A new development in the Manitoba Government’s plans for pot: the province has put out an expression of interest (EOI) to look at options and participants in the cannabis industry.

Justice Minister Heather Stefanson made the announcement Thursday saying the purpose is to determine marketplace interest, and capability to provide services for the production, distribution and retail of cannabis.

“We’re open to everything,” Stefanson said. “We want to develop a made-in-Manitoba solution to this, and through this expression of interest we’re hoping to get ideas other than just some of the ones that we’ve heard.”

NDP Justice Critic Andrew Swan said Manitoba should look to Ontario for steps that province is taking ahead of the legalization of marijuana.

“They’ve gone to their liquor board in that province,” Swan said. “And they believe that’s going to be the best way to distribute and in most cases, sell legalized cannabis.”

Swan said the EOI ignores what he called the most obvious option for the widespread sale of cannabis.

“We have the liquor commission, which has served Manitobans well for a long time,” Swan said.

When asked if the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission could be partly involved in the sale of legalized cannabis, Stefanson said no decisions had been made.

Minister Stefanson repeatedly reiterated concerns over the federal government’s intention to legalize cannabis by July 1, 2018.

“We’re very concerned about an arbitrary date,” Stefanson said. “We have a number of outstanding questions for the federal government.”

Former police officer and marijuana activist Bill Vandergraaf has been using cannabis since he retired in 2001.

“Retiring is a hard thing to do, lots of depression can occur in retirement,” Vandergraaf said.

Vandergraaf said he found cannabis helped him more than other medications he was prescribed.

While he’s glad to see the Manitoba government take what he called steps forward in the legalization of pot, Vandergraaf said the province has dragged its feet at times, while taking too long to gather information.

“A lot of this information has been available for years,” he said.

The EOI is now live.

The province is accepting submissions until Sept. 8.