Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown thinks the province and federal government should fully compensate municipalities for additional costs incurred from cannabis legalization.

Council considered a staff report recommending Brampton allow cannabis retail stores at its Dec. 5 committee of council meeting, but ultimately decided to push the decision to a later date to allow for more study and public consultation.

“Right now, the federal and provincial governments are going to get a windfall of revenue with the legalization of marijuana … But municipal treasuries who are cash strapped, how are they going to pay for the policing costs?” Brown told reporters after council voted to defer its decision.

“We’re being thrown into a situation where they’re saying opt in and we’re only going to pay part of your police costs,” he said. “We want to know the full and accurate sense of cost. That’s why we’ve instructed staff to get back to council.”

According to the staff report, opting out means forfeiting any provincial funding or excise tax revenue sharing, which could cost Brampton up to $1.4 million per year in lost revenue.

In or out, Brampton taxpayers are on the hook for additional costs stemming from legalization. Which is why staff recommended council opt in. However, Brown said he believes there is still time before the deadline to advocate for a bigger slice of the pie.

“Right now, the provincial and federal governments want municipalities to opt in.” said Brown. “Given the fact they want this, what we’re saying is if you want us to opt in, you need to actually cover the costs.”

“The reason council is struggling with it and has deferred is we’re being offered two poor options. You accept and you get 10 per cent coverage, and if you don’t accept you get nothing. It’s an unfair position to put municipalities in,” he added.

A phone poll by Environics conducted at the beginning of November found 54 per cent of Bramptonians support cannabis shops in the city. Forty per cent were strongly against with six per cent undecided.

Council will make its final decision at a special meeting to be scheduled before the Jan. 22 deadline.