A consumer advocacy group is concerned with the Higgs government’s requests for proposal for a single operator to take over Cannabis NB.
David Clement, North American affairs manager for Consumer Choice Centre, says the government is taking away any chance of healthy competition and entrepreneurship and should use the Alberta model.
“It has competition between different firms and different companies. You have small businesses applying for these licences and opening up stores with more than 200 outlets thus far,” stated Clement.
“Most of the benefits from the private sector come from the competitive and entrepreneurial spirit that exists when you open a market up, so by consolidating everything in one company, it is almost trading one monopoly for another.”
Although the centre agrees with the idea of having Cannabis NB privatized, it says the Higgs government is taking one step forward and two steps back with this approach.
