As part of their agreement to supply 5,000 kilograms of pot to the province for the recreational market, Organigram is also paying into a social responsibility fund.
CEO Greg Engel says they are committing 2% of their sales to support informing the public about appropriate use.
“Also educating about the risks to youth, in terms of chronic use, and some of the factors around what people can expect from product use, certainly if they are new to the cannabis space that’s going to be critical,” says Engel.
Provincial Health Minister Benoit Bourque was unable to provide specifics but said this is an important part of their approach to legalization.
“There was a clear consensus by the New Brunswick population and also within the report that senior civil staff have given that educational programs are very, very important,” says Bourque.
Engel says another angle everyone must consider is how to deal with drug impaired driving.
The provincial government signed two Memoranda of Understanding last week with Organigram and Canopy Growth to provide 5,000 and 4,000 kilograms of pot respectively for the recreational market.
Both companies are bound by the so-called “social responsibility” clause to commit 2% of sales to educational inititiatives.