Sask. gov’t not open to sharing pot sales proceeds with municipalities

Premier Scott Moe says there’s not much pot money to spread around

Premier Scott Moe says Saskatchewan isn’t prepared to share the proceeds of recreational cannabis sales with municipalities at this point.

There’s not much to share, Moe told reporters from the floor of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) annual convention in Saskatoon Monday.

“At this point in time, we’re not open to that discussion but we’re always open to having discussions with our municipalities,” said Moe.

“Our expenses at the provincial level far exceed any revenues that we have collected to date.”

The government-owned Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) in particular has had to beef up its staff resources to prepare for the new age of legal recreational pot.

The SLGA has added a branch director, manager, four cannabis inspectors, four licensing specialists, a policy analyst, a financial analyst and part-time administrative support, although some positions are only for two-year terms.

The pot sales money to cover such new costs isn’t enough, said Moe.

“There just isn’t a lot of revenues to talk about at this point,” he said.

Read the full article at CBC.ca