Barinder Rasode, CEO of NICHE Canada presents before Select Committee on Cannabis in Moncton. Recommends government work closely with the cannabis industry and other sectors.

VANCOUVER, July 26, 2017 /CNW/ - NICHE commends the province of New Brunswick and its working group for focusing on the importance of Corporate Responsibility.

"The New Brunswick government is moving forward efficiently but thoughtfully," said Barinder Rasode, CEO of NICHE Canada. "We emphasized providing safe quality product by considering things such as supply agreements. We cautioned that limiting products to low THC levels will only drive people to the black market. We also reminded them that corporate responsibility is achieved by working with industry and stakeholders."

Just as governments are struggling to determine appropriate roles, regulations, and programs, so too is industry trying to establish business practices and corporate strategies that not only meet business goals of establishing a new and highly innovative sector, but also fulfil its responsibilities as good corporate citizens and reflect the fact that we as individuals are members of the communities that will be impacted.

At NICHE we are working with industry to establish college-based training programs to meet the HR needs of the sector, as well as hosting government and industry discussions and conducting research to identify common challenges and collaborative approaches.

The findings of the federal Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation and the experiences of jurisdictions such as Colorado and Washington state made it clear that governments and industry must work together to develop a regulatory framework for the sector to achieve shared goals of developing a globally competitive industry while safeguarding public health and safety.

NICHE recommends that the Government of New Brunswick work closely with the Cannabis Industry, and other sectors in several key areas including:

• public education and industry engagement
• work with police to ensure public safety
• work with unions and employers on workplace issues like impairment in the workplace
• employee and employer rights, and business costs like insurance etc.
• campaigns focused on youth and other groups at risk
• data collection and research
• establish fair and open reporting practices
• monitoring and addressing evolving issues
• sharing information and best practices across industry sectors and between jurisdictions.

Cannabis legalization is both an opportunity and a challenge and getting it right requires this kind of public input. We look forward to continuing the conversation.

SOURCE NICHE CANADA ? National Institute for Cannabis Health and Education