Marijuana legalization has been progressing through many U.S. States and as many as 10 have legalized it for recreational use thus far. However, federal laws remain unchanged and that's the industry's biggest impediment today. Without being able to transport cannabis across State lines it's inefficient for companies to operate unless they are confined to just one location.
The rave reviews that cannabidiol (CBD) has been earning from many patients has not gone unnoticed. Many athletes use CBD, including those that play in the National Hockey League (NHL). And recently, the NHL Alumni Association agreed to work with cannabis giant Canopy Growth Corp. to conduct one or more studies relating to its use.
Aurora Cannabis Inc. continues building on its reach across the globe. The Company recently announced that it had acquired a controlling interest (51%) of a Portuguese company, Gaia Pharm Lda., which will now be known as Aurora Portugal Lda.
The retail footprint for cannabis continues to grow. Last week, five stores in Banff, Alberta were granted development permits, although the companies set to operate those locations still are awaiting approval from the province. One of those companies is Westleaf Inc., which is looking to be one of the biggest retailers in Western Canada with its record-store like brand, Prairie Records.
A lot of big names have gotten involved in the cannabis industry, with the latest one being Martha Stewart. The popular businesswoman and television personality is joining Canopy Growth Corp in an advisory role where she is going to help develop cannabidiol (CBD) products. She offered a hint as to what her first project is going to be focusing on.
An investment bank out of New York thinks that in a decade the cannabis industry could grow to be $130 billion. Jeffries Group, the company behind the estimate, is relying on assumptions that we'll see legalization progress around the world.
Medical marijuana has been generating a lot of interest around the world for its ability to treat many different diseases and ailments. A recent study out of Penn State College also suggests that it could it could be used to treat cancer cells as well.
Canada’s marijuana landscape is evolving rapidly. In order to get a better understanding of how the cannabis industry is progressing, we have identified 5 emerging cannabis leaders in categories such as retail, cultivation, extraction, overall size, and international footprint.
How the cannabis retail market will look remains one of the marijuana's sector's biggest unknowns. Here is an overview of four big cannabis companies and their very different approaches for gaining market share in the retail space.
Canopy Growth Corp announced that it will be working with Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc (TSX:ATD.B) on a cannabis store in London, Ontario. The two companies entered into a multi-year agreement and will help support the operator of the London store, who was one of the lottery winners that was able to obtain a license to setup a pot shop in the province.
Tilray Inc. announced that it would be purchasing FHF Holdings Ltd, known as Manitoba Harvest. According to the release, Manitoba Harvest is the "world's largest hemp food manufacturer" and sells products in more than 16,000 stores in both Canada and the U.S.
More and more places around the world are legalizing marijuana, and the rate at which it's happening continues to accelerate. While 10 U.S. States have already legalized recreational marijuana use, more are likely to follow suit - including New York and New Jersey.
Canopy Growth Corp. released its third-quarter results last week which showed the big pot producer selling more than 10,000 kilograms during the period. Here's a closer look at their financials to see just how well the big pot producer did during the quarter.
MedMen Enterprises Inc., known for its popular Apple-like marijuana retail stores, is facing some big accusations from its former CFO. Normally, it's bad news if a company's CFO abruptly leaves the company. When the CFO actually goes to sue, which is what James Parker is doing, that's going to send alarm bells off everywhere.
Aurora Cannabis Inc. released its quarterly results on Monday, and there was certainly a lot of red on them. Here's a quick breakdown.
Namaste Technologies Inc. declined sharply after news hit that it was letting go of its CEO Sean Dollinger. Initially, allegations of wrongdoing were raised by a short seller, which led to an internal investigation being done by The Company.
In 2018, when Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan merged with Agrium Inc. to form Nutrien Ltd., the ticker symbol 'POT' became available to use. Naturally, with the cannabis industry taking off and generating a lot of excitement, many companies were vying to use the symbol. And due to the significant interest in the symbol, the Canadian exchanges did the only thing they deemed reasonable: hold a lottery.
National Access Cannabis Corp. plans to be a big player in the retail landscape and their early quarterly results are a good indication that things are on the right track.
There's no shortage of investors when it comes to the cannabis industry. And even celebrities have gotten into the mix. Earlier this year, we learned that former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson was breaking ground on his marijuana ranch. The latest athlete to turn cannabis investor is NFL legend Joe Montana, former quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers.
The Ontario Cannabis Store received a lot of complaints about its slow delivery when it started selling pot back in October. However, the government-run organization is now looking to offer consumers much quicker turnaround times, in the form of same-day delivery.
Now that recreational marijuana sales are now well underway in Canada, we're getting more and more data as to how big the market is. Statistics Canada recently released retail sales data which showed cannabis store sales reaching $54 million in November. That's up 25% from October when sales were $43.1 million. However, October included just two weeks worth of recreational sales.
Last month, Green Growth Brands Inc (CNSX:GGB) expressed interest in acquiring Canadian cannabis giant Aphria Inc (TSX:APHA)(NYSE:APHA). While many people questioned the seriousness of it, Green Growth seems determined to prove otherwise as it is making a second bid for the stock.
In late 2016 and early 2017, Organigram Holdings Inc (TSXV:OGI) began voluntary recalls of its medical marijuana products after pesticides which were not permitted to be used on cannabis, as per the Pest Control Products Act, were detected. The recalls fell into hazard categories II and III, which suggested that at worst, there might be temporary side effects for affected customers...now here comes the lawsuits.
Companies have been looking at partnerships and key deals to help further their prospects for growth in the industry. We've seen beverage makers and tobacco companies link up with cannabis companies already, and that's only the start...it's branding time. And Tilray just announced a major brand partner.
Earlier this week, we learned that Aurora Cannabis Inc (TSX:ACB)(NYSE:ACB) had come to terms to acquire yet another company: Whistler Medical Marijuana. The deal, valued at $175 million, will of course be yet another all-stock transaction between the two companies. With only $148 million in cash on its books last quarter and the company burning through a lot of it during the course of its operations, is there enough for Aurora to spare?
Many U.S. States have legalized marijuana in one form or another. Even a conservative State like Utah has made medical marijuana legal, and more are jumping on board. The latest State to express interest in legalizing cannabis: South Carolina.
Last week, Aphria Inc (TSX:APHA)(NYSE:APHA) released its quarterly results. It was the first quarter that included sales post-legalization so investors were expecting to see a big boost. And while Aphria did see sales more than double from a year ago, they were still well short of expectations...
It didn't take long for one of the big players to get moving on a big development in the industry. On Monday, we learned that Canopy Growth Corp (TSX:WEED)(NYSE:CGC) had obtained a license from the State of New York to produce and process hemp. It was just last month that the Farm Bill had passed in the U.S.
Medical marijuana patients in Ontario can now make cannabis purchases online through Shoppers Drug Mart's new website. The website recently launched and is designed for patients and provides information for consumers interested in learning more about medical marijuana. Here's how it stacks up against the others.
Marijuana legalization has made a lot of progress over the past few years both in the U.S. and around the world. Canada become the second country to legalize it and recreational sales began back in October (and the results have been strong so far). But that doesn't mean there aren't opponents to legalizing marijuana...
Mike Tyson is one of the many big names that's looking to cash in on the emerging cannabis industry. According to reports, the boxing legend recently broke ground on a 40-acre farm in California where he plans to setup a marijuana resort. "Tyson Ranch" as its being referred to, is only going to use half the land to grow marijuana. The other half is going to be for various other facilities, including a store.
The number of countries that have legalized cannabis continues to grow. Last month, South Korea became the first east Asian country to legalize marijuana for medical use. This week, we've learned that Thailand will also approve cannabis for research and medical purposes in what's being called a "New Year's gift" to the country's citizens.
Green Growth Brands Ltd (CNSX:GGB) announced that it was intending to purchase Canadian pot producer Aphria Inc (TSX:APHA)(NYSE:APHA) in a takeover attempt.
Cannabis consumers will soon be able to purchase pot online from Shoppers Drug Mart. The retail pharmacy owned by Loblaw Companies Ltd (TSX:L) received approved from Health Canada recently and it will be able to sell medical marijuana through its website.
It was only recently that we heard rumours that Altria Group Inc (NYSE:MO) was interested in buying Cronos Group Inc (TSX:CRON)(NYSE:CRON), but on Friday we learned just how serious the talks really were. Altria just announced an investment of CAD $2.4 billion into Cronos in return for a 45% interest in the company with the ability to increase that to 55% within four years.
A few months ago, cigarette company Altria was rumoured to be in talks with Aphria Inc. Nothing happened, but now Altria has shifted its focus to Cronos Group Inc . Will the Marlboro maker finally enter the cannabis space?
With thousands of square feet of production becoming commonplace, how can Canada’s top marijuana producers differentiate themselves? It turns out the answer may lie in patentable, innovative technologies. But China has a head start...
BDS Analytics tracks retail sales for the marijuana industry and recently it came out with an update for how the cannabis market has been doing in the U.S. during the first nine months of the year.
There’s been yet another story of a Canadian traveler being banned from the U.S. as a result of cannabis-related activities. This time it wasn't an employee but an actual investor that was handed a lifetime ban.







































