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"The government said public health was their number one priority, and on behalf of our 30,000 members, I applaud them for keeping that commitment." — Jason MacLean, NSGEU President
Halifax (08 Dec. 2017) — The Nova Scotia government made the right choice to announce that the distribution and sale of cannabis will be a publicly owned and regulated operation through the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC), says Jason MacLean President of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees' Union (NSGEU/NUPGE).
Public health wins over private profit in cannabis sale and distribution
"The choice to protect public health, including the health of our kids, over private profit, is the right decision for Nova Scotia," said MacLean. "The government said public health was their number one priority, and on behalf of our 30,000 members, I applaud them for keeping that commitment."
Government investment in cannabis distribution and retail would have been required under either a private or public model. By choosing a public model government will incur short-term set-up costs, but the province will also benefit from its long-term revenue. The privatized model creates significantly higher social, health care, and judicial costs over the long-term, and those would be paid for by Nova Scotians, without the benefit of cannabis sales revenue.
"At a time when our health care system is in crisis, we hope that profits made by the NSLC in cannabis retail will go directly to addressing this crisis," said MacLean. "It was up to government to choose a policy model; now that they've made their decision, our NSLC members are ready get trained and make this a positive transition for Nova Scotians."