New Brunswick cannabis producer Organigram says a delay in federal legislation that would legalize recreational marijuana isn’t a concern to the company, which is partnered with the provincial government for its marijuana supply.
Ray Gracewood, chief commercial officer with Organigram, said the originally targeted start date of July 1 made for “an insurmountable challenge.”
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The company has undergone expansion to ramp up production capacity, but said a push back of the date is a good thing for the parties involved.
“Our goal has always been for July 1,” Gracewood explained. “Although it was a huge challenge.”
“We’ve been trying to deal with the timeline and I think at the end of the day it’s a two-month extension for us,” he said.
The Senate is now expected to vote on legalization on June 7.
The later date means August or September is the new earliest date that marijuana could be legalized.
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Gracewood says it will only better ensure things are done properly when this massive change takes effect.
“There’s another two months for us to focus on building inventory and for our jurisdictional partners, including the province of New Brunswick, to focus on troubleshooting, increased training, recruitment practices, things of that nature,” he said.
Similarly the province has always said they would be ready ahead of the new legislation.
“The government of New Brunswick is committed to ensuring the legalization of recreational-use cannabis occurs in a safe, secure way,” a provincial government statement said. “Government always said it would be ready for federal legalization, and this has not changed. A short delay will not negatively impact our preparations.”
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