Both major political parties in New Brunswick are now promising to share recreational cannabis revenue with municipalities.
Premier Brian Gallant made the commitment on Friday at a meeting of Francophone municipalities in Balmoral, according to Margot Cragg, executive director of the Union of the Municipalities of New Brunswick.
Cragg told our newsroom Blaine Higgs and the Progressive Conservatives made the same promise during the lead-up to the provincial election in September.
“We haven’t heard a specific number from either the PCs or the Liberals, so the devil is going to be in the details,” Cragg said, “but either way, it’s very encouraging to get a commitment from both of those major parties.”
Good news: @BrianGallantNB announced yesterday a @NBLA_ALNB gov’t will share cannabis revenues with municipalities. @BlaineHiggs & @pcnbca made that promise during #election2018. #nbpoli
— UMNB (@MunicipalNB) October 13, 2018
The UMNB has advocated for a one-third share of total excise tax revenues for more than a year.
Cragg said municipalities will face added costs when recreational cannabis becomes legal, especially in the area of policing.
“There are also costs for municipal administration,” she said. “That includes fire prevention, bylaw enforcement, public engagement and communication.”
Recreational cannabis will officially become legal in Canada on Wednesday, October 17.
(Photo: Submitted)
