Ontario plans to prohibit the use of cannabis in residences providing childcare services.

Ontario is set to prohibit the cultivation of cannabis in residences providing childcare services, concurrently with an expansion in the allowable number of retail stores for operators in the province.

These modifications are slated to be introduced through a new omnibus bill titled the Enhancing Justice Act on Thursday.

If the bill is approved, it will render the recreational cannabis cultivation in homes offering childcare services illegal.

“We find this deeply unsettling and inappropriate. And quite frankly, I never imagined we’d even have to legislate this,” Attorney General Doug Downey told reporters.

Downey was unable to furnish specific instances where cannabis was discovered in a residence providing childcare services, stating, ‘This arose due to concerns, although I don’t have specific examples to share.

“It’s not a judgment on the quality childcare or on the childcare facilities themselves. It’s simply an exposure issue. We just don’t want it commingling.”

Simultaneously, the legislation will raise the limit on the number of storefronts a cannabis operator can oversee in Ontario.

Earlier rules restricted operators to a maximum of 75 stores, with a requirement that standalone stores be at least 150 meters away from schools, and individuals under the age of 19 were prohibited from entering. The proposed bill will now permit licensed cannabis retailers to manage up to 150 storefronts.

Authorities assert that this move is aimed at “addressing the expansion of the legal cannabis retail market and countering illicit cannabis establishments.”

Canada legalized recreational marijuana in October five years ago. Subsequently, retailers have experienced heightened competition, leading some to opt for selling their businesses.

Currently, there are over 1,700 authorized cannabis stores throughout the province as per the approvals granted by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. Additionally, 56 applications are currently in the process of being reviewed.