Christine Fréchette is alienating Quebec’s cannabis industry

All it took was a few words. On Tuesday evening, during a debate organized by TVA as part of the Quebec election campaign, Christine Fréchette, the outgoing premier and leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), engaged in a discussion with the leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, Charles Milliard. The discussion quickly turned heated. When attacked over her government’s record, Christine Fréchette retorted:

«The only business you've brought to Bécancour is a pot. »

A remark intended to take a swipe at his political opponent, but one that did not go unnoticed by those who work at «the company of pot »in question.".

Greentone in the midst of the political fray

The company in question is Greentone, a Canadian cannabis producer with facilities in Bécancour, among other locations. The mayor of Bécancour, Pascal Blondin, said he was surprised by the outgoing premier’s statement. But the most vehement reaction came from the Quebec Cannabis and Hemp Industry Association (AQIC).

Its CEO, Pierre Leclerc, says he was «speechless» when he heard the remark. The organization believes the comments are stigmatizing and is demanding a public apology from Christine Fréchette.

«When you single out an industry to portray—or at any rate, to attack—a political opponent, it’s certainly derogatory,» Pierre Leclerc explained to Agence QMI.

According to him, the association received numerous responses the very next day after the debate from entrepreneurs and employees in the sector, as well as from employees of the Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC), who reportedly deemed the statement «degrading» and «contemptuous.».

«It's a legitimate industry.»

Entrepreneurs are singing the same tune. Dany Lefebvre, founder of the Chanv Group and a veteran of the hemp industry for thirteen years, told 106.9 Mauricie that he was «shocked» upon hearing the statement.

«It’s a legitimate industry,» he pointed out, arguing that a company in this sector should be treated like any other legal business.

The episode thus touches on an issue familiar to the Canadian cannabis industry: nearly eight years after the legalizing cannabis in Canada, the industry continues to grapple with the stigma associated with the plant. And the use of the word « pot »…as a political punchline is precisely what provokes a reaction from its representatives.".

An industry that demonstrates its economic clout

The AQIC also took advantage of the controversy to reiterate the the economic significance of the industry in Quebec.

According to data provided by the association, Quebec’s cannabis and hemp industry is estimated to have supported more than 8,000 jobs in 2024, contributed the amount of 1.36 billion Canadian dollars to Quebec's GDP and generated approximately $450 million in net public revenue.

In another media appearance, Pierre Leclerc also mentioned more than $5 billion in investments and approximately 8,200 direct jobs related to the industry, while emphasizing that it is not limited to cannabis for adults but also includes, in particular, hemp and its applications in materials and textiles.

Economic arguments that make it particularly sensitive for the sector to see a cannabis company used as a foil in a debate focused specifically on investment and industrial activity.

Christine Fréchette’s remark has thus achieved something that the Quebec election campaign likely had not planned to include on its agenda: putting economic recognition of the cannabis industry back at the center of the debate.

The AQIC is now awaiting a public apology from the outgoing prime minister.