The first batch of LCBO-run stores to sell marijuana will include a location in Kitchener.
The LCBO announced Friday that it had chosen 14 cities to host some of the first 40 stores of the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation, which will open in July 2018.
Other communities west of Toronto selected for stores include Brampton, Hamilton, London, Mississauga and Windsor.
According to an LCBO press release, LCBO and provincial officials will meet with municipalities over the next few weeks to talk about the process for deciding where to locate a store.
The province has said it plans to keep cannabis stores away from schools, and to put them in locations that might deter illegal dispensaries from operating.
Once a possible site is identified, it will be made public and people will have the opportunity to give feedback on it before it is finalized.
The province also plans to allow online ordering of cannabis products once marijuana possession is legalized on July 1, 2018.
Over time, the initial 14 cannabis stores are expected to increase to 150.
