SMITHS FALLS, ON, May 16, 2016 /CNW/ - Canada's largest medical cannabis producer
today announced plans to fund a national campaign to raise
awareness of impairment in relation to operating a motor vehicle
under the influence of cannabis. The campaign will be developed and
administered by two of the country's leading organizations in
promoting evidence based drug policy and safe driving, the Canadian
Drug Policy Coalition (CDPC) and Mothers Against Drunk Driving
(MADD Canada).
Funding will be provided to MADD Canada over three years by
Canopy Growth Corporation (Canopy Growth) (TSX.V: CGC), whose
wholly owned subsidiaries Tweed Inc. (Tweed) and Bedrocan Canada
Inc. (Bedrocan Canada) will fund the campaign using proceeds from a
previously announced education fund dedicated towards responsible
use of cannabis.
"We're proud to be bringing together the Canadian leaders in
sober driving campaigns with leaders in the development of
responsible drug policy for this important initiative. Now that
we're on the verge of a legal access to cannabis for personal use,
it's time to step up and do our part as responsible corporate
citizens," said Bruce Linton,
Chairman & CEO, Canopy Growth.
As Canada prepares to be the
first industrialized country to implement cannabis legalization for
personal use, MADD Canada is partnering with Canopy Growth to help
prevent an increase in the incidence of impaired driving. MADD
Canada's efforts to raise awareness and reduce impaired driving in
Canada have saved an estimated
thirty-five thousand lives through impactful and memorable public
campaigns.
"MADD Canada has had a great deal of success in reducing the
number of impaired drivers on Canadian roads," said MADD Canada
Chief Executive Officer Andrew
Murie. "As laws change in Canada we think it's important to take the
same approach to cannabis as we have with alcohol, particularly
given an increasing presence of cannabis in driving incidents
already. MADD Canada continues to raise awareness on the risks of
drug-impaired driving, and we are pleased to be part of this new
national campaign to educate the public and reduce the number of
people who drive while impaired by cannabis."
The Canadian Drug Policy Coalition will contribute the research
basis and third party expertise to ensure that the campaign is
designed using international best practices.
"Ensuring that Canadians understand responsible cannabis use and
its impact on impairment when operating a motor vehicle is an
important part of moving to a regulated market for cannabis in
Canada," said Donald MacPherson, Executive Director of the
Canadian Drug Policy Coalition. There is an emerging body of
research that we can lean on to help Canadians understand impaired
driving, understand when they are impaired and make responsible
choices."
Consuming cannabis responsibly applies equally to medical and
non-medical cannabis use. Canada's
medical cannabis user base grows every month and non-medical use
under a regulatory framework will also increase the number of
Canadians consuming cannabis. Tweed and Bedrocan are proud to play
a leadership role collaborating with world-class partners like MADD
Canada and the CDPC to ensure that as Canada moves forward with cannabis policy
reform, we collectively create the needed tools to ensure that
education and public safety remain at the forefront of the
conversation.
About MADD Canada
MADD Canada (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is a national,
charitable organization that is committed to stopping impaired
driving and supporting the victims of this violent crime. With
volunteer-driven groups in more than 100 communities across
Canada, MADD Canada aims to offer support services to
victims, heighten awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and
save lives and prevent injuries on our roads. To learn more,
visit www.madd.ca.
About Canopy Growth Corporation
Canopy Growth is Canada's first
publicly traded medical cannabis company and the first
geographically diversified producer with multiple licenses under
the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations. Through its wholly
owned subsidiaries, Tweed, Tweed Farms, and Bedrocan Canada, the
Company operates three state-of-the-art production facilities in
Ontario and distributes cannabis
across the country to Canadian patients managing a host of medical
conditions. The Company is dedicated to educating healthcare
practitioners, providing consistent access to high quality
medication, conducting robust clinical research, and furthering the
public's understanding of how cannabis is used for medical
purposes. www.canopygrowth.com
About Canadian Drug Policy Coalition
The Canadian Drug Policy Coalition is comprised of over 70
organizations and 3000 individuals working to support the
development of a drug policy for Canada that is based in science and the
principles of public health, is respectful of the human rights of
all, and seeks to include people who use drugs and those harmed by
the criminalization of drugs in moving towards a healthier Canadian
society. CDPC is a project of the Faculty of Health Sciences at
Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia.
SOURCE Canopy Growth Corporation