The New Brunswick, Canada government has announced that NB Liquor will operate the nation’s adult-use cannabis industry in the province through a subsidiary, according to a report from the Sackville Tribune-Post. Through the subsidiary, operations and retail stores will be operated by the corporation.
Health Minister Benoît Bourque said the move prioritizes “public health and safety concerns” and helps ensure cannabis products are not accessible to children and criminals.
The system would see up to 20 retail shops in 16 New Brunswick communities, with online sales to ensure accessibility. More locations would come online depending on demand and market capacity.
Brian Harriman, NB Liquor CEO, admitted there is still “much work to do to define the details” on how they will execute the provincial government mandate, but they would “work diligently to ensure” the retail network promotes “social responsibility and responsible consumption.”
“This is an area where we will draw upon our experience and proven track record. This model will operate with more regulation and control than our retail network of liquor stores, but it will still be a pleasant shopping experience for the people of New Brunswick,” he said in the report. “We feel confident that this model will support the federally stated objectives of legalization.”
The government is expected to introduce legislative amendments related to cannabis legalization as the retail regime is expected to come online in July 2018.
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