NSLC ad campaign promoting its cannabis as 'safe' leads to backlash from psychologist
Nova Scotia leads the country when it comes to cannabis consumption -- a statistic that concerns clinical psychologist Simon Sherry.
He says the province should not be promoting the use of THC.
“It flies in the face of an extensive research literature that links cannabis up to depression, anxiety, psychosis, impaired concentration, impaired memory, respiratory problems, and a host of other difficulties,” Sherry says.
Sherry took particular attention to an NSLC ad campaign reminding consumers to use its "safe" product over other unregulated producers.
“Representing cannabis as a safe and a no-risk product, and that simply is inaccurate.”
In a statement from a Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation spokesperson, the purpose of the campaign is to encourage consumers to make sure they're using cannabis from a trusted supply.
The original ads were taken down after conversations with the industry and replaced with new ones.
A pedestrian walks past the NSLC Cannabis store on Clyde Street in Halifax on November 13, 2024. (CTV/Jonathan MacInnis)“As the responsible retailer for beverage alcohol and cannabis in the province, NSLC has a duty to share messages to help consumers understand the risk in making cannabis purchases from the illicit market. The goal of the awareness campaign is to help consumers understand the importance of safe, regulated cannabis, by focusing on product quality and public safety,” Terah MacKinnon says.
Sherry thinks the province has done a good job in reducing tobacco use, and he’d like to see the same strategies applied to the use of cannabis.
“We’re actively promoting cannabis to our citizens telling them it is safe and legal. I think we need to align our strategy more with cigarettes, less with the stance of active promotion driven by profit.”
The NSLC says the awareness campaign is targeted to people who are 19 and over, and only appear in bars and restaurants where patrons are of legal drinking age.
For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Donald Trump picks former U.S. congressman Pete Hoekstra as ambassador to Canada
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has nominated former diplomat and U.S. congressman Pete Hoekstra to be the American ambassador to Canada.
Genetic evidence backs up COVID-19 origin theory that pandemic started in seafood market
A group of researchers say they have more evidence to suggest the COVID-19 pandemic started in a Chinese seafood market where it spread from infected animals to humans. The evidence is laid out in a recent study published in Cell, a scientific journal, nearly five years after the first known COVID-19 outbreak.
This is how much money you need to make to buy a house in Canada's largest cities
The average salary needed to buy a home keeps inching down in cities across Canada, according to the latest data.
'My two daughters were sleeping': London Ont. family in shock after their home riddled with gunfire
A London father and son they’re shocked and confused after their home was riddled with bullets while young children were sleeping inside.
Smuggler arrested with 300 tarantulas strapped to his body
Police in Peru have arrested a man caught trying to leave the country with 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes and nine bullet ants strapped to his body.
Boissonnault out of cabinet to 'focus on clearing the allegations,' Trudeau announces
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced embattled minister Randy Boissonnault is out of cabinet.
Baby dies after being reported missing in midtown Toronto: police
A four-month-old baby is dead after what Toronto police are calling a “suspicious incident” at a Toronto Community Housing building in the city’s midtown area on Wednesday afternoon.
Sask. woman who refused to provide breath sample did not break the law, court finds
A Saskatchewan woman who refused to provide a breath sample after being stopped by police in Regina did not break the law – as the officer's request was deemed not lawful given the circumstances.
Parole board reverses decision and will allow families of Paul Bernardo's victims to attend upcoming parole hearing in person
The families of the victims of Paul Bernardo will be allowed to attend the serial killer’s upcoming parole hearing in person, the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) says.