This past week at StratCann, we looked at legal action by Ghost Drops against what it says was a “disproportionate” marketing fine from Health Canada. CanadaBis terminated a proposed deal with Simply Solventless, which the latter says it will challenge.
Ministers in Israel continue to battle amongst each other over whether the country will impose tariffs on Canadian cannabis.
Cannabis NB has added three new locations, Surrey, BC, approved two more cannabis stores, and Nelson, BC, will consider a permit for a cannabis patio at a cafe.
Following the Liberals’ election win on Monday night, the industry shared their thoughts on the muted expectations for the incoming government, while cannabis curmudgeon David Brown blustered that politicians won’t care about the industry’s concerns until the voters do.
May 1 marked our newest instalment of our monthly jobs recap, and the Global Cannabis Exchange shared some insights from their recent Spring 2025 Report.
In financial news, SNDL shared its Q1 2025 results, as did Cannara Bitoech, and Freedom Cannabis successfully exited creditor protection, free and clear of creditor obligations, including the CRA.
Edmonton Police are asking for assistance identifying a man connected to cannabis store robberies. Three low-level employees swept up in a large cannabis raid in Ontario received conditional discharges, and Sûreté du Québec continued its crackdown against unlicensed cannabis operations. Ottawa Police shut down an unlicensed pot shop as part of a broad investigation, and Brantford Police raided an unlicensed cannabis store for the second time in a week.
In other cannabis news
May 1 was the first day Manitobans were legally allowed to grow up to four cannabis plants at home. CTV News spoke with TobaGrown’s Jesse Lavoie about the new law and the exclusion of outdoor plants. Seeds are expected to be available for sale by June.
The Flatlander also spoke with Lavoie, as well as Melanie Bekevich, vice-president of the Retail Cannabis Council of Manitoba and co-owner of Winnipeg retailer Mistik Cannabis Co. The official Opposition absurdly accused the NDP of diverting limited police resources from more pressing issues by bringing in new homegrown rules.
City News spoke with Alena Jenkins of Five Point Cannabis in Calgary about the city now allowing cannabis sales at age-gated events. and CBC spoke with the deputy chief of business safety Michael Briegel, city councillor Penner, and Nathan Mison of Diplomat Consulting. The changes will come into effect on May 15.
Ontario has introduced new legislation that would prohibit a landlord from knowingly allowing their property to be used in relation to unlicensed cannabis activities. h/t to Harrison Jordan for the heads up.
The editor of the Island Farmer in PEI wrote about cannabis being the top agricultural commodity in New Brunswick from 2019 to 2022, surpassing potatoes and dairy.
An Alberta court signed the discharge order in the plan of compromise or arrangement of Delta 9 Cannabis Inc., Delta 9 Logistics Inc., Delta 9 Lifestyle Cannabis Clinic Inc., Delta 9 Cannabis Store Inc., and Residual Co.
The stay period for the insolvency case for True North Cannabis Co. and its associated businesses has been extended to June 6, 2025, and a further hearing is scheduled for May 21, 2025.
The Monitor’s Report dated April 25 for 420 Premium Markets Ltd. and its associated companies as part of its CCAA proceedings supported an extension of the Stay Periods from May 23, 2025, to June 30, 2025.
Simply Solventless Concentrates Ltd. announced that it will not be able to file its audited annual financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024 and expects to file its 2024 annual financial statements and related management’s discussion and analysis on May 21, 2025.
Canadians need a Prime Minister with both a bold economic plan and the courage to be an unapologetic champion of homegrown industries, including the booming legal cannabis sector, writes Organigram CEO Beena Goldenberg.
High Tide Inc. says that it generated $6.8 million in total retail gross revenues from April 17, 2025 through April 20, 2025 (4/20 Long Weekend) across all retail platforms, representing a 10% increase from the same timeframe in the previous week.
Retro Cannabis shared their donation to the PEI Food Bank.
In BC, Kelowna city council was unable to come to a consensus on a cannabis retail application after two separate votes ended in 4-4 ties. The vote effectively closes the file, meaning the applicant must wait six months to resubmit the application in its present form. However, with one councillor absent, it could be brought back for reconsideration sooner.
Police are investigating after an armed robbery at a cannabis store in Oshawa. On Thursday, April 24, 2025, at approximately 9:00 p.m., members of Central East Division responded to a robbery at Twisted Root cannabis store, located at 191 Bloor Street East.
On April 28, the Kahnawà:ke Legislative Commission (KLC) advised the community that the Kahnawà:ke Cannabis Control Board (KCCB) submitted an application request on April 11, 2025, to create a regulation for inspector(s), pursuant to Section 23.1 (y) of the Kahnawà:ke Cannabis Control Law (KCCL). The Technical Drafting Committee (TDC) will draft the regulation and consult with stakeholders and community members. Further information will be provided once the Communication Plan is finalized.
The CCIC Canadian Cannabis Research Summit was April 30-May 1, 2025.
A new research paper that looks at the lessons learned from cannabis compassion clubs and medical dispensaries in British Columbia and warns of the epistemic erasure at risk with their disappearance.
Aurora Cannabis Inc. announced the completion of a multi-year investment of $3 million in improvements to its manufacturing facility in Pemberton, British Columbia: the Aurora Alpine site.
If the cannabis industry continues invoking the entourage effect for marketing and product differentiation, then it should support and contribute to research that furthers the state of evidence, writes Jonathan Simone, Adjunct Professor of Biological Sciences at Brock University.
Medical cannabis has shown promising results as a harm reduction tool, researchers told a group of about 60 at Thompson Rivers University.
In international news
The RAND Corporation looked at the Netherlands’ current coffee shop supply experiment and contrasted the approach to other models worldwide, including Canada.
Two men travelling from Toronto were caught at Glasgow Airport in Scotland with 60 kg of cannabis. Police placed the street value of the product at about C$18 a gram, or about £10. The pair, both from England, are due to be sentenced on May 28 in Edinburgh.
Oklahoma’s governor is asking the leaders of five state agencies to work together to crack down on intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids in the medical cannabis market.
The Montana legislature passed a bill to allow tribes to enter into cannabis agreements. The State-Tribal Relations Interim Committee requested the bill to help indigenous tribes navigate barriers in entering and engaging in the cannabis industry.
And finally, Trump’s pick to lead the US DEA says examining a proposal to federally reschedule cannabis will be “one of my first priorities” if he’s confirmed for the role, saying it’s “time to move forward” on the stalled process. The move appears to have caused a slight uptick among some of the weed pubcos, but the nominee repeatedly declined to commit to supporting the specific proposed rule to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) that was initiated under the Biden administration.
