This past week at StratCann, we looked at a hefty helping of some updated regulations, another round of consultation from Health Canada on CBDs and NHPs, and took an in-depth look at some emerging and ongoing trends in Canadian cannabis sales with some of Canada’s largest cannabis retailers.
New figures from Statistics Canada show that Canadians are consuming less alcohol and more cannabis, a new survey says that Canadians list cannabis legalization as Trudeau’s crowning success, while cannabis continues to be excluded from interprovincial trade discussions.
A new bill in Manitoba seeks to end controlled-access retail licences in urban areas.
The Winnipeg Free Press spoke with Murray Brown, the COO of Simply Solventless Concentrates—which recently acquired Manitoba’s Delta 9 Cannabis—about the acquisition, along with Delta 9’s John Arbuthnot. FIKA Cannabis now owns Delta 9’s former retail chain.
Rubicon Organics is looking to acquire the former Canna Farms facility from Medipharm Labs, Organigram closed on the final round of funding from British American Tobacco, BC’s Tricanna Industries filed a Notice of Intention, and True North Cannabis entered the SISP process as its monitor seeks a buyer.
Australian and Swiss companies entered into an agreement to commercialize CBD for insomnia in Australia, and we posted our monthly cannabis industry jobs update.
Breadstack shared their thoughts on increasing the focus on deliveries as a growth and retention strategy for cannabis retailers.
We also ran a feature on our profile page on Control Union Canada and its role in cannabis compliance.
In finance news, Nextleaf Solutions shared their Q1 2025 report.
In law enforcement news, a teen was charged in a series of robberies targeting cannabis stores in Calgary, while another cannabis store near Calgary survived an unsuccessful break-in.
In other cannabis news
BC’s third cannabis farmgate store, Weeds in Pitt Meadows, opened this week, holding its unofficial soft launch. The official soft launch, says Don Briere, is planned for April 18, with a formal grand opening in June. Stop by and say High!
Niagara College has a Legalization of Cannabis in Canada course available in May and July. Registration for both opens on April 14.
A BC Fraser Valley student is looking for an internship at a cannabis facility.
The Calgary Journal spoke with Guy Giroux, founder of Grass Monkeys, an Alberta-based cannabis facility, and C3’s Paul McCarthy about challenges facing producers.
Cannabis East, a consumer-focused cannabis event sponsored by PEI Cannabis, takes place April 11 and 12.
Just over 1 in 20 adults (5.7%) reported daily or almost daily use of cannabis in 2024, down from 6.5% a year earlier.
The City of Bécancour, Quebec, is calling for government intervention regarding an unlicensed cannabis vape business that is set to open soon in nearby Wôlinak.
Standard and Same-day delivery services were unavailable in Quebec this past week. 90-minute delivery and Pick Up In Store service remain available. CTV News shared a quote from SQDC that referred to a situation with the agency’s logistics provider.
Insolvency Insider, which recently hosted a cannabis insolvency half-day conference in Toronto, shared some insights from that event.
Hempalta Corp. announced its financial results for the three months ended December 31, 2024.
An appeal before the Nova Scotia Workers’ Compensation Appeals Tribunal was approved, stating that the worker is entitled to coverage of prescriptions for medical cannabis recommended by two doctors, even though their 7-gram-a-day authorization exceeds the dosage limit in the Board’s guidelines.
A Nunavut Court of Justice found the landlord of a cannabis retailer had acted in bad faith, ruling that the store, Higher Experience, has a three-year lease with the landlord that began in 2023 and would need to be honoured.
An Indigenous man who had been facing legal action for selling cannabis without a license from the Ontario government was informed on Jan. 29 that the Crown would withdraw all charges. His store, 8th Fire Co, opened its doors in February 2024 and was raided by York police on March 7, 2024.
Police in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, arrested two in connection with an unlicensed cannabis operation.
Ambassador Bridge CBSA officers seized 9.2 kg of suspected cannabis from four courier shipments of coffee destined for the Netherlands.
US border officers discovered a pound of cannabis, along with methamphetamine pills, arresting a man entering from Canada at the Port of Ogdensburg.
RCMP in Nova Scotia arrested a man they say was involved in illegal cannabis distribution following a traffic stop where officers found six pounds of fresh cannabis, cannabis edibles, liquid cannabis, shatter, cash, and a cell phone.
The Ontario Provincial Joint Forces Cannabis Enforcement Team (PJFCET) says the OPP-led force seized more than $10 million worth of illegal cannabis in 2024.
A man pulled over by police led to a large-scale bust of an illegal extraction facility.
In international cannabis news
Australian medical cannabis exporters are experiencing a surge in demand, says David Henn, CEO of Germany’s Semdor Pharma Group and Cannamedical Pharma, and Matt Cantelo of Brisbane-based Australian Natural Therapeutics Group
A Santa Barbara, California judge ruled this week in favour of residents who were part of a long-simmering class-action lawsuit against two nearby pot farms over the smell.
German cannabis company GOC Nexus received funding from the German financial institution Volksbank Donau-Mindel.
