US-based Village Farms International, Inc. has announced its first shipment of medical cannabis to New Zealand through its wholly-owned Canadian subsidiary Pure Sunfarms.
The cannabis will be distributed in New Zealand by Medleaf Therapeutics under its Bloom brand, which was created specifically for products from Pure Sunfarms. Medleaf is an established New Zealand-based medical cannabis company collaborating with clinics and healthcare practitioners nationwide.
The shipment features Pink Kush, the top-selling dried flower strain in Canada over the past four years.
“Pink Kush is a major contributor to the continuing success of Village Farms’ Canadian Cannabis business and is being sought out internationally as we continue expanding our presence in strategic markets around the world,” says Michael DeGiglio, CEO of Village Farms.
“We are proud to export Pure Sunfarms’ leading cannabis products to growing international medical markets, and to announce this partnership with Medleaf. The addition of New Zealand to our international portfolio represents another meaningful step forward in our strategy to continue to grow our international cannabis business.”
The New Zealand cannabis market, which brought in about US$45 million in 2023, is projected to grow to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 58% by 2030.
Courtney Letica, Chief Executive Officer of Medleaf, added: “We are excited to bring Canada’s number one cannabis product to New Zealand patients. Pure Sunfarms’ renowned Pink Kush has an amazing track record and we are eager to share this offering.”
Medleaf Therapeutics was founded in 2018 and is one of the leading local Cannabis suppliers in New Zealand. It is focused exclusively on branding, distribution, and sales.
Village Farms International operates two cannabis facilities for the Canadian legal adult use (recreational) market and for export to international markets like Israel, Germany, Australia, and the United Kingdom. The company’s Canadian Cannabis segment comprises Pure Sunfarms in BC and an 80% ownership in Rose LifeScience in Quebec.
The company also holds one of only ten licenses to participate in the Dutch recreational cannabis program. In the most recent quarter, its ownership of Netherlands producer Leli Holland increased from 85% to 100%.
Village Farms recently announced its first harvest from its Netherlands facility.
In its most recent quarterly report, Village Farms’ international sales increased by 94%, primarily due to higher sales to Germany, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
