A hemp plant in Alberta. (Jennifer Blair photo)

Regulations, versatility pull hemp in different directions in West

Crop 'still struggling with reaching its full potential'

MarketsFarm — Accounting for 60 per cent of Canada’s 1,100 cultivation licenses as of 2020, according to Health Canada, Western Canada is the country’s most important region when it comes to hemp production. But while there are more products on store shelves, more cultivars than ever before and high prices for the crop, demand for […] Read more

Signage on a Tweed retail outlet in Winnipeg. (Dave Bedard photo)

Pot producer Canopy Growth to cut 250 jobs in profitability bid

Reuters — Canopy Growth Corp. said it would lay off about 250 employees as part of a cost-cutting plan as the Canadian pot producer tries to achieve long-elusive profitability. Most Canadian marijuana companies have struggled to turn a profit despite more than three years of cannabis legalization due to fewer-than-expected retail stores, cheaper rates on […] Read more

(Hexo Corp video screengrab via YouTube)

Pot company Hexo to shut production sites, cut jobs

Reuters — Pot producer Hexo Corp. said Tuesday it will close three production sites in Canada in early 2022, affecting 155 employees, as part of its integration plans following recent acquisitions. Gatineau, Que.-based Hexo said it will cease operations at its Kirkland Lake and Brantford facilities in Ontario at the end of January and at […] Read more

Wana Brands’ lines of edibles available in the Canadian market include Indiva and Wana gummies, Bhang chocolate and Slow Ride baked goods, among others. The company is also developing cannabis-infused sugar and salt. (Screengrab from Indiva.com)

Canopy eyes U.S. expansion via weed gummies maker

Ontario firm to pay US$297.5 million for Wana Brands

Reuters — Canada’s Canopy Growth Corp. said on Thursday it would buy weed gummies maker Wana Brands for US$297.5 million, as the world’s biggest pot producer looks to expand in the U.S. cannabis market. Demand for pot edibles such as gummies has risen during the pandemic, as people stuck at home turn to cannabis-related products […] Read more

Aurora Cannabis in November 2019 opened a flagship retail store at the West Edmonton Mall, describing the 11,000-square foot shop as “both a retail cannabis store and an immersive experiential space.” (CNW Group/Aurora Cannabis Inc.)

Aurora Cannabis revenue short of expectations on lower pot demand

Reuters — Aurora Cannabis on Monday missed Wall Street expectations for fourth-quarter revenue as pandemic-related restrictions weighed down consumer demand, leading Canadian provinces to cut orders. U.S.-listed shares of the company, which also posted a bigger-than-expected quarterly loss, were down two per cent in extended trading. After more than three years into Canada’s legalization of […] Read more


Aurora Cannabis in November 2019 opened a flagship retail store at the West Edmonton Mall, describing the 11,000-square foot shop as “both a retail cannabis store and an immersive experiential space.” (CNW Group/Aurora Cannabis Inc.)

Aurora Cannabis to shut one Edmonton plant

Reuters — Aurora Cannabis said Tuesday it will shut down a facility at Edmonton, adding to the woes of the cash-strapped Canadian pot producer which has been reeling under the impact of the pandemic since last year. The company said medical distribution from the Aurora Polaris facility that is being shut down will move to […] Read more

(Jushico.com)

Pot producer Jushi acquires U.S. retailer in cheaper deal

Lack of movement on legalization drops valuations

Reuters — Cannabis producer Jushi Holdings acquired Massachusetts-based retailer Nature’s Remedy at a cheaper price than initially offered, as valuation of weed companies across North America has dramatically dropped lately. The decline in valuations over the last few months has been largely due to a lack of progress on anticipated federal marijuana reforms in the […] Read more

(Juanmonino/iStock/Getty Images)

Pot producer TerrAscend to buy U.S. rival Gage Growth

Company to pay US$545 million

Reuters — Cannabis producer and processor TerrAscend will buy Michigan-based rival Gage Growth Corp., backed by prominent cannabis investor Jason Wild, for around US$545 million, the pot producer said on Wednesday. Dealmaking in the U.S. cannabis industry has heated up this year as companies bank on Democrats’ promises to reform marijuana laws and potentially legalize […] Read more


Sergio Rocha, executive director of a cannabis cultivation research project, works in a greenhouse at Brazil’s Federal University of Vicosa on Aug. 18, 2021. (Photo: Reuters/Washington Alves)

Cannabis firms catch whiff of opportunity in Brazil

Canadian producers among those now supplying Brazilian market

Sao Paulo | Reuters — International cannabis companies are showing interest in Brazil, both its large consumer market for medicinal products and a proposal that could legalize planting of the crop. Major producers such as Colombia’s Clever Leaves and Canada’s Canopy Growth are developing and selling medicinal cannabis products to a Brazilian consumer segment estimated […] Read more