Nearly seven years after legalization, Ontario’s illegal cannabis market continues to thrive — and that’s a problem the province can no longer afford to ignore.

Legal cannabis retailers who operate responsibly — mostly small, local and often family-owned — are losing business to competitors who play by a different set of rules. These illegal operators undercut the very system that was designed to replace them because a lack of enforcement has made it cheaper to break the law than to follow it.

Their persistence proves Ontario’s enforcement toolkit remains incomplete. Legal retailers have done their part by following the rules, paying taxes, and helping build a safe, regulated market. Now those responsible for enforcement need the tools to ensure those efforts aren’t undermined.

Britis

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