SMITHS FALLS, ON and
TORONTO, June 28, 2017 /CNW/ - Canopy Growth Corporation
("Canopy Growth" or the "Company") (TSX: WEED) is proud to announce
that it has entered into an agreement with Canadian Students for
Sensible Drug Policy (CSSDP) and Parent Action on Drugs (PAD) to
launch the next phase of its ongoing Corporate Social
Responsibility program. The partnership will support parents and
educators in their ability to communicate with youth, and educate
older youth directly to make healthy, responsible decisions about
cannabis use. This initiative builds on the Corporate Social
Responsibility work Canopy Growth has previously conducted with
MADD Canada and the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition around
cannabis-impaired driving.
"We want to build a contemporary business that contributes to
its communities and its stakeholders in a meaningful way. Listening
to Canadians, we know that legalizing cannabis for recreational
purposes has raised concerns over increased youth use and an
increased need to communicate with young people in a modern,
no-nonsense way," says Mark Zekulin,
President, Canopy Growth. "Working with partners like PAD and
CSSDP, we have the pieces in place to make a difference in this
important area."
The objective of the 2-year project is for PAD to develop
interactive e-tools that educate and support informed conversations
and decision-making taking into account the relationship between
cannabis use and adolescent brain development. Young Canadians
consume cannabis at a higher rate than their peers in other
industrialized countries, where 21% of youth aged 15-19 years old,
and 31% young adults aged 20-24 report using cannabis at least once
in 2015. By strictly regulating cannabis production and
distribution, policy-makers hope to decrease youth usage rates by
focusing on fact-based prevention and education efforts, as well as
controlling access points and availability. As a private sector
company, Canopy Growth can contribute by supporting educational
efforts such as this.
PAD, along with its extensive network and reach, brings thirty
years experience developing and providing evidence-based resources
and programs for youth, families and professionals concerned with
substance use and resiliency. Through their extensive reach and
commitment, adults and youth across Canada will have access to the tools they need
to have informed conversations about cannabis use and associated
risks.
"The legalization of recreational cannabis does not reduce the
potential harms it may have on our youth. It may create an
environment of normalization," says Joanne
Brown, Executive Director of PAD. "With legalization comes a
need and responsibility to ensure that youth, parents, and those
who work with youth have evidence-based information on the risks
and realities of cannabis use. This partnership provides a unique
opportunity for PAD to develop electronic tools that will allow
easy access to up-to-date information on cannabis."
All of the partners are committed to developing evidence-based
work and disseminating it broadly through trusted organizations.
Jenna Valleriani, CSSDP's Strategic
Advisor and one of the country's most recognized cannabis policy
experts focused on youth issues, will lead the first stage of this
project by reviewing evidence and developing a comprehensive
Knowledge Translation strategy to frame the issue with the best
available research, and gather input from youth, parents, and
educators.
"We heard the concerns of young people as part of our CSSDP
youth roundtable during the Task Force's consultations in
September. Their feedback was largely centered on the lack of
access to evidence-based, non-judgemental education about cannabis,
and as Canada moves towards
legalization, we believe this project will play a key role in
empowering and ensuring youth, parents and educators have access to
relatable, accurate information about cannabis under a legal
framework." said Valleriani.
Canopy Growth is very proud to be working with education and
policy experts of this calibre. CGC admires the work that PAD and
the CSSDP have done to date and is proud to be funding this
initiative through an unrestricted grant.
Here's to Future Growth.
ABOUT EACH ORGANIZATION:
Parent Action on Drugs (PAD), a Canadian
registered charitable organization, has addressed the issues
related to youth substance use since 1983. PAD develops and
disseminates a range of programs and resources for parents, youth,
educators, health promoters and communities. We aim to reduce the
harms associated with the use of alcohol and other drugs and
increase informed decision making and build resiliency among
youth.
Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy (CSSDP) is a
grassroots national network comprised of youth and students who are
concerned about the negative impact our drug policies have on
individuals and communities. CSSDP considers problematic drug use
in society primarily a health issue rather than a criminal justice
issue, and advocates for appropriate, evidence based responses to
reduce and prevent harm from drug use. CSSDP currently runs 12
local youth-run chapters across Canada, in addition to a national Board of
Directors, and is working to increase access and awareness of harm
reduction, support evidence-based legislation, and promote drug
policy reform on local, national and international levels.
Canopy Growth Corporation (CGC) Canopy Growth is a
world-leading diversified cannabis company, offering distinct
brands and curated cannabis varieties in dried, oil and capsule
forms. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Canopy Growth
operates numerous state-of-the-art production facilities with over
half a million square feet of GMP-certified indoor and greenhouse
production capacity, all to an unparalleled level of quality
assurance procedures and testing. Canopy Growth has established
partnerships with leading sector names in Canada and abroad, with interests and
operations spanning four continents. The Company is proudly
dedicated to educating healthcare practitioners, providing
consistent access to high quality cannabis products, conducting
robust clinical research, and furthering the public's understanding
of cannabis. For more information visit www.canopygrowth.com.
FAST FACTS:
- Cannabis use among young people aged 15 to 19 and 20 to 24 is
two to three times higher than use among adults aged 25 or older
(21% and 30%, compared to 10%)
- Research suggests that an estimated 9% of cannabis users become
dependent, but this increases to 17% among those who start before
age 25 (17%) and further increases among those who use daily
(25-50%)
- Young people in only six countries record cannabis use rates of
20% or more, including Canada, the
Czech Republic, France, Spain, Switzerland and the
United States
- Canada still has the highest
level of cannabis use among young people, despite reducing its
usage rate from 40% in 2001-2002 to 28% in 2009-2010
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or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could",
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performance or achievements of Canopy Growth Corporation, Tweed
Inc., Tweed Farms Inc., Mettrum Health Corp., or Bedrocan Canada
Inc. to be materially different from any future results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by the
forward-looking statements. Examples of such statements include
future operational and production capacity, the impact of enhanced
infrastructure and production capabilities, and forecasted
available product selection. The forward-looking statements
included in this news release are made as of the date of this news
release and Canopy Growth Corp. does not undertake an obligation to
publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new
information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by
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SOURCE Canopy Growth Corporation