Two more licensed medical marijuana producers have voluntarily recalled hundreds of grams of the drug after traces of a controversial pesticide banned in Canada were detected in their supply, raising questions about Ottawa’s oversight of an industry expected to explode with the upcoming legalization of cannabis.

Last week, Organigram, a publicly traded grower based in Moncton, expanded a Dec. 28 recall of a small amount of product to include almost all of its cannabis buds and oils produced in 2016.

A college in the Atlantic Canadian province of New Brunswick plans to institute a programme on marijuana cultivation so that students can be trained to work at local companies that produce the drug, a school official says.

The French-language College Communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick will launch the course sometime next year, said Michel Doucet, executive director of continuing education and customized learning.

Canadian Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau campaigned last year on a promise to legalise recreational marijuana and the government has said it would introduce legislation by the spring of 2017.

Kevin Coft and his medical marijuana startup are benefiting in a big way as the New Brunswick government embraces the job opportunities this budding industry could bring to the province.

On Aug. 23, the government invested $4-million in Zenabis, a company Mr. Coft launched to build a proposed medical marijuana facility in Atholville, N.B. The money comes in the form of a repayable loan, and Mr. Coft says it signals that Premier Brian Gallant’s Liberal government is serious about supporting the sector.

The government of New Brunswick is giving a proposed medical marijuana facility in the province a major financial boost — investing a total of $4 million into the operation.

The money comes from the Northern New Brunswick Economic Development Fund, through both Opportunities NB and the Regional Development Corporation who each invested $2 million.

The province says the medical marijuana project could create more than 200 full-time jobs in the northern New Brunswick town of Atholville by 2021.

“We understand how important job creation, education and health care are to New Brunswickers,” Premier Brian Gallant said in a release.

The first and only medical marijuana dispensary in Fredericton believes the standards they hold their operation to will help to erase the negative stigma that is still surrounding marijuana usage.

Despite legalization not yet being a reality in Canada, HBB Medical Inc. opened in April.

Since then they say they have brought in over 400 members, all of which go through a stringent screening process to ensure they are legally permitted to access medical marijuana.

“We want to identify that mainstream medical dispensaries do have a place in society,” said Hank Merchant, HBB president of procedures. “We set standards above and beyond.”

The only licensed marijuana producer in New Brunswick says the number of legal growing operations in the country will need to increase before they can haldne the demand expected from recreational users legally purchasing pot.

Denis Arsenault of Moncton’s OrganiGram, the first licensed marijuana grower in Atlantic Canada, believes federal legislation allowing widespread sale could come before the end of 2017, but the just over two dozen legal producers country-wide would have trouble providing enough of the plant to go around.

A Nova Scotia medical marijuana dispensary has opened up shop in New Brunswick’s. Its owner says he’s already taken on 50 clients.Malachy McMeekin operates four medical marijuana dispensaries in Nova Scotia. He opened Tasty Budd’s in Riverview on June 24.“It just shows the clear demand for it,” McMeekin said.

McMeekin says he expanded to New Brunswick because New Brunswick patients were traveling to his province to get their prescriptions filled.

Gallant government says it is 'irresponsible to speculate' on new rules until Ottawa gives more details.

New Brunswick's four opposition political parties are calling for a public debate on legalizing marijuana as the federal government gets ready to change the rules surrounding the drug.

Green Party Leader David Coon, PC MLA Carl Urquhart, NDP Leader Dominic Cardy and People's Alliance Leader Kris Austin all agree regulations must be in place when Ottawa introduces new legislation and the public should be part of the discussions.