This past week at Stratcann, we looked at a new OCS report on 2024 cannabis sales in Ontario, while Organigram’s CEO announced she’s stepping down later this year. Meanwhile, Canadian cannabis continues to dominate the German medical market.
In BC, an MLA questions the government on where its cannabis tax revenue is going, while a city in Metro Vancouver has approved its first two private cannabis stores.
Two farmgate stores in Ontario are launching clone sales just in time for outdoor planting, and Exka Inc.’s Terroir has a recall of its hash in Quebec.
In Financial news, Canopy reported their Q4 2025 results, Rubicon Organics released their Q1 2025, and True North completed a stalking horse bid and moved from CCAA.
In law enforcement news, CBSA seized cannabis heading to Barbados and Spain, while Hong Kong customs seized cannabis from BC.
In other cannabis news
All Nations retail store, one of a handful of Section 119 stores in BC and one of just five farmgate locations in the province, has closed its doors as of May 30. The store first opened in 2022.
ABLE BC was in BC’s capital city of Victoria to lobby on behalf of their members, including cannabis retailers. Pure Sunfarms was also there, meeting with the government and advocating for the future of the cannabis sector at the legislature, as was Community Savings.
A cannabis retail rezoning application has been sent to the City of Victoria, BC by the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club. The VCBC anticipates that the city council will continue to support its efforts to obtain a temporary exemption.
The Yaherb Cafe in Nelson, BC, is asking for your help in raising $5,600 to retain the talents of cannabis lawyers and activists Jack Lloyd and Kirk Tousaw.
BC seeks forfeiture of homes worth $4.5 million allegedly linked to drugs and money laundering, including illicit cannabis production. The suit notes that Guo Li was authorized to produce cannabis at the Ridge Drive property for medical purposes, but the 600 plants and 33 kg of harvested cannabis were greater than he was allowed. Police also found 2.5 kilograms of MDMA and ketamine and about 3,000 MDMA, methamphetamine, and caffeine pills.
MediPharm Labs Corp. announced it has begun production on novel cannabis metered dose inhalers for the EU and the United Kingdom, distributed by Blackpoint Limited, MediPharm’s exclusive sales and distribution partner in those territories. MediPharm Labs has launched metered dose inhalers in the Canadian adult use and medical channels and expects to launch in Australia, the EU, and the United Kingdom in Q3 of this year.
Organigram CEO Beena Goldenberg spoke with Canadian Business about how she went from food researcher to leading Canada’s biggest cannabis producer.
Cannabis sales through licensed cannabis retailers in Newfoundland and Labrador totalled $26.4 million in Q4 2024, an increase of 16.3% over Q4 of the prior year. Total retail cannabis sales in Q4, including online sales, were $26.5 million. Total retail cannabis sales for fiscal year 2025 increased by 17.4% over the prior year to $102.8 million. Cannabis NL welcomed three new retailers in Q4 in Bay Roberts, Corner Brook and Placentia. As of the end of fiscal 2025, there were 59 cannabis stores in the province.
A fourth cannabis retail store could open in North Battleford, SK, if city council approves a discretionary use application from the owner of GrassBar Cannabis and Meadow Vape.
High Tide opened the 87th Canna Cabana location in Alberta, and the 200th in Canada.
Membertou First Nation’s cannabis council (in Nova Scotia) is gathering feedback from Membertou community members on the community’s proposed cannabis law that will seek to address some community concerns that the unregulated sale of cannabis in residential areas has had significant impacts on the safety and quality of life in Membertou. Google Maps lists more than a dozen such shops in the community of about 1,700 people.
CBC covered the ongoing community concern some have with a large cannabis facility called Legacy Farms in Six Nations of the Grand River.
Two men who were arrested in 2023 were found guilty this past week for selling cannabis edibles—packaged to look like Oreos, Sour Patch Kids and Chips Ahoy—outside a Vancouver SkyTrain station. The men were also found with contraband cigarettes, 1.1 grams of fentanyl, 1.4 grams of hydromorphone, 125 grams of psilocybin, and about $2,000 in cash.
Bill S-207 received First Reading in the Senate on May 28, 2025. The bill seeks to amend the Criminal Records Act to provide for the expiry of criminal records, including certain cannabis offences.
International cannabis news
Haribo had to recall some of its cola-bottle style gummies in the Netherlands after some were found to contain cannabis, leading to several health complaints from consumers.
On May 26, revenue officers in Ireland seized 149 kilograms of cannabis at Shannon Airport in parcels originating from Canada. Investigations are ongoing.
The Mayor of London, England, Sadiq Khan, says he supports the decriminalization of cannabis possession following a report from the London Drugs Commission. Khan has no power to decriminalize cannabis in London.
And finally, two Essex men who smuggled 60 kilograms of cannabis from Canada into Scotland in 2024 have now been jailed. Jamaal Darbasie, 27, and George Manton, 19, were stopped by UK Border Force officers when they arrived at Glasgow Airport from Toronto on March 10 last year. Darbasie was jailed for three years, while Manton will spend 30 months behind bars.
