The CEO of Opportunities NB says the province has some big opportunities in the cannabis industry over the next several years.
Stephen Lund was part of a panel at the World Cannabis Congress in Saint John on how New Brunswick is an emerging industry leader.
Lund says when the province knew cannabis legislation was coming, it decided to get an early start.
“We started aggressively talking to companies, talking about the value proposition for New Brunswick, and now we’re starting to see the results,” says Lund. “We’ve got a number of companies here.”
Lund says recreational legalization is happening and the economic benefits are going to go somewhere in Canada, so why not right here in New Brunswick.
Speaking at this morning’s panel are Stephen Lund with Opportunities NB, Eric Cook of RPC, and Lara Wood with Cannabis NB. pic.twitter.com/LxRRFtdsgo
— Brad Perry (@BradMPerry) June 11, 2018
He says one of the big challenges is letting the world know that good things are happening in New Brunswick.
“All of our partners, the premier, the mayors, we all have to get out there and talk about the story that’s happening here,” says Lund. “Once companies come and kick the tires in any sector, we usually win their business.”
Lund says there will be major spinoff opportunities over the next few years in areas like testing, research, training and consulting.
He also talked about the importance of public health and safety once recreational pot becomes legal.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, we’re not advocating any more usage, this is already happening in Canada,” says Lund. “Anne McLellan made a point that once we make it legal, we have to make sure that the penalties are there for people that go outside the boundaries.”
