Spotlight on Cannabis and the Bioeconomy

Published on October 22, 2019

Greg Engel / CEO - Organigram

Meaghan Seagrave / President - 1812 Hemp

Stephen Lund / CEO - Opportunities New Brunswick

David Magee / Vice-President, Research - University of New Brunswick

By legalizing cannabis for both medical and recreational use before all other advanced economies, Canada created an early-mover advantage for itself. We’ve opened up opportunities for innovative research and product development, and the creation of strong Canadian cannabis companies that could become world leaders. But how must our governments, the private sector, our researchers and other key stakeholders align themselves on this mission? What opportunities lie at the intersection of Canada’s growing cannabis industry and the bioeconomy? This Spotlight answers these questions and more.

Listen to the Podcast:

Key Takeaways & Calls to Action

Canada has a first mover advantage in the global legal cannabis industry because our companies can develop and scale their products nationally, and then export these products, their IP and know-how once other countries proceed with legalization.
Canada’s governments, both provincial and federal, must promote alignment among diverse groups within the cannabis economy, clarify objectives and priorities, and help focus efforts around them by supporting agile regulations and government policy.
Cannabis research could have commercial applications in food, plant health, healthcare, textiles and construction materials, among others. As long as Canada does not stifle this sector with overregulation, we can build expertise in the research and commercialization of these applications in order to compete globally.
Alongside the medical and recreational sides of cannabis research, there is tremendous potential in its biomass applications. Whether it is energy generation, synthetic manufacturing or the development of new materials using all part of the plant, cannabis can contribute significantly to Canada’s bioeconomy.

Watch and Read the Experts’ Full Interviews:

The Licensed Producer Greg Engel CEO - Organigram "As the first G7 country to legalize recreational cannabis, Canada is uniquely positioned to create homegrown companies that scale globally."

The Hemp Expert Meaghan Seagrave President - 1812 Hemp "Hemp is one of the most versatile materials that we can cultivate on an industrial scale for a multitude of markets. We can derive economic opportunities from processing every part of the plant, including the flower, the fiber, the grain and the seed oil."

The Growth Catalyst Stephen Lund CEO - Opportunities New Brunswick "As long as Canada and New Brunswick can be competitive from a tax, regulation and labour perspective, we can remain competitive in the global cannabis market."

The Researcher David Magee Vice-President, Research - University of New Brunswick "One of the large, untapped areas within cannabis is its biomass capacity. There is a large opportunity in finding ways to use the biomass associated with the cannabis plant to its maximum capacity rather than simply throwing it away."