Yukon Government Announces New Cannabis License Regulations

Monday, 14 January 2019 15:46

Minister Streicker and Yukon Liquor Corporation President Matt King speaking at the announcement in Whitehorse today.

Yukon Liquor Corporation President Matt King says two cannabis licenses will be available to businesses owners, businesses interested in only selling cannabis products and others who want to sell cannabis products in a certain area in their store.

Minister John Streicker and the President of the Yukon Liquor Corporation announced today new regulations around how private businesses can apply for cannabis licenses in the Territory.

Streicker says the Yukon Government is currently establishing the Cannabis Licensing Board, which will pave the way for private legalization in the coming months.

"It's our intent as the Government of Yukon to advance these license-specific regulations after we establish the Cannabis Licensing Board. We're getting the licensing board in place now and we will be training them up I believe next month. Our goal is to be ready for this spring to see private retail come into the Territory."

Matt King, President of the Yukon Liquor Corporation, which runs the Cannabis Store says there will be two kinds of license applications available to business owners in Yukon.

"Licenses established under the regulations (are) sub-class one and sub-class two. Essentially the first category is a store-within-a-store model. The second class is a standalone cannabis retail store model".

Provisions for sub-class one licenses will allow businesses to sell cannabis licenses in a specific area in their store while sub-class two licenses will mean only cannabis-related items will be allowed to be sold at a certain retail location.

King says once established, the duration it takes to grant a cannabis license by the Cannabis Licensing Board could take as long as 12 weeks, with costs for a granted license being in the thousands of dollars.

"The Cannabis Board can issue licenses that are up to three years. Those would end on March 31st of an expiring year. The initial application fee will be $2050. A license-renewal fee at the end of three years is $1550 and the twelve month licensing fee will be $2150."

Mayor Dan Curtis was also in attendance for the announcement, and he says bylaws around cannabis will be occurring shortly, including zoning amendments of cannabis locations in the downtown core.

"We are looking at February in terms of going through the bylaw process which is going to afford council options to consider. Those options will come from our public input that we're going to have with the community of Whitehorse."

The Cannabis Control and Regulation Act will also allow for e-commerce cannabis stores in the future, however consumption of cannabis won't be allowed within licensed premises selling cannabis in the Yukon come spring.