N.B. First Nations, 10 Companies Call For Halt To Cannabis NB Sale – Huddle Today

FREDERICTON – A First Nations leader and 10 New Brunswick-based cannabis businesses are calling on the province to halt the decision-making process to sell Cannabis NB because they fear it will end up in the hands of a single outside company that will stifle the growth of the local industry.

The group, which recently sent a letter to the premier outling its position, says the process to sell the government-owned retailer should be halted until the government consults with First Nations leaders and the companies that make up the province’s multi-million-dollar industry.

The government has been looking to sell Cannabis NB since it issued a request for proposals in 2019 to find a single operator in the private sector to take over the 20 stores. When Cannabis NB began operating in 2018, it lost money but has since become far more profitable.