New rules spell out details for want-to-be pot retailers in B.C.

Various marijuana products are pictured at a dispensary in Vancouver, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward)

VICTORIA - Local and Indigenous governments in British Columbia will have the power to deny applications for private retailers that want to sell recreational pot in their communities under new regulations released Thursday.

The regulations say operators of cannabis dispensaries that are open illegally now may apply for a retail licence but won't receive any preferential treatment in the process.

Any store that has an association with organized crime will not receive a licence.

The province has also set out the rules governing the stores and security screening requirements that will be used when recreational marijuana becomes legal later this year.

The government says the regulatory framework for private retailers focuses on protecting public health and safety, including keeping cannabis out of the hands of minors and reducing the illegal market.

The application process will open by early August.