A Sooke business is among 19 applicants from the administrative region that includes Vancouver Island, who await final local approval to selling recreational marijuana.
Carolyn Mushata, the District of SookeB次元官网网址檚 corporate officer, said the municipality has received one application from Riverside Cannabis.
She said it is far too early to determine when the District will consider the application.
Overall, the provincial government has sent 62 applications to local authorities (including First Nations) for final assent before they can legally sell marijuana, according to figures from the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB).
The geography of the 19 applications awaiting local approval is unknown, as the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) will not release statistics for specific communities, citing privacy and competition reasons.
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B.C. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth announced Monday the province has received 173 paid applications for private cannabis retailers. Of those, 111 applicants have paid the $7,500 application fee, but their applications remain incomplete. Once completed, the provincial government will forward their applications for local approval.
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Of the 62 applications that have received provincial approval, 35 are in jurisdictions that have indicated that they are B次元官网网址渞eadyB次元官网网址� to licence stores, Farnworth said.
Looking at the regional numbers, the provincial has received a total of 42 applications from the administrative region of Vancouver Island, Powell River and the Gulf Islands, with 23 incomplete.
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Compared to other regions, the region that includes Vancouver Island appears leads all regions in terms of applications, except for the North and Interior, from where the province has received a total of 72 applications, with 29 applications awaiting final approval.
Budding recreational marijuana entrepreneurs from Greater Vancouver and Sunshine Coast have submitted 34 paid applications, with 10 awaiting local approval.
Notably, one of B.C.B次元官网网址檚 top agricultural regions is dragging its feet when it comes to entering the marijuana industry. As of Oct. 10, 2018, the provincial government has received 11 applications from Surrey and the Fraser Valley, with four referred to final approval.
The provincial government has also received 14 paid applications from a location not yet specified.
With the Canada-wide legalization of marijuana just two days away, the provincial government has yet to issue a single private retail license. When the calendar turns to Oct. 17, British Columbians will be apply to purchase marijuana through the governmentB次元官网网址檚 online sales systems. One bricks-and-mortar government store in Kamloops is set for business come Wednesday.
The Saanich B次元官网网址 is reaching out to various communities in the Greater Victoria to determine whether they are considering any applications in the near future, and will update story accordingly.
One Greater Victoria community that will not definitely approve any private retail operation in the near future is Saanich.
The regionB次元官网网址檚 largest municipality this summer issued a B次元官网网址渇ullB次元官网网址� prohibition of the sale, production and distribution of recreational cannabis until staff have had an opportunity to review federal and provincial legislation.
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B次元官网网址淎t this time, staff recommend the prohibition of sale, production [and] distribution of recreational cannabis,B次元官网网址� said Sharon Hvozdanski, SaanichB次元官网网址檚 director of planning in the report at the time.
Cited reasons include what Hvozdanski called a B次元官网网址淸lack] of detailed informationB次元官网网址� from federal and provincial officials. B次元官网网址淭his is a fast-moving and evolving issue and information continues to be released,B次元官网网址� she said.
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