Time is running out for negotiations between the province and the Union of BC Municipalities over splitting legal cannabis taxation revenues.

UBCM President Arjun Singh says talks are continuing but pressures will seriously mount the closer talks get to a new municipal budget cycle.

“We continue to push and that has been our focus on this file for quite some time.”

Singh says that is when municipal governments will have to factor in the costs they have incurred and continue to incur in setting up the legal marijuana regime.

“Costs are not dropping the costs have been happening for more than a year and we need to get resolution on that.”

He is hoping they can reach a deal by the September UBCM convention.

“Oh man I am really hoping that is going to happen. Part of what we have done is a good faith measure, if that is what you want to call it, with negotiations with the province where UBCM is surveying financial officers from local communities across the province to understand a bit better the cost. The province is asking us for all of that information. It is tough to totally nail down because that cost is incremental in some ways. Our committee is still continuing to meet.”

The province began negotiations with local governments early this year after reaching a cannabis revenue sharing deal with Ottawa last year.

The revenue split with Ottawa saw the provinces and territories receive 75% of legal cannabis taxation revenues.