Annual medicinal cannabis licence renewal costs will more than double from August 1, though a substantial 'site' charge is being eliminated under a revised fee schedule published by the Office of Drug Control.
The fixed yearly renewal fee will climb from $12,010 to $27,520, while the cost of lodging an initial licence application with the ODC will rise from just over $8,000 to $13,220.
However, an annual site charge of $19,230 — previously levied to recover ODC costs associated with mandatory inspections, cannabis sample analysis and activity reviews — has been abolished.
The shake-up to fees and charges for medicinal cannabis companies was flagged last year, ahead of a consultation period running close to two months.
Among other changes taking effect next week, an initial cultivation and production permit application will carry a price tag of $11,910, while the equivalent manufacturing application will cost companies $7,860.
Subsequent permit applications will be priced at $9,070 and $5,980 respectively.
A tiered scale for permit variations has been introduced, spanning $620 to $5,140, with the upper amount covering changes to cannabis plant types and the addition, removal or modification of a specific activity.
A comparable structure will apply to licence variations, starting at $580 and reaching $11,960 for work that includes adding additional premises to a licence.
This approach differs from the cost framework in place since July 2021, under which licence and permit variations were divided into major or minor categories.
Under that earlier system, licence variations cost between $1,100 and $5,500, while permit variations ranged from $120 for a minor change up to $2,900.
A previously planned inspection charge of $3,670, along with an hourly rate of $108 for other ODC activities, has been replaced by a three-tier pricing structure.
An application-based inspection following the submission of a licence, permit or variation will cost $9,230. A routine or ongoing inspection to monitor a licence holder's compliance with the Narcotic Drugs Act will cost $12,600. A verification inspection — conducted on site or virtually to confirm the accuracy of submitted information — will cost $4,760.
