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Marketing marijuana

Sixteen of Canada's licensed marijuana producers have enlisted the help of Advertising Standards Canada to develop guidelines on how the drug should be branded and promoted before its recreational use becomes legal next year.

The marijuana sector has been lobbying Ottawa for the right to brand their products, arguing that not being able to promote in stores or on packaging will prevent them from being able to effectively compete with the black market.

Last year, a federal task force issued a report recommending that cannabis products require plain packaging that would allow only certain kinds of information to be listed, such as company name, strain and price. It said advertising restrictions should be similar to those placed on the tobacco industry.

Health advocates have argued that such restrictions are necessary to ensure that users are aware of health risks associated with the substance. They also claim that allowing marijuana companies to market their products could lead to widespread use of the drug, similar to what happened with alcohol and tobacco in the past.

However, Cameron Bishop, director of government affairs at Privateer Holdings — the owner of Nanaimo, B.C.-based producer Tilray — says that isn't the industry's intention.

"We have to be able to differentiate ourselves from individual illegal marketers who are out there right now, that are branded to the hilt in these illegal dispensaries and aren't going to abide by federal rules," he said.

Cam Battley, executive vice-president of Aurora Cannabis, says Canada already has a comprehensive regime of advertising guidelines and restrictions for beer, wine and liquor that could be applied to marijuana.



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