The City of Kamloops is reducing its annual business licence fee for cannabis stores. The original $5,000 fee, which has been in place since August 2018 when cannabis stores became legal, has been reduced to $196.40 per year.

When the $5,000 fee was set, the potential impacts of retail cannabis sales were unknown. It was anticipated that they would require additional City resources beyond what other businesses would require, such as RCMP, bylaw enforcement, or communications, to provide needed services, education, and support.

“After a review in 2022, we determined that the anticipated need for additional resources did not materialize,” explained Julie McGuire, the City’s Community Planning Manager.

“Accordingly, with Council’s approval, we’ve adjusted the annual business licence fee and brought it into alignment with what is charged for liquor stores. It’s also in alignment with what other municipalities charge for cannabis stores.”

Currently, Kamloops has 16 cannabis business licences.

For more information on cannabis retail sales, visit Kamloops.ca/Cannabis.