Saskatchewan leans to private model for cannabis sales

Saskatchewan's Justice Minister is learning towards a private distribution model when it comes to regulating the sale of cannabis in the province.

"I think the direction would be that we do not want to be in the ownership or marketing, we want to be a responsible ensuring that there's a regulatory scheme in place," Don Morgan said when asked about the distribution of cannabis on Thursday.

"We want to make sure it's a competent, well-run, regulatory scheme, but we don't want to own it, market it or warehouse it."

Morgan's response comes the same day a group of public policy experts released a report recommending pot be sold through a limited number of private retailers licensed and regulated by the province.

Provinces and territories across Canada are coming up with plans on how to regulate the sale and distribution of cannabis once it's legalized in 2018.

Ontario, for example, has released a plan for pot to be sold through its provincially-operated liquor stores.

The Saskatchewan government has yet to table its own cannabis legislation.

A spokesperson for the ministry says the province will release the findings from an online survey about cannabis by the end of the year.