Kitchener to get one of Ontario's first cannabis stores next summer

Kitchener has been chosen as one of 14 municipalities in Ontario to have a stand-alone cannabis store when marijuana becomeslegalized next July.

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The Ministry of Finance and the LCBO have also chosen Barrie, Brampton, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Mississauga, Ottawa, Saulte Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Vaughn and Windsor to receive stores.

The exact physical location of the Kitchener store has not yet been identified.

Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovicsaid there are many locations that could potentially be available for the store, but the final decision isout of the hands of municipal leaders and the people of Kitchener.

"The province and the federal government ultimately do have the ability to circumvent any municipal planning processes around things like this. But I'm quite encouraged how proactively they are reaching out to us," Vrbanovic said, adding thatmeetings with provincial officials are planned, but no dates have been set.

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A news release from the LCBO said officialswill meet with the Ministry of Finance and representatives from each of themunicipalities to discuss the guidelinesaround selling marijuana.

Those guidelines will include making sure the new stores are not close to schools, provide access to the communities and addressthe illegal market.

The province has said 40 stores will be open in 2018 and that will rise to 80 by July 2019.

Ontario was the first province to announce a detailed plan to sell and distribute recreational marijuana and will set the legal age to purchase it at 19.