May 3, 2019
Province Confirms Date, Selection Process for Cannabis Retail Draw
The selection process for the second phase of Manitoba’s cannabis retail rollout will take place on May 15, Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen announced today.
“Following the federal government’s decision to legalize non-medical cannabis, we made a commitment to ensure 90 per cent of Manitobans have access to a cannabis store in a 30-minute drive from home within two years of legalization,” said Pedersen. “The selection process is the next step in meeting this goal.”
In July 2018, the province released a Request for Pre-Qualification (RFPQ) seeking potential retailers interested in a future opportunity to operate cannabis retail stores in Manitoba. The RFPQ directed respondents to name communities where they would be prepared to open a store and nearly 100 applicants pre-qualified as part of this process.
The selection process will consist of a randomized draw, called the cannabis retail opportunities draw. Each pre-qualified retailer will receive one ballot per community of interest and one winning ballot will be drawn for each identified community. Successful applicants can then proceed through the agreement and licensing process.
A second ballot will also be drawn to serve as the standby retailer. The standby retailer will be called upon if the primary retailer is unable or unwilling to open a store in the community for which they were drawn.
The following seven Manitoba communities will be included in the cannabis retail opportunities draw:
• Altona;
• Flin Flon;
• Lac du Bonnet;
• Niverville;
• Rural Municipality of Russell-Binscarth;
• Swan River; and
• Virden.
Successful retailers will be announced following the draw. Detailed information about the draw can be found at www.manitoba.ca/jec/cannabis.
For more information on cannabis in Manitoba, visit www.manitoba.ca/cannabis/.
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