The delays in getting retail cannabis stores approved isn’t deterring potential applicants from joining the queue.

The City’s Business Licence Inspector Dave Jones says city council has supported 19 applications to date, but more are expected to go before council soon.

“That’ll bring it up to 21 or 22 so applications are still coming in,” he said. “There’s still a few locations in Kamloops that people have shown interest in so I would still project that 20, 25 number will be what we end up with.”

He’s hoping that some of the owners who’ve been waiting for months for a provincial licence get approved soon.

“From my understanding, they needed those secure locations before they can make that provincial application,” Jones added. “Obviously they are paying that lease rent, some are higher than others. I’ve heard that some are paying $6,000 to $10,000 a month. That’s a lot of money and you have to hope that sooner or later, they get that approval.”

Since legalization last October, just two government and private stores have opened. Jones previously told NL that five more private stores are expected to be open by the end of this year.

He says the market that will eventually decide how many of the stores are successful.