Recreational cannabis stores will one day be located in Stratford.
At their meeting Monday night, Stratford City Council voted unanimously to opt-in to having the stores one day set up shop in the city, joining other municipalities including St.Marys who have made the same decision.
Municipalities across the province have until January 22nd to inform the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario if they will opt in or opt out of retail cannabis sales.
Stratford Mayor Dan Mathieson says he feels the right decision was made and adds it will likely be around a year before any shops open here.
“It’s legal in the province and across the country now, the social impacts of having marijuana available across the province aren’t going to stop at the cities boundaries.”
Ontario has committed to providing $40-million over two years to help municipalities with the implementation costs of recreational cannabis legalization, with each municipality receiving $10-thousand in total.
Those who opt-in to having the stores could potentially see more funding.
