Pubdate: Sat, 27 Aug 2016
Source: Prince George Citizen (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Prince George Citizen
Contact:  http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/350
Author: Linda Givetash
Page: 5

P.G. WANTS CUT OF POT REVENUE

VANCOUVER - Three municipalities in British Columbia want a stake in
any tax revenue that the federal government collects from the
legalization of marijuana.

Nelson, Duncan and Prince George put forward resolutions to the Union
of British Columbia Municipalities asking it to put pressure on higher
levels of government to ensure tax sharing with municipalities is
considered by the federal task force investigating marijuana
legalization and regulation.

With eight dispensaries open in Nelson, Mayor Deb Kozak said
determining how to regulate and monitor the technically illicit
businesses has required considerable city and police resources.

"There is a real cost attached to that and we are not realizing any
revenues from (the marijuana) industry at this time," Kozak said.

The federal government established a task force to create new
legislation and regulation on marijuana that is expected to be
announced next spring.

Duncan Mayor Phil Kent said the lack of certainty on the new laws has,
in the meantime, left municipalities to create different local bylaws
and licenses in order to control the dispensaries popping up in their
communities.

Although the city of Duncan opted to prohibit dispensaries until the
federal legislation is announced, Kent said local governments should
be compensated with tax revenue if they have to shoulder some of the
burden of regulating the industry.

The tax would also fund cities' overall budgets that are largely
dependent on property taxes.

Prince George Coun. Brian Skakun said the city struggles to afford the
growing needs of their local RCMP and a new tax stream would offset
those costs.

Through the collective representation of the union, cities stand a
chance of negotiating a marijuana tax scheme to ensure local services
will benefit from legalization, Skakun said.

The city of Nelson also put forward a call for the union of
municipalities to request the federal government consult and
co-ordinate with local authorities while developing new federal
legislation on marijuana.

Nelson does not issue business licenses to its operating marijuana
dispensaries, Kozak said, but the city would have to reconsider
licensing schemes and other local bylaws when legalization happens.

As part of its resolution to the union, Nelson wants the federal
government to give local authorities enough time to align local
regulations with a new federal law.

"Whatever the federal government decides to do will have deep impacts
on local governments in how we have these businesses in our
communities," Kozak said.

Members will be debating and voting on the resolutions at the
organization's annual convention at the end of September in Victoria.
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MAP posted-by: Matt