Kamloops councillors set to discuss pot proceeds at UBCM

UBCM says the short term strategy is to adopt a revenue sharing framework that would call for Victoria to provide local governments 40 per cent ($50M) of the projected provincial cannabis excise tax revenue ($125M) over the first two years of legalization. Any revenue in excess of the $125 million would be shared 50-50 between the province and local governments.

The proposed long term strategy proposes continuing with the framework used in the first two years if projected costs and revenues are close to current projections. Another long-term strategy would be the potential to increase the provincial sales tax on pot from seven per cent to not more than 10 per cent.

Kamloops City Councillor Arjun Singh says it’s only fair the city receives its fair share of the proceeds.

“The first step is to obviously get our costs covered because it has been really expensive, even in the run up trying to get bylaws in place and trying to get consultation done and that kind of thing,” he says.

“But then also, what it looks like going forward in terms of if there’s any sort of excess revenue that can come back to the community.”

Along with the discussion around cannabis revenue sharing, Singh says the city is bringing resolutions of its own, including a resolution around buffers for mining operations around communities and how far away they would have to be.

Other resolutions touch on policing, wildfires and discarded needles.

by Greg Fry

Kamloops councillors set to discuss pot proceeds at UBCM

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