It has been almost four years since cannabis was legalized in Canada, but British Columbia municipalities have yet to see a penny in the province’s cannabis tax revenue.
That’s according to the BC government, which has received nearly $ 113 million in federal excise tax payments, as well as another $ 91.3 million in provincial sales taxes as of May.
Speaking to NL Newsday, Kamloops Mayor Ken Christian is again pushing for a cannabis revenue-sharing deal with the provincial government.
“We were the ones who put in the work. The shops, the rezoning, all the rules and statutes in its operation and around,” he said. “Kamloops, for example, is dotted with cannabis retail stores, and apart from commercial license fees, we haven’t received anything from the government as to what our share should be.”
“It simply came to our notice then. There are planning costs. There are statute and community service costs. We believe that Kamloops taxpayers should be reimbursed for adapting to this industry and it has not happened yet. “
In 2019, Christian told NL News that he expects to see a revenue-sharing agreement in place by spring 2020. More than two years later, he remains optimistic that there will be some progress in the near future.
“I have no magic idea [on why it hasn’t happened yet] but I suppose, if I were a gambler, that part of the problem is that they haven’t really stopped the flow of unregulated cannabis in British Columbia, “said Christian.
“I think this may be one of the issues they are still struggling with.”
Resolutions calling for this province’s revenue-sharing agreement have been passed four times in the past five years at the UBCM’s annual convention.
Prior to legalization, the federal government said cannabis tax revenue would be shared 25/75 between Ottawa and the provinces and territories, but so far only Ontario, Quebec and Alberta have transferred that tax revenue to governments. premises.
