PEI

Wanted: Program to teach Islanders about pot

The P.E.I. government is looking for a company to create a cannabis education campaign.

Government hopes to have some materials ready by the end of June

The province is looking to hire a company for marijuana education in the next few weeks. (CBC News)

The P.E.I. government is looking for a company to create a cannabis education campaign.

The province has put out a request for proposals and hopes to hire a company within the next few weeks. Finance Minister Heath MacDonald said the province is looking for education materials that focus on health and safety awareness.

"We want to ensure that we're taking the steps in the right direction to ensure that people are aware, especially our youth, of the effects of cannabis. Positively, negatively, regards to whether it's medicinal or recreational," said MacDonald.

Finance Minister Heath MacDonald says the province is open to ideas about how to run the campaign. (Rick Gibbs/CBC News)

"We just want to educate people and ensure we're doing everything possible to inform them of the appropriate information on cannabis."

MacDonald said the educational outreach could include things like pamphlets and social media campaigns, but the province is open to other ideas.

He hopes to have at least some of the educational materials rolling out by the end of June.  The province has allocated a few hundred thousand dollars for cannabis education, but MacDonald said there is no firm number yet.

More P.E.I. news

With files from Krystalle Ramlakhan