This past week at StratCann, we examined Manitoba’s public feedback on the proposed home grow regulations, and the expectation of results from Health Canada’s cannabis testing program later this year.
We also looked at the rise in the popularity (and sophistication) of disposable vapes, and Simply Solventless’ plan to acquire Delta 9 Bio-Tech.
For our year-end, we recapped some of our most popular Canadian cannabis news stories of 2024, as well as creditor protection, bankruptcies, and acquisitions in 2024.
In financial news, we highlighted a timeline of Delta 9 Cannabis Inc. CCAA process, CanadaBis’ Q1 2025 results, and 1CM’s annual report.
Last but not least, our first company profile of 2025 is on New Brunswick’s RPC and its cannabis testing options for Canada.
In other cannabis news
Ontario is amending regulations under the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018, to reduce costs and red tape for authorized cannabis retailers who plan to sell their business and transfer their retail store authorization to another authorized retailer. The changes will streamline current licensing processes by reducing the time it takes for retailers, many of which are small independent businesses, to purchase an existing store.
Also, new tax compliance attestation requirements for cannabis retail operator licences are now in effect in Ontario.
Due to planned upgrades, OCS.ca will be temporarily unavailable on the morning of Wednesday, January 8.
Business in Vancouver featured Hamid Shekarchi, Pure Sunfarms CFO, as part of their 40 under 40 series.
Entourage Health Corp. announced that it entered into a definitive arrangement with 1001007762 Ontario Inc. and 2437653 Ontario Inc., pursuant to which the purchaser will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Entourage pursuant to a statutory plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario). Entourage owns and operates a fully licensed 26,000F sq. ft. Aylmer, ON processing facility.
Tilray CEO Irwin Simon was listed as the 30th highest-paid CEO in Canada in 2023 (most recent figures) in the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ January 2025 report, with a salary of nearly $2.6 million, along with $6.1 million in share-based awards and $1.4 million in non-equity incentive plan compensations.
Shortly before 4 a.m. on December 31, Nottawasaga OPP officers were dispatched to a break-and-enter in progress at the Ultramar gas station and Uplift Cannabis store located at 165 Mill St. Police say the suspects fled the scene before officers arrived.
High Tide recapped its key milestones of 2024, as did Greenway Greenhouse Cannabis Corporation.
The BC CSU has updated its enforcement stats as of December 29. Through 115 enforcement actions, the agency has collected $1.49 million in penalties and seized over $38.62 million in cannabis. It has conducted 367 educational visits, and as a result, 238 unlicensed stores have closed. CSU has investigated 1,647 websites involved in the illegal sale of cannabis and has disrupted 1,054 of those websites.
A hearing date has been set in the Ontario Land Tribunal case regarding a bylaw-breaking medical cannabis licence holder in Aurora. The town initially charged the owner and tenant with illegally operating the business, against the town’s zoning bylaws and official plan, in October 2022. According to a town staff report, the facility had been running for more than four years, with the town first receiving complaints about the operation in July 2020.
International cannabis news
Here’s an interesting story in The Journal about the increase in seizures of BHO in Ireland.
The unofficial “cannabis czar” of the US Congress, Earl Blumenauer, is now leaving Capitol Hill after 14 terms in Congress, fostering uncertainty about who will fill the void on cannabis policy in DC, reports Politico.
And finally, The Economist says America’s marijuana industry is wilting.
