot Lake, City of
Englehart, Town of
Espanola, Town of
Essa, Township of
Essex, Town of
Faraday, Township of
Fauquier-Strickland, Township of
Fort Erie, Town of
Fort Frances, Town of
French River, Municipality of
Front of Yonge, Township of
Gananoque, Town of
Georgian Bay, Township of
Goderich, Town of
Gore Bay, Town of
Gravenhurst, Town of
Greater Madawaska, Township of
Greater Sudbury, City of
Grey Highlands, Municipality of
Guelph, City of
Haldimand County
Halton Hills, Town of
Hamilton, City of
Hamilton, Township of
Hanover, Town of
Hastings Highlands, Municipality of
Havelock-Belmont-Methuen, Township of
Hawkesbury, Town of
Head, Clara and Maria, Township of
Hearst, Town of
Highlands East, Municipality of
Hilton, Township of
Hilton Beach, Village of
Hornepayne, Township of
Horton, Township of
Howick, Township of
Huntsville, Town of
Huron East, Municipality of
Huron Shores, Municipality of
Huron-Kinloss, Township of
Ignace, Township of
Innisfil, Town of
Iroquois Falls, Town of
Johnson, Township of
Kapuskasing, Town of
Kawartha Lakes, City of
Kearney, Town of
Kenora, City of
Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards, Township of
Kincardine, Municipality of
Kingston, City of
Kingsville, Town of
Kirkland Lake, Town of
Kitchener, City of
La Vallee, Township of
Laird, Township of
Lambton Shores, Municipality of
Larder Lake, Township of
Latchford, Town of
Laurentian Hills, Town of
Leamington, Municipality of
Leeds and the Thousand Islands, Township of
Limerick, Township of
Lincoln, Town of
London, City of
Loyalist, Township of
Lucan Biddulph, Township of
Macdonald, Meredith and Aberdeen Additional, Township of
Machin, Township of
Madawaska Valley, Township of
Madoc, Township of
Malahide, Township of
Manitouwadge, Township of
Marathon, Town of
Mattawa, Town of
Mattice-Val Côté, Township of
McMurrich/Monteith, Township of
McNab/Braeside, Township of
Meaford, Municipality of
Merrickville-Wolford, Village of
Middlesex Centre, Municipality of
Midland, Town of
Minden Hills, Township of
Montague, Township of
Moosonee, Town of
Morris-Turnberry, Municipality of
Mulmur, Township of
Nairn and Hyman, Township of
Neebing, Municipality of
New Tecumseth, Town of
Niagara Falls, City of
Nipigon, Township of
Norfolk County
North Algona Wilberforce, Township of
North Bay, City of
North Dumfries, Township of
North Dundas, Township of
North Frontenac, Township of
North Glengarry, Township of
North Grenville, Municipality of
North Kawartha, Township of
North Middlesex, Municipality of
North Perth, Municipality of
North Stormont, Township of
Northeastern Manitoulin and The Islands, Town of
Oliver Paipoonge, Municipality of
Orangeville, Town of
Orillia, City of
Oshawa, City of
Otonabee-South Monaghan, Township of
Ottawa, City of
Owen Sound, City of
Parry Sound, Town of
Pembroke, City of
Penetanguishene, Town of
Perry, Township of
Perth, Town of
Perth East, Township of
Perth South, Township of
Petawawa, Town of
Peterborough, City of
Petrolia, Town of
Plummer Additional, Township of
Port Colborne, City of
Port Hope, Municipality of
Prescott, Town of
Prince, Township of
Prince Edward, County of
Puslinch, Township of
Quinte West, City of
Ramara, Township of
Red Lake, Municipality of
Red Rock, Township of
Rideau Lakes, Township of
Russell, Township of
Ryerson, Township of
Sarnia, City of
Saugeen Shores, Town of
Sault Ste. Marie, City of
Schreiber, Township of
Scugog, Township of
Seguin, Township of
Selwyn, Township of
Shelburne, Town of
Sioux Lookout, Municipality of
Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls, Township of
Smiths Falls, Town of
South Algonquin, Township of
South Bruce, Municipality of
South Bruce Peninsula, Town of
South Dundas, Municipality of
South Frontenac, Township of
South Glengarry, Township of
South Huron, Municipality of
South River, Village of
South Stormont, Township of
South-West Oxford, Township of
Southwest Middlesex, Municipality of
Spanish, Town of
Springwater, Township of
St. Catharines, City of
St. Joseph, Township of
St. Marys, Town of
St. Thomas, City of
St.-Charles, Municipality of
Stirling-Rawdon, Township of
Stone Mills, Township of
Stratford, City of
Strathroy-Caradoc, Municipality of
Sundridge, Village of
Tarbutt, Township of
Tay Valley, Township of
Tehkummah, Township of
Temiskaming Shores, City of
Terrace Bay, Township of
Thames Centre, Municipality of
The Archipelago, Township of
The Blue Mountains, Town of
The Nation Municipality
The North Shore, Township of
Thessalon, Town of
Thorold, City of
Thunder Bay, City of
Tillsonburg, Town of
Timmins, City of
Toronto, City of
Trent Hills, Municipality of
Trent Lakes, Municipality of
Tudor and Cashel, Township of
Tweed, Municipality of
Uxbridge, Township of
Waterloo, City of
Wawa, Municipality of
Welland, City of
Wellington North, Township of
West Elgin, Municipality of
West Grey, Municipality of
West Nipissing, Municipality of
West Perth, Municipality of
Whitchurch-Stouffville, Town of
White River, Township of
Whitestone, Municipality of
Whitewater Region, Township of
Wilmot, Township of
Windsor, City of
Wollaston, Township of
Woodstock, City of
Woolwich, Township of
Zorra, Township of

Opted-out of retail cannabis:

Adjala-Tosorontio, Township of
Amaranth, Township of
Baldwin, Township of
Beckwith, Township of
Blandford-Blenheim, Township of
Bluewater, Municipality of
Brantford, City of
Brudenell, Lyndoch and Raglan, Township of
Casselman, Village of
Centre Wellington, Township of
Chapleau, Township of
Chapple, Township of
Clearview, Township of
Conmee, Township of
Dorion, Township of
East Gwillimbury, Town of
East Hawkesbury, Township of
East Zorra-Tavistock, Township of
Emo, Township of
Erin, Town of
Frontenac Islands, Township of
Georgian Bluffs, Township of
Georgina, Town of
Grimsby, Town of
Harris, Township of
Ingersoll, Town of
James, Township of
Jocelyn, Township of
Killarney, Municipality of
King, Township of
Lake of the Woods, Township of
Lakeshore, Town of
Lanark Highlands, Township of
LaSalle, Town of
Mapleton, Township of
Markham, City of
Markstay-Warren, Municipality of
Marmora and Lake, Municipality of
Matachewan, Township of
McDougall, Township of
McGarry, Township of
McKellar, Township of
Melancthon, Township of
Milton, Town of
Mississauga, City of
Mono, Town of
Muskoka Lakes, Township of
Newmarket, Town of
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Town of
North Huron, Township of
Northern Bruce Peninsula, Municipality of
Norwich, Township of
Oakville, Town of
Oro-Medonte, Township of
Papineau-Cameron, Township of
Pelham, Town of
Pickering, City of
Pickle Lake, Township of
Plympton-Wyoming, Town of
Point Edward, Village of
Powassan, Municipality of
Richmond Hill, Town of
Sables-Spanish Rivers, Township of
Severn, Township of
Southgate, Township of
Southwold, Township of
St. Clair, Township of
Tay, Township of
Tecumseh, Town of
Temagami, Municipality of
Tyendinaga, Township of
Vaughan, City of
Wainfleet, Township of
Wasaga Beach, Town of
West Lincoln, Township of
Whitby, Town of

Unknown position towards retail cannabis:

Addington Highlands, Township of
Alfred and Plantagenet, Township of
Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh, Township of
Assiginack, Township of
Atikokan, Town of
Bonnechere Valley, Township of
Brant, County of
Brethour, Township of
Caledon, Town of
Carleton Place, Town of
Carling, Township of
Casey, Township of
Chamberlain, Township of
Charlton and Dack, Municipality of
Chisholm, Township of
Cockburn Island, Township of
Dawson, Township of
Deep River, Town of
East Garafraxa, Township of
Enniskillen, Township of
Evanturel, Township of
Gauthier, Township of
Gillies, Township of
Gordon/Barrie Island, Municipality of
Grand Valley, Town of
Greater Napanee, Town of
Greenstone, Municipality of
Guelph/Eramosa, Township of
Harley, Township of
Hilliard, Township of
Hudson, Township of
Joly, Township of
Kerns, Township of
Lake of Bays, Township of
Laurentian Valley, Township of
Machar, Township of
Magnetawan, Municipality of
Mattawan, Township of
Minto, Town of
Mississippi Mills, Municipality of
Moonbeam, Township of
Morley, Township of
Newbury, Village of
Nipissing, Township of
O’Connor, Township of
Oil Springs, Village of
Opasatika, Township of
Pelee, Township of
Rainy River, Town of
Renfrew, Town of
Shuniah, Municipality of
Smooth Rock Falls, Town of
Strong, Township of
Thornloe, Village of
Tiny, Township of
Val Rita-Harty, Township of
Warwick, Township of
Wellesley, Township of
Westport, Village of

See also