This week at StratCann, we were first to share the story of BC allowing smoking and vaping cannabis on public patios, and the announcement of several new cannabis distributors in Manitoba.
StratCann’s David Brown investigated concerns around federal sampling rules, with Health Canada confirming such actions are compliant as long as all applicable federal and provincial requirements are adhered to.
StratCann’s Tim Wilson looked into a group of Ontario’s independent cannabis retailers who are taking on predatory pricing.
We also shared our newest monthly cannabis jobs report, news that Christina Lake Cannabis completed its acquisition of BZAM’s former Midway farm, OrganiGram’s most recent quarterly report showing $15 million in losses, and the SQDC’s newest quarterly report showing it sold $200 million worth of cannabis in Q3 2023.
BC’s CSU enforcement group conducted three raids of cannabis stores on First Nations’ Land, and Health Canada issued a product recall of BonBon Turkish Delight cannabis edibles in Ontario.
A BC micro producer filed a recent notice of claim alleging non-payment from the processing partner.
In StratCann’s profile series, we looked at seed-to-sale service provider ALCannTrace.
In other cannabis news this past week, it was somewhat slow.
The CannExpo will be in Toronto from March 22 to 24, 2024, at the Enercare Centre in Exhibition Place. This three-day event is open to industry and the adult public. Attendees can enjoy budtender sampling and a culinary stage, among other features.
Radio Canada spoke with Lynne Petit, secretary of the Retail Cannabis Council of Manitoba (RRCMB) and owner of the Midnight Show Cannabis store in Beauséjour, about her concerns with Manitoba’s two-tiered retail licensing system that allows big box stores and convenience stores to sell cannabis products.
Rubicon Organics announced their new CEO, Margaret Brodie. Brodie has been with Rubicon since it was founded in 2015 and began her tenure as the company’s CFO. She was appointed Interim CEO on January 1, 2023.
A new study published in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research says that exposure to cannabidiol (CBD) in pregnancy reduces heart function in young male offspring. The team included Western University researchers Mina Nashed, Sebastian Vanin, Mohammed Sarikahya, and Steven Laviolette, and Queen’s University researcher David Natale.
Researchers from the University of British Columbia released a paper on how cannabis use can help manage stimulant cravings among people who use unregulated drugs like crystal meth, cocaine and crack.
BC-based Allied Corp, a Canadian cannabis supplier with its production centre in Colombia, announced that it had signed another 3-year sales agreement to supply another international distributor with THC flower.
Benzinga did a writeup on Decibel Cannabis and its success in the pre-roll market in Canada.
About 200 farmers, industrialists, and policy experts will be at the Renaissance Edmonton Airport Hotel this Feb. 21 to 23 for the Future is Here Conference on Industrial Hemp. Organized by the Alberta Hemp Alliance, the conference aims to promote the growth of Alberta’s industrial hemp sector.
There were 64 filings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (Canada) in 2023, a 64% year-over-year increase. Of these, five were from the cannabis industry.
The National Post did a laughable bit of prohibitionist clickbait, completely misrepresenting a Deloitte report that StratCann covered last month, claiming it says the illicit market is “flourishing” in Canada.
The actual report shows that the illicit market continues to decline significantly, with the legal market becoming increasingly competitive in terms of price and variety. For some reason, the National Post really seems to want weed to stay illegal, I guess.
Law Enforcement:
Quebec police arrested three in connection with a cannabis export scheme to the US.
OPP raided seven illegal dispensaries, seizing 63 kg of flower and 500 vape pens. Seven were arrested.A Quebec man received a 12-month suspended sentence to be served at home on charges of growing, propagating and harvesting cannabis under the Cannabis Act.
International Cannabis
Ukraine passed a law legalizing medical cannabis. The bill will come into force six months after it is officially published.
