The Financial Post reports in its Friday edition that unnamed sources say the government of Ontario will abandon the current lottery system for cannabis retail and move toward an open licensing system beginning January, 2020, that will see the removal of a cap on the number of private cannabis stores across the province. The Post's Vanmala Subramaniam writes that her sources say the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) will begin accepting operator licence applications from prospective retailers on Jan. 6, followed by store authorization applications on March 2. Store authorizations will be issued starting April, at a rate of about 20 a month, similar to the pace in which Alberta awards cannabis store licences. The government will also eliminate prequalification requirements for prospective retailers. The second cannabis lottery required that applicants secure leases and provide a letter of credit from a financial institution proving that they had a loan of at least $250,000. Sources confirm licensed producers will be allowed to participate in the retail market by opening up a single store at one of their facilities. The news is expected to reinvigorate investor confidence in weed companies.