The year is winding down and Business of Cannabis will be (mostly) taking next week off. But plenty is happening this week:
On BofC Live this week, we’ll check in with Tanner Stewart of Stewart Farms about sustainably packaging in the sector (Tuesday) and with Liz Stahura of BDSA – our Official Insights Partner – about what they have learned throughout 2020.
And it was definitely not a dull week in cannabis last week – as a merger heard round North America was announced between Tilray and Aphria – which even prompted a Bruce Linton sighting. And in an apparent race to cut as much as possible – just like Canopy – Aurora is shutting major facilities.
Read on…
Signaling another major shakeup in the Canadian (and North American) cannabi sector, Tilray and Aphria are merging. Global
MJ Biz Daily’s Matt Lamers is not impressed…
Will a combined Tilray-Aphria be a more serious business than they are currently?
— Matt Lamers 🌻 (@matt_lamers) December 16, 2020
Not off to a good start with this slide, which is largely based on fantasy and may as well be coloured in crayon 🙃
Sure it's possible, like it's possible I may win the lottery pic.twitter.com/d2rbseTtO0
The merger did allow us into former Canopy CEO Bruce Linton’s office for his thoughts (and new COVID look!)
Collective Growth Corporation Chairman Bruce Linton discusses the cannabis market: pic.twitter.com/XrB05GwSMP
— Yahoo Finance (@YahooFinance) December 17, 2020
To other cannabis giants:
Aurora is shutting aand shedding facilities – and may have lined up a buyer for two of them. MJ Biz Daily, MJ Biz Daily
And as Aurora is closing facilities and cutting back staff, long-time science-y folks have left – and apparently have things to say.
First, (now former) Chief Science Officer Jonathan Page:
Some news: I’m leaving my position as Aurora’s Chief Science Officer this Friday. I stay as an Advisor, pushing cannabis science forward. I made the decision to take a break after going non-stop since 2013. A sincere thanks to everyone who has been part of this journey. 🇨🇦 🥦 🧬
— Jonathan Page (@trichomics) December 16, 2020
And now Dr. Shane Morris’ response…
Leadership tip: when over 200 people get laid off from your organization don’t tweet same day about your own “retirement” and “needing a break” . It gives science leaders a bad name. #badspin pic.twitter.com/k4BNA6tJGW
— Shane Morris (@DrShaneMorris) December 16, 2020
Trying to catch up with their union brethren in LiUNA deal with Starseed/WeedMD, the auto workers’ union Unifor is trying to get medical cannabis benefits covered – and they’ve partnered with Aleafia to be their partner once it happens. London Free Press
2021 will likely be the largest single ramp up of legal cannabis shops in Canada. No better time than the present to talk about how the Ontario Cannabis Store disadvantages private retailers. Mugglehead
Speaking of the OCS, they put out new figures about the rate by which the legal market is cutting into the not-so-legal market. MJ Biz Daily
Have a good week everyone. Stay safe out there.