Delta could become the marijuana growing capital of Canada but it’s not clear if it will get a fair share of the lucrative tax revenue to police what may be coming.
Canadian municipalities are demanding a share of the pot revenue to help cover costs associated with legalization.
In a letter from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to Finance Minister Bill Morneau, Canada's cities are also asking the federal government to cover start-up costs of transitioning to a new regime.
It’s a concern recently conveyed by Mayor Lois Jackson, who said Delta has a long list of questions needing answers including who will cover the increased cost of policing and enforcement.
A proposed federal tax scheme, announced Friday, would add an excise tax of $1 per gram or 10 per cent of the final retail price, whichever is higher, with the revenues to be divided equally between Ottawa and the provinces. There’s also GST.
At least one large-scale Delta greenhouse operation, Village Farms, hopes to grow pot when cannabis is legalized next summer, but Jackson noted the city has also been getting several inquiries weekly from those interested in starting up grow operations on farmland. The mayor said Delta wants to keep the activity restricted to industrial areas.
