On the morning of August 21, 2019, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) released its list of the 42 applicants that were chosen by lottery for new cannabis retail locations across the province. This was only the initial step in the process, as those selected are only given an opportunity to apply for a license, not guaranteed they will be granted one.

Those selected had until 5:00 PM EDT on Wednesday, August 28 to submit their completed applications and specified documentation.

According to an update released by the AGCO on August 30, 2019, of the 42 applicants:

• 29 submitted their completed applications by the deadline are now in the process of being reviewed.
• 12 did not submit the required documents by the deadline, and per Lottery Rule 14a, were disqualified.
• 1 applicant, for reasons unspecified in the update, withdrew from the process.

As a result, 13 applicants that had been previously placed on the Wait Lists were brought forward and given the opportunity to submit completed applications for review.

The AGCO is now conducting eligibility evaluations of the submitted applications, which includes police and background checks of all the interested parties involved, as well monitoring for violations of the stringent lottery rules. If it is determined that any of the applications do not meet the legally mandated requirements, more applicants from the Wait List will be called upon to submit applications.

Article written by Student-at-Law, Joshua Hersh.

For any questions regarding the process or cannabis regulations and how they affect businesses, please contact Whitney Abrams at wabrams@mindengross.com.