Nanaimo’s Mayor is applauding the BC government’s decision to come up with new assessment rules for federally-licensed medical marijuana production facilities. The new rules will ensure they don’t qualify as agriculture for tax purposes.
John Ruttan says that was a concern when Tilray came to town. The City was worried that if the facility was classified as a farm, Tilray wouldn’t have to pay taxes.
In Tilray’s case, they promised the City they wouldn’t apply to be classified as a farm.
Now that won’t be an issue for any other municipalities, since the province has come up with a new business classification for commercial medical marijuana facilities. Ruttan says that’s the right choice.
There are currently five Health-Canada licensed medical marijuana facilities in in British Columbia, including Tilray in Nanaimo. A facility planned near Port Mellon on the Sunshine Coast is still waiting on its license.
