Stratcann
The Government of Saskatchewan has introduced a new program to share cannabis tax revenue with First Nations that operate provincially licensed cannabis stores.
The On-Reserve Cannabis Refund Program will share half of Saskatchewan’s share of tax revenue from on-reserve sales at qualifying stores with interested First Nations. The province receives 75% of every dollar of federal cannabis excise duty, which is applied on wholesale sales of cannabis in the province.
According to a representative with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Finance, this distribution of the Cannabis Excise Duty (CED) revenue will be provided to participating on-reserve stores based on each store’s sales volume relative to the province’s total sales volume.
The changes are part of Saskatchewan’s 2026-27 Budget. The On-Reserve Cannabis Refund program authorizes the Ministry of Finance to administer the program, with an estimated cost of $120,000 in 2026-27.
The Ministry of Finance expects the program to take effect on July 1, 2026, with grant payments beginning “shortly thereafter”.
There are currently two on-reserve retailers operating within the required regulatory framework. Still, the representative with the Ministry says the province expects more First Nations to become interested once the program begins operation.
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