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City officials are recommending charging Edmonton pot stores fees more than 15 times higher than the amount paid by similar operations.

Recreational weed outlets should pay $5,600 for a development permit and $2,500 for a business licence, compared to a total of $512 assessed on comparable companies, according to a report released Friday.

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“(This) will provide for the recovery of direct costs incurred by the development services branch as it prepares for legalization,” the report says.

“The costs are directly attributed to the permitting and licensing process, and include dedicated personnel, mapping support, software changes, training, information sessions, and a specialized intake process.”

The proposed price of a business licence would be one of the city’s highest, more than adult theatres pay but less than casinos and exotic entertainment agencies.

Although the city would have to charge $137,000 for each business licence to cover the full cost of weed emporiums, including police expenses, “this level of cost recovery goes beyond what other businesses are required to offset,” the report says.