Ontario Premier Doug Ford issued a new list of essential businesses that can remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although booze made the cut, cannabis did not. All businesses deemed non-essential must shut their doors by 11:50 p.m. on April 4.
The new list of essential businesses now stands at 44, down from 74. Other big consumer categories include pet supplies, hardware, computer and office supplies and auto parts.
For cannabis consumers, that means one last trip to the store to stock up. But lines are already seriously long at some shops.
Live-shot lineup for Nova Cannabis in Toronto after Ontario announces cannabis s… https://t.co/hieDwUMfRq pic.twitter.com/ILlEbuhpuA
— ECIG CANADA ZONE (@ECIGCANADAZONE) April 4, 2020
Despite the closure of storefront locations, cannabis products will continue to be made available online at the Ontario Cannabis Store.
#Ontario cannabis storefronts to close, online sales continue. #Toronto #gta https://t.co/WEvnDCASeU
— COVID-19 Toronto (@Covid19Toronto) April 3, 2020
And then there are some cannabis retailers that were never granted a licence and continue to operate, such as the well-known shop CAFE with multiple locations in the city. Since they were never legally licensed, it is hard to tell whether or not they will close up now that legal cannabis retailers across the province must follow the provincial order and close storefronts to the public.
Hilariously, CAFE (the unlicensed cannabis retailer with four locations in Toronto) just issued a press release stating the measures they’ve adopted to keep their customers safe during the pandemic. Assuming they’ll remain open now too. pic.twitter.com/fzXEM4dcUL
— David George-Cosh (@itsdgc) April 3, 2020
CAFE became infamous last year for battle Toronto Police that tried to keep the store shuttered by dropping giant cement blocks at the entranceway, which the store then had removed.
It is that same city strategy of dropping cement blocks at entranceways that John Tory referenced earlier this week at a news conference regarding ways to keep public spaces and parks shut.
John Tory asking TO police to “launch a blitz” (the language) at the problem of people continuing to congregate. Tory is threatening to block public spaces with the kind of cement blocks the city used to block the CAFEs (which, if you recall, cost the city 350K).
— in the wake (@hystericalblkns) April 2, 2020
Given how strongly the province and the city are reacting, closing construction sites, ticketing those who are not maintaining social distance in parks and public spaces, it will be interesting to see how swiftly police crackdown on those that remain open.
