It looks like Regina is planning on taking a drastically different approach when it comes to legal marijuana shops in the Queen City compared to Saskatoon.
On Wednesday in Saskatoon, a city council committee unanimously agreed to recommend that marijuana retailers should be charged $20,000 for their commercial business licences.
“By no means will I ever entertain a penny of citizens of Saskatoon property tax going towards the administration, the costs associated with these seven retail cannabis outlets,” Saskatoon Coun. Darren Hill said.
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“They’re going to be extremely lucrative, private, for-profit ventures that should be funded by their business licence fee.”
READ MORE: Saskatoon committee votes in favour of $20K licensing fee for cannabis retail businesses
In Regina, the city said they will not require a commercial business license to start up a marijuana shop, so the startup fee to start the business wouldn’t cost a penny.
The City of Regina added in a statement, that they are focusing on determining appropriate zoning requirements and council reviewed administration reports in February around the framework for a municipal preparedness plan, and in May around zoning.
The city added they are confident they will be ready for marijuana legalization and will continue to monitor the expected impact of legalization and will make further recommendations if they see appropriate in the future.
With files from Global’s Adam MacVicar