Your neighbourhood weed retailer will be called CannabisNB
The New Brunswick government's recreational marijuana retail stores will operate under the name CannabisNB, Finance Minister Cathy Rogers announced on Monday.
A trademark application has been filed for the name of the NB Liquor subsidiary that will be created to oversee 20 stand-alone stores in 15 communities across the province.
"Your government recognizes that the retail model will play a significant role as we enter this new market and I am pleased to provide New Brunswickers with an update," said Rogers.
She was in Ottawa on Monday with her provincial and territorial counterparts to negotiate a formula for sharing pot tax revenue once recreational use is legalized by the federal government in July.
Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced they reached an agreement that will give the provinces at least 70 cents on the dollar — a sizable increase from the 50-50 framework proposed last month.
That deal called for marijuana to be taxed at $1 a gram or 10 per cent of the final retail price, whichever is higher, with revenues split evenly between the federal government and the provinces and territories.
But the provincial ministers pushed for a larger share, arguing the provinces and municipalities will shoulder the majority of the costs associated with legalization, such as policing, health care and education.
"CannabisNB will help us achieve the goals of the legislative framework your government has introduced," said Rogers.
The Gallant government has vowed to tightly regulate recreational cannabis use.
The legal age for possession and consumption in New Brunswick will be 19.
People below the age of 19 won't be allowed in the stores and the product will be under glass.
Smoking marijuana in public places will be banned, but users will be allowed to carry up to 30 grams with them.
There will be no limit on how much users can keep at home, but the product must be stored in a locked container or locked room.
Different approaches in East
Premier Brian Gallant discussed the importance of being prepared for legalization with his Atlantic colleagues during the Council of Atlantic Premiers in Halifax on Monday.
"Working together, we can keep the people of the Atlantic region safe while pursuing the economic opportunities presented by the legalization of cannabis by the federal government," Gallant said in a statement.
Nova Scotia, P.E.I., and Newfoundland and Labrador have also set the legal age at 19 but are each taking different approaches.
Certain Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. outlets will sell cannabis and alcohol together, the P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission will have stand-alone outlets for pot, while the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation will license and regulate the sale of marijuana in private stores and possibly sell some products in areas where there are no alternatives.
Retail locations in New Brunswick are planned for:
- Greater Moncton.
- Fredericton.
- Oromocto.
- Greater Saint John.
- Bathurst.
- Edmundston.
- Sackville.
- Shediac.
- Miramichi.
- Sussex.
- St. Stephen.
- Richibucto.
- Tracadie.
- Perth Andover.
- Campbellton area.
The locations were chosen because of their demographics, income data from 2016 census, liquor sales transactions and traffic patterns, department officials have said.
Larger communities will have more than one store.
