Private retail pot store votes in Windsor-Essex, Sarnia and Chatham-Kent

The votes are in. 

Here is the breakdown:

Opting out: LaSalle, Lakeshore andTecumseh.

Not opting out: Amherstburg, Kingsville, Essex, Sarnia, Leamington, Pelee Island, Chatham-Kent and Windsor.

Out of those who have not opted out, only Windsor, Sarnia and Chatham-Kent qualify for private retail stores because they meet the 50,000 population threshold.

Some municipalities that said yes despite not being eligible cite financial incentives as reasons.

"As we understand it, for the municipalities that opted in, we will continue to receive payment even though we won't have a store," said mayor of Amherstburg, Aldo DiCarlo.

In Pelee Island, which voted not to opt out early on, mayor Raymond Durocher said "any money for the budget would be good."

The province has allocated $15 million for municipalities on a per-household basis to help them address legalization challenges. An additional $15 million will be split among communities that voted not to opt out.

In Kingsville and Essex, the vote not to opt out was unanimous.

"Ten years from now cannabis will be no different than alcohol," said Kingsville Coun. Thomas Neufeld.

On the other hand, those that have opted out said the municipality is taking a more cautious approach.

At the time of the vote, Lakeshore mayor Tom Bain said there were "too many unknowns."

"Just the details weren't there and council would rather take time to see what happens in other areas and get a report back, get a lot of these questions answered," he said.

The province has allowed 25 candidates to apply for cannabis retail licenses in Ontario. Out of those 25, there are seven retail licenses available for Western Ontario.

These storefronts will be legal April 1.