Following the legalization of cannabis in Canada, municipal governments in Ontario could opt out of allowing private cannabis retail stores by passing a resolution prior to January 22, 2019. Municipalities could opt in at a later date, but once they had chosen to opt in, they would not be able to opt out.
The Town of Aurora wanted to hear from residents to determine whether to allow private cannabis retail stores. The Mayor created a Facebook poll on his Page asking whether private cannabis retail stores should be permitted. However, the poll responses were distorted by people who had created additional Facebook accounts to vote multiple times and by people who resided in other municipalities.