The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that Ontario kicked off its application process Monday for the first 25 cannabis retail licences in the province. A Canadian Press dispatch to The Globe reports that Ontario Finance Minister Vic Fedeli said, "Once the federal government can guarantee a better supply, then we know we'll begin to issue more licences as we go along." Recreational pot can currently only be purchased legally in Ontario through a government website. The provincial government has said the first private stores will open on April 1. Only six licences will be made available in the Greater Toronto Area. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario can levy thousands in fines if applicants who get retail licences do not open their stores on time. Failing to sell cannabis by April 30, for example, would result in a $25,000 fine. One consumer advocacy group criticized the government for its plan to start with just 25 stores. "The supply issues are real. That is something that consumers are dealing with, the industry is dealing with. … That doesn't justify a lottery system and it doesn't justify capping retailers at all," said David Clement at the Consumer Choice Center.