Province to charge cannabis shops for safety, addictions programs
Cannabis stores to pay fee to province in 2020
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/11/2018 (2514 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The Progressive Conservative government says it will implement its planned “social responsibility fee” on retail cannabis sales beginning in January.
Justice Minister Cliff Cullen introduced amendments to the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Act on Thursday to establish the six per cent levy.
“Our government recognizes that the legalization of recreational cannabis will bring with it significant social costs,” Cullen said while introducing the bill.
He said the government would use the funds generated by the fee for public education, safety initiatives and health and addictions programming. The fee will be paid by cannabis retail stores directly. Their first payment to government would be due in June 2020.
Cullen said the province will monitor its costs due to cannabis and can adjust the fee as the situation dictates.
He said various government departments are being asked to keep tabs of any costs associated with the legalization of recreational marijuana. The province is asking municipalities to track expenses. Meanwhile, the justice minister said it appears the introduction of legalized pot has been largely uneventful in Manitoba. It’s been legal for Canadians to purchase recreational pot since Oct. 17.
“I think the rollout has gone fairly well, as smoothly as we could expect,” he said.
Cullen said he has been receiving police reports on ticketing due to cannabis-related infractions, but he did not provide specifics.
“I wouldn’t say it’s out of the ordinary. I don’t think it’s that high, not exceptionally high at all,” he said of the number of infractions. “It appears that in Manitoba, people are paying attention to the rules.”
larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca