Avicanna Announces TSX Listing Date

Avicanna Announces TSX Listing Date

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TORONTO , July 16, 2019 /CNW/ – Avicanna Inc. (“Avicanna” or the “Company“) a company focused on the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of plant-derived cannabinoid-based products, is pleased to announce that its common shares (“Common Shares“) are expected to commence trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “TSX“) on Thursday, July 18, 2019 under the symbol “AVCN”. The listing represents the first direct listing on the TSX by a company with Colombian-based cannabis cultivation assets. In connection with its first day of trading, Avicanna will be participating in market open ceremonies at the TSX, which will be broadcast live on the Business News Network morning show and live streamed on YouTube.

In connection with listing on the TSX, shareholders holding an aggregate of 10,523,077 Common Shares have entered into lock-up agreements pursuant to which they have agreed not to sell, transfer or pledge any securities of the Company for a period of 39 months following the listing date where 10% of such securities will be released on the date that is three months following the listing date with the remaining securities released in six equal tranches of 15% every six months following the first release. In addition, shareholders holding an aggregate of 1,495,022 Common Shares have entered into lock-up agreements pursuant to which each such shareholder has agreed not to sell, transfer or pledge any securities of the Company held by such shareholder, for a period of 4 months following the listing date where 20% of such securities will be released immediately prior to the listing date with the remaining securities released in four equal tranches of 20% every month thereafter.

About Avicanna

Avicanna is an Ontario corporation focused on the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of plant-derived cannabinoid-based products through its two main business segments: (i) cultivation and (ii) research and development. The Company’s business is focused on the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of key products, including plant-derived cannabinoid pharmaceuticals, phyto-therapeutics, derma-cosmetics and extracts (defined as plant-derived cannabinoid extracts and purified cannabinoids, including distillates and isolates).

Research and Development Activities

Avicanna’s research and development is headquartered in the Johnson & Johnson Innovation Centre, JLABS @ Toronto . The Company is focused on commencing and completing clinical trials for its pharmaceutical products, completing testing to support its phyto-therapeutic products under the Pura Elements™ brand, commencing the manufacture and distribution of its derma-cosmetic products under the Pura Earth™ brand, and commencing clinical trials on three of its derma-cosmetic products to demonstrate their effectiveness with specific cosmetic endpoints, such as reduction of fine lines or increased skin moisture levels.

In connection with its research and development activities, Avicanna has a team of more than 20 scientists and clinicians working out of four laboratories including: (i) the University of Toronto Faculty of Pharmacy; (ii) JLABS @ Toronto which is located in the MaRS Discovery District; (iii) the facilities of the Company’s subsidiaries in Santa Marta , Colombia ; and (iv) the facilities of Avicanna’s manufacturing partner, Altea Farmaceutica S.A. (“Altea“). Through its various operations, Avicanna’s team of scientists and clinicians are enhancing product optimization through the completion of animal pharmacokinetics and toxicology studies and pre-clinical studies, including both in vitro and in vivo studies to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of Avicanna’s product offering.

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Avicanna Announces Receipt for Final Prospectus and Conditional Approval for Listing on the TSX

Avicanna Announces Receipt for Final Prospectus and Conditional Approval for Listing on the TSX

TORONTO, July 10, 2019 /CNW/ – Avicanna Inc. (“Avicanna” or the “Company“) a company focused on the development, manufacturing and commercialization of plant-derived cannabinoid-based products, is pleased to announce that it has obtained a receipt for its final long form prospectus (the “Prospectus“) filed in connection with its completed special warrant offering for gross proceeds of approximately $22.1 million (the “Offering“). The Offering was led by Sprott Capital Partners LP and included Paradigm Capital Inc.

The Prospectus qualified the distribution of 2,228,328 common shares of the Company (the “Common Shares“) and 1,114,164 common share purchase warrants (the “Warrants“) issuable for no additional consideration upon the exercise or deemed exercise of special warrants of the Company (the “Special Warrants“) issued under the Offering.  Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one Common Share until April 15, 2021 at a price of $10 per Common Share, subject to acceleration in certain circumstances.

As a result of obtaining the receipt for the Prospectus, all unexercised Special Warrants will be automatically exercised on July 15, 2019 without any further action on the part of the holders.

A copy of the Prospectus is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

The Company has received conditional approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “TSX”), one of Canada’s senior stock exchanges, for the listing of the Common Shares on the TSX as an Industrial (Research & Development) issuer, subject to the completion of customary requirements of the TSX, including the receipt of all required documentation. Following receipt of final approval from the TSX, the Common Shares are expected to commence trading on the TSX under the symbol “AVCN”.

No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved the contents of this news release. The Common Shares and Warrants have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act“) or any state securities laws. Accordingly, the Common Shares and Warrants may not be offered or sold within the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to exemptions from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any securities of the Company in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful.

About Avicanna

Avicanna is an Ontario corporation focused on the development, manufacturing and commercialization of plant-derived cannabinoid-based products through its two main business segments, cultivation and research and development.

Avicanna’s two majority-owned subsidiaries, Sativa Nativa S.A.S. and Santa Marta Golden Hemp S.A.S., both located in Santa Marta, Colombia are the base for Avicanna’s cultivation activities. These two companies are licensed to cultivate and process cannabis for the production of cannabis extracts and purified cannabinoids including cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Avicanna’s research and development business is primarily conducted out of Canada at its headquarters in the Johnson & Johnson Innovation Centre, JLABS @ Toronto. Avicanna’s scientific team develops products, and Avicanna has also engaged the services of researchers at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto for the purpose of optimizing and improving upon its products.

Avicanna’s research and development and cultivation activities are focused on the development of its key products, including plant-derived cannabinoid pharmaceuticals, phyto-therapeutics, derma-cosmetics and Extracts (defined as plant-derived cannabinoid extracts and purified cannabinoids, including distillates and isolates), with a goal of eventually having these products manufactured and distributed through various markets.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements

Certain information in this press release contains forward-looking statements. Such statements include but are not limited to the Company’s intention to list the Common Shares on the TSX, the expected trading symbol for the Company, the conversion of the Special Warrants and Avicanna’s business plan regarding the development, manufacturing and commercialization of plant-derived cannabinoid-based products. This information is based on current expectations that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict, including the risk that the Company may not be able to secure a listing on the TSX and certain other risk factors set out under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Prospectus. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, unless and until required by securities laws applicable to the Company.

SOURCE Avicanna Inc.

For further information: Stay Connected – For more information about Avicanna, visit www.avicanna.com, call 1-647-243-5283, or contact Setu Purohit, President by email info@avicanna.com.

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Alianza de cannabis medicinal entre las empresas Avicanna y Altea

Alianza de cannabis medicinal entre las empresas Avicanna y Altea

Se realizó el lanzamiento de la alianza entre Avicanna, empresa canadiense de cannabis medicinal, y Altea, laboratorio colombiano certificado internacionalmente, que se llevó a cabo en las instalaciones de Altea. Las compañías decidieron unirse para exportar medicamentos a base de cannabis medicinal. En la foto: Justin Grant, vicepresidente de asuntos científicos de Avicanna; Aras Azadian, CEO de Avicanna; Janeth Mora, vicepresidente de desarrollo comercial de Avicanna; Néstor Negrete, gerente de operaciones de Altea; Amza Ali, director médico de Avicanna; y Carlos Maldonado, director médico en Colombia de Avicanna.

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Avicanna Inc is a well funded bio pharmaceutical company that is ready to go public

Avicanna Inc is a well funded bio pharmaceutical company that is ready to go public

Avicanna CEO Aras Azadian joined Steve Darling from Proactive Investors in our Toronto Studio to discuss their BioPharma company that is using cannabinoids in its products. With its vertical integration, Avicanna has developed a derma-cosmetic line, a phytotherapeutic line, and is in various stages of clinical testing for pharmaceutical development

Azadian telling Proactive about their recent fundraise and how they are taking a big step forward by going public.

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We Visited Some Cannabis Grows In Colombia To Figure Out If The Hype Is Real

We Visited Some Cannabis Grows In Colombia To Figure Out If The Hype Is Real

“To determine if Colombia’s cannabis scene is actually all that, we had to see it to believe it.”

If you’ve been keeping up with the state of the international cannabis industry, then you’ve probably heard of Colombia being poised as the next major hub for cannabis exports.

With the perfect climate and geography for cultivation, low production costs, a vast network of experienced professionals in the field (illegal experience is still experience!), and the green-light from the INCB (International Narcotics Control Board) to grow and export over 25 percent of the world’s total production quota (40.5 tonnes), Colombia has had investors drooling over the chance to break into the world’s next star in the realm of legal cannabis.

“To date in the legal cannabis industry, it’s largely been all about indoor, high-end flower as a key product category. Going forward, the growth of concentrates, edibles, and pharmaceuticals means that this will less and less be the case,” said Tom Adams, managing director and principal analyst at BDS Analytics. “Colombia’s advantages as a low-cost, outdoor growth venue will place the country’s cultivators in good stead in worldwide markets.”

Here’s BDS’ Colombia forecast, with international and global spending toplines:

  • International Spending – Accounts for legal spending in countries outside of North America (US and Canada).
  • Global Spending – Accounts for spending in all legal markets.
  • *All spending estimates are in Millions of US dollars

However, skeptics may look hard past all the buzz to wonder if Colombia’s purported role as a major supplier for Canada’s legal market is no more than hype, created by speculation around the rising South American pot star’s favorable regulations and media coverage of Canadian firms investing in its soil.

So to determine if Colombia’s cannabis scene is actually all that, we had to see it to believe it. With our bags packed with as many pairs of shorts our closets had to offer, a collection of sunglasses and the remains of last summer’s sunscreen lotions, we headed down there for a first-hand take on the situation.

We landed at an airport by the sea in the Caribbean city of Santa Marta, where we would check out a couple farms owned and operated by Avicanna — a Canadian cannabinoid research company that recently partnered with one of the largest agro companies in the world. To date, it’s also the only cannabis-focused company to be accepted into Johnson & Johnson’s incubator, JLABS @ Toronto – as reported by High Times in 2017.

All details aside, the farm extinguished any doubt left in our minds about cannabis in Colombia: The land of Shakira and Carlos Vives is exploding with more than just pop music!

A Little Context
Just last month, the Colombian company Ecomedics S.A.S. (doing business as Clever Leaves) became the first to legally ship cannabis to Canada, in what became the first export to ever receive authorization from both Health Canada and the Colombian National Narcotics Fund.

Other big, publicly-traded companies like Khiron Life Sciences, Pharmacielo, Aphria, the Wayland Group, Chemesis International, the Cronos Group, Canopy Growth, and Aurora Cannabis have also made multi-million dollars investments in the country.

Colombia actually began tracing a path towards legalization almost 30 years ago, when Law 30 passed, which legalized medical production. However, it wasn’t until 2015 that a set of regulations was established, and the production of cannabis was officially legalized.

Today, psychoactive and non-psychoactive forms of cannabis are legal, provided they’re bred for medical and scientific purposes. Recreational adult use remains illegal but possession of up to 20 grams and cultivation of up to 20 plants is decriminalized by the Supreme Court.

Regulations governing cannabis exports are still evolving: New Frontier Data’s 2019 report on the Latin American Cannabis Market states that only oil-based products are allowed to be exported. Even the Clever Leaves landmark shipment is still more promise than fact, since that first exported batch is meant only for lab testing, rather than for sale.

From 0 To 100 In A Second

We first visited Avicanna’s cannabis farms in May of 2018, as part of a trip that revolved around a symposium on medical cannabis in Santa Marta.

The Avicanna team mentioned they were building out one of the first legal marijuana grows in Colombia, and offered to give us a tour. They warned us there was not much there yet, except for a few buildings and some workers. However, the dream-like scenery of a soon-to-be mountainous cultivation site, just miles away from white sandy beaches and the even whiter snowy peaks, was definitely a sight to behold.

With no idea of the magic awaiting us at Avicanna’s grounds, we visited the same day, as it turned out, that the company’s first small plantlets arrived from their nursing and propagation facility. As the team prepared to plant each tiny clone carefully into its pot, we realized this would become an all-nighter: The plants had to be in the ground before the sun rose again so that their cycles would remain unchanged.

We observed legendary master grower Sergio Puerta (who has more than 30 years’ experience growing weed) smile to see his babies planted legally, for the first time ever. Puerta has lost friends, sleep, and entire crops to senseless prohibition policies — hence, the prospect of growing cannabis out in the open was a dream come true. Even his parents and wife were there to witness the historic moment.

After our visit to Avicanna, we spent the rest of the week at the symposium, speaking with cannabis scientists, executives, and growers about Colombia’s destiny to become a world-class cannabis producer. Yet, however interesting these conversations were, they left us somewhat disappointed — the concept of weed fields stretching for miles on end seemed to be more talk than reality.

At the time, Colombia’s “cannabis” fields, were empty, save for a few bulldozers roaming about. We then learned, however, that all licensed cannabis growers were just starting out, since back then, the state had only recently issued permits.

Return To The Hempire

As months went by, we wondered about what might become of Colombia’s potential to become one of the largest cannabis producers in the world. We figured that potential was bound to be realized sooner rather than later, especially considering that it takes five cents to produce a gram of cannabis in Colombia, versus $1.50 in Canada.

But while there was a lot to say about Colombia’s potential, we had yet to witness material proof of it actually becoming this promised land of pot. For all we knew, this could easily be a flunk.

Then, in early January — more than six months after our last visit to Colombia — we we got a call from Aras Azadian, Avicanna’s CEO working out of the company’s Canadian headquarters, and Lucas Nosiglia, the firm’s president for Latin America.

“We’re about to start the harvest,” they told us, and we jumped at the prospect of getting to see Colombia’s first-ever commercial cannabis harvest. Two weeks later, we boarded a plane in Miami (with unjustified fears of airport delays caused by the U.S. government shutdown) and within a few hours, we were back. Having stashed our sweaters in our bags, we were now soaking up the Caribbean sun.

A driver wearing a company V-neck was waiting for us outside the sea-side airport. We joined him on the back of a huge pickup truck and drove away. It felt like we were characters in an old drug cartel movie, about to meet the powerful drug lord to strike a deal. But no, we shook our heads, that was an old-world paradigm.

Colombia was now going legal, and everything we were doing there was strictly within the law. We settled into a sense of comfort, lending itself to excitement, as we awaited to see what these guys had accomplished in only six months.

Out of Our Dreams

Our tour began at a lab and an indoor grow. Everything looked alright, unexpectedly high-tech (especially considering we were in the middle of the mountains in the Caribbean), but altogether in line with what we’d seen before on our many tours through American cultivation facilities.

The peopled guiding us smiled. They knew what we most looked forward to seeing, but of course, Colombians know to keep the best course for dessert.

As we walked up the hill, each step felt like a heartbeat. We knew we were about to see the same babies all grown, but we didn’t expect the scene to look so much like our fantasy: a vast field of open-air crops, rooted in the soil, and protected only by a thin canvas ceiling.

The pictures speak the rest.

They first took us through the characterization and research area (or ‘ship’, as they called them), where stood roughly 60 different cannabis varieties, all ripe and ready to harvest. Next up, were the commercial ships. In there, all plants looked exactly the same — and with good reason, as the company is only cultivating two stains of low-THC, CBD-dominant strains for commercial purposes — both for the Colombia’s legal medical market and for exports.

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Inversión de Avicanna llegará a US$10 millones en 12 meses

La firma canadiense tiene 20 hectáreas para cultivos de cannabis medicinal.

Con la instalación de 20 hectáreas de cultivo ubicadas 10 kilómetros a las afueras de Santa Marta en el Magdalena, Colombia se convirtió desde hace poco más de un año en la casa de Avicanna, una compañía de origen canadiense que cultiva, desarrolla y comercializa productos derivados del cannabis para fines médicos.

Sobre los proyectos de la firma, que opera en el Johnson & Johnson Innovation Center del MaRS de Toronto, las bondades del marco regulatorio local y la inversión de US$10 millones que se ejecutará en los próximos 12 meses para competir en Colombia y exportar a otros mercados, habló Aras Azadian, CEO de Avicanna.

¿Cuál es el enfoque operativo de Avicanna?
Avicanna nació hace más de tres años en Canadá y es la única compañía que tiene un enfoque exclusivamente médico y científico, más allá de la aprobación recreacional que regirá en nuestro país en octubre. En este tiempo nos hemos ocupado de hacer una investigación dedicada del cannabis medicinal con instituciones académicas y de la salud para aportar al desarrollo de esta área.
Además, estamos en el MaRS, un ecosistema tanto académico como médico en el que también están University of Toronto, University Health Network y Johnson & Johnson.

¿Qué encontraron atractivo en Colombia para concentrar sus inversiones aquí?
Fue una decisión que tomamos hace más de un año y medio a raíz de la legislación que se aprobó en el país y que ofrece la posibilidad de cultivar el cannabis medicinal en condiciones más competitivas. Colombia tiene oportunidades, por ejemplo en clima, que se traducen en un producto de óptima calidad y a menor precio. Eso va en sintonía con nuestra filosofía que es proveer productos a los pacientes que realmente lo requieren.

Pero, además, hace un año y medio también cerramos una alianza con el grupo Daabon, que es un actor de talla mundial, reconocido por sus prácticas sostenibles y orgánicas, que nos permitirán tener una producción realmente diferente. Creemos que esa es nuestra ventaja competitiva.

¿Cuál es el proyecto que tienen en el país?
En este momento la compañía está trabajando en un plan estratégico importante. Hoy, mercadeamos productos en Estados Unidos (California) y en Canadá. Pero, en paralelo, estamos trabajando para exportar a Europa y para cultivar, transformar y comercializar en Colombia. Por el momento, tenemos una oficina en Bogotá y un cultivo en Santa Marta.

¿Qué extensión tiene ese terreno?
Tenemos dos espacios a unos 10 kilómetros a las afueras de Santa Marta, cerca de la Sierra Nevada. Uno tiene 17 hectáreas y el otro es de tres hectáreas con posibilidad de ser ampliados. No obstante, por el tamaño de la demanda, no hemos visto la necesidad de hacerlo en el corto plazo.

¿En cuánto tiempo empezarían a cultivar?
Avicanna ya cuenta con todas las licencias. Sin embargo, hay un tema complejo que tiene que ver con la caracterización de las semillas y con las iniciativas del Gobierno Nacional que buscan escoger las especies idóneas para fines médicos. Ya estamos en ese proceso y, por ende, ya estamos cultivando en ambos terrenos diferentes variedades.

¿A cuánto ascendió la inversión de la compañía para entrar a competir en Colombia?
Hasta ahora, hemos invertido unos US$3 millones en la operación de Colombia. Pero a eso tenemos que sumarle lo que tiene que ver con la alianza estratégica que hicimos y que nos implicará invertir más de US$10 millones en los próximos 12 meses, entendiendo que Daabon es un actor que ya estaba aquí.

¿Qué tipo de pacientes tratan en Canadá y cuáles tratarían en Colombia?
Nosotros lo dividimos en cuatro grandes capítulos. El primero, está relacionado con el dolor y a su vez tiene tres subcategorías: localizado, neuropático y crónico. Después, tenemos pacientes con epilepsia, con un fuerte enfoque en niños. El tercer grupo son pacientes relacionados con asuntos dermatológicos como acné, psoriasis, dermatitis atópica, eczema y piel de mariposa. Y, por último, están los productos para oncología que funcionan en dos vías, una: para controlar el dolor y para el cuidado paliativo, y con el otro, tratamos la reducción de tumores.

¿Qué opinión le deja el marco regulatorio colombiano?
El cambio legislativo ha representado un gran esfuerzo y la regulación está avanzando. En Avicanna estamos entusiasmados por hacer parte de este momento histórico y sabemos que nuestro conocimiento será un aporte importante para el país.

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Cannabis, cara y sello

Cannabis, cara y sello

Hay una sola definición de la palabra marihuana, pero parece que cada quien le da un significado diferente.

El cannabis o la marihuana es, en esencia, una planta que generalmente se fuma como cigarrillo y produce sensaciones euforizantes pero… Conocí a una señora con un cáncer cerebral que solo tomándose las gotas de un aceite de marihuana podía espantar el terrible dolor de cabeza y descansar; para ella significaba paz. También a un doctor que trataba a drogadictos, muchos de los cuales comenzaron su camino hacia la adicción con un porro de marihuana; para él significa más bien peligro. Para los cientos de empresarios que asistieron a Expocannabiz 2019, que se realizó entre el 9 y el 11 de mayo en Cartagena, significa la oportunidad de entrar y permanecer en un negocio que podría alcanzar un mercado global de 146.000 millones de dólares en 2025, según un informe de Grand View Research.

Y conocí a Jim Belushi, un actor que se fumó su primer ‘porro’ cuando era apenas un adolescente y que hace tres años se dedica a cultivar marihuana en su finca de Oregón, EE.UU. Para él significa medicina, y no solo física, sino espiritual.

I. Jim Belushi.
II. Otras opiniones.

¿Pero quién convence de las bondades de la marihuana a las personas que protestaron ayer afuera del Centro de Convenciones -donde se realizó Exponcannabiz 2019- en contra, incluso, de legalizar la marihuana con fines medicinales? Quién, si ellos consideran que es la responsable, precisamente, de que sus familias colapsaran: son parientes de adictos que comenzaron fumándose un ‘porro’ y terminaron recluidos en clínicas de salud mental, sintiendo que no podían vivir sin drogas.

Para ellos y para el psiquiatra Christian Ayola, que ha tratado a muchos adictos, “la ‘marihuana medicinal’ no es otra cosa que un gran negocio promovido por el capitalismo internacional a través de las multinacionales farmacéuticas con el fin de posicionar a la marihuana como producto de consumo masivo, igual que el tabaco, el alcohol o las bebidas gaseosas, sin tener en cuenta el grave perjuicio para la salud mental y el riesgo psicosocial consecuente que comporta para jóvenes y adolescentes, quienes ven justificado el consumo de esta sustancia psicotrópica.

“El uso del cannabis medicinal, cuyos beneficios no están asegurados por el nivel de evidencia en las publicaciones, no pasa del posible o probable efecto terapéutico. Faltan estudios concluyentes, así como análisis que permitan verificar que los presuntos beneficios sobrepasan ampliamente la media de los placebos, y que superan a otros productos farmacéuticos mejor estudiados para los mismos trastornos, en los que se supone que tendría algún efecto positivo como: la náusea o la anorexia del paciente en quimioterapia, o el alivio del dolor para quien padece un síndrome doloroso crónico.

“A mi juicio, para los jóvenes de Colombia, que viven una situación social crítica, algunos en condición de vulnerabilidad, la legalización de la ‘marihuana medicinal’ constituye un factor de riesgo, debido a que es un mensaje equivocado que les ayuda a construir argumentos que justifican el consumo. Y es la puerta de entrada al uso de otras drogas, al tráfico, y a otras formas del delito”, concluye el psiquiatra.

III. Protesta y respuesta.

Al finalizar su conferencia, Jim supo sobre un grupo de personas que protestarían en las afueras del Centro de Convenciones contra Expocannabiz y esto es lo que le dijo al respecto:

“Pienso que necesitan alguna educación sobre marihuana, pienso que estas personas y las personas que ellos dicen (los adictos) están probablemente usando otras drogas como cocaína. No recomiendo mezclar marihuana con nada más, incluyendo alcohol, me siento mal porque ellos se sienten enojados, me siento mal porque probablemente sus familiares están sufriendo de adicciones y lo entiendo, porque mi hermano murió por la adicción y yo no estaría aquí ahora si pensara que la marihuana fue la causa de la muerte de mi hermano John, fue la cocaína”.

Habla un empresario

La opinión de Carlos Maldonado, director Médico de la biofarmacéutica Avicanna y participante de Expocannabiz, se contrapone a la del doctor Christian Ayola.

Hay quienes aseguran que la marihuana es la puerta para adicciones y excesos, y que eventos como Expocannabiz envían un mensaje peligroso a los jóvenes: los invitan a consumir sin contarles de los riesgos. ¿Qué tiene usted para decir al respecto?

“Es un reto, hoy la actividad educativa, la participación de médicos, de centros de investigación están dando data clínica muy interesante y destaca la importancia que tienen los resultados en términos de eficacia de estas sustancias, que sin duda debe educar más a la gente e involucrar más médicos, a los pacientes y la comunidad en general para que comprendan la dimensión desde el punto de vista terapéutico de estos medicamentos basados en cannabis”.

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6 Cannabis Execs On The Strengths Of Their Businesses

6 Cannabis Execs On The Strengths Of Their Businesses

Multiple private and public cannabis companies presented their business and outlook to a crowded room during the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference April 17-18 in Toronto.

Vertical Companies: Everything But Retail
Vertical Companies is among the largest vertically integrated businesses within the legal medical cannabis industry. The company is focused on “doing all things with the plant” except for operating a retail presence, said CEO Smoke Wallin.

Vertical recognized a large opportunity in CBD and started aggressively investing in hemp through a unique strategy of securing contracts with farmers, the CEO said. This helps mitigate costs, as the company can avoid buying supplies on the open market, he said.

The future potential of CBD was made apparent after CVS Health Corp
CVS 0.04% and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc WBA 0.37% introduced CBD products to their shelves. This groundbreaking development at pharmacies will eventually be followed by similar launches at larger retailers like Walmart Inc
WMT 0.12%, Wallin said.

Backed with dozens of CBD brands, Vertical can play a unique role in the cannabis space, as smaller companies may lack the necessary scale to satisfy a large industry, the CEO said.

“I have my facilities up and running, I have my licenses,” he said. “Come and see it.”

Avicanna Focuses On Pharma
Cannabis companies looking to stand out in a growing competitive landscape need to focus and execute well in one niche. Avicanna follows this strategy by looking to establish itself as a “strictly biopharma” entity, said CEO Aras Azadian.

Avicanna is the first cannabis company to be accepted to Johnson & Johnson
JNJ 0.54%
‘s JLABS Toronto, a life science incubator tasked with helping companies deliver life-enhancing health and wellness solutions. The company is also among the few in existence that has federal licenses to conduct cannabis clinical trials with animals.

Backed by more than 30 scientists, medical experts and close relationships with leading institutions of learning, the company also needs to be run properly to thrive. One of the ways Avicanna is better managing costs is by cultivating in Colombia — something that “made practical sense” despite Avicanna’s deep roots in Canada, Azadian said.

SLANG Worldwide focuses on high quality branded cannabis products that are distributed across the world, CEO Peter Miller said during his Cannabis Capital Conference presentation. The company’s products are backed by a strong focus on brand promotions, as each branded product has to “stand for something” to give consumers an enjoyable experience, he said.

“Chains don’t typically carry other chains’ stuff,” Miller said. “Ultimately, retailers’ success is our success.”

Grassroots Cannabis: Management, Scale Matter Most
Grassroots Cannabis owns licenses to cultivate, process and dispense medical cannabis across several states.

The path to become one of the largest private multistate operators centers on the ability to successfully navigate through banking, regulatory and other challenges that are characteristic of an unclear regulatory environment, said CEO Mitchell Kahn.

“Team over everything else,” the CEO said during his presentation.

A strong management team has been instrumental in establishing footprints in states with limited licenses that have high barriers to entry, Kahn said. For example, the company controls four of North Dakota’s eight dispensary licenses in addition to one of only two grow licenses in the state.

“Scale is the single most important factor beyond team,” Kahn said.

Urban-Gro: Success Through ‘Respect And Confidence’
Urban-Gro is a leading systems integrator and agriculture technology company that grew its business by building “respect and confidence” with customers, CEO Brad Nattrass said during his presentation.

The businesses the company operates include ag tech services that help clients make real-time decisions and allow cultivators to operate at the most efficient level, he said. The company’s expertise is backed by its strong purchasing power and in-house knowledge, the CEO said.

This allows clients to save time, money and resources by helping solve their problems, Nattrass said. For example, OrganiGram Holdings Inc
OGRMF 1.08% faced some known issues with its first facility and tasked Urban-Gro with finding a solution, he said.

A successful outcome in the situation led to repeat business opportunities, the CEO said.

Starbuds: Older People Like Cannabis Too
Starbuds boasts a unique profile that few other cannabis companies with exposure to the U.S. market can claim, said CEO Dave Martyn: operating at a profit.

The key to Starbuds’ success is offering products backed by a “sticky name,” he said. This hasd contributed to older stores “eating up” market share, while new stores are quick to see success, the CEO said.

In what may be a surprise to some, Starbuds attracts older clients, such as 40-year-old customers who bring their 70-year-old parents to stores, Martyn said.

Seniors represent an attractive market and stand in contrast to the stereotypical cannabis consumer, the CEO said.

The company has a global vision and is targeting the Australian market ahead of “inevitable” legalization there on the recreational side, he said. Other regions of focus include Jamaica, which is often dubbed the birthplace of cannabis.

Avicanna CEO Aras Azadian speaks at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Toronto on April 18. Photo by Juil Yoon.

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Earth Day Begs The Question: Is Cannabis Farming Sustainable?

Earth Day Begs The Question: Is Cannabis Farming Sustainable?

Mass industrial agriculture practices are debated hotly as significant contributors to climate change. As the global cannabis industry grows exponentially, its rapidly evolving trajectory in the United States is commercial agriculture. Therefore, marijuana production is preternaturally and unequivocally contributing to climate change.

Theories abound on how to make cannabis production more sustainable. Independent farmers believe that the “marijuana Monsantos” that are muscling in are only going to make things perpetually more detrimental for the environment and the instability of the planet in the years to come. The lack of sustainability, vast amounts of water and electricity necessary for cultivation is the elephant in the room of any smoke session.

Types of Cultivation

Mitigating factors as to how to cultivate cannabis most ethically and sustainably are constantly in flux with the advent of new technologies, versus less harmful farming techniques.

There are varying types of cannabis cultivation such as 1) Indoor or hydroponically grown by Dr. Greenthumb in California; 2) Greenhouse potted plants using sun or sun combined with artificial lighting, cultivated by Khiron and Avicanna in Colombia; or 3) Outdoor or sun-grown using just sunshine, rainwater and love, utilized by Sunrise Mountain Farms in Humboldt County, California.

There are also hybrids and combinations of these. These three categories do not include “Frankenweed,” i.e., companies including Hyasynth Bio that grow isolated cannabinoids out of yeast in a laboratory.

“Greendoor” is a proprietary, nascent fifth option, used by California-based cannabis company Canndescent. Greendoor is a solar project that supposedly unites water efficiency, energy efficiency, and pesticide-free growing in an indoor format.

Sustainability Issues

Indoor potted cannabis cultivation consumes a massive amount of energy, due to constant artificial daylight cycle and crop irrigation. While some outdoor, potted greenhouse cultivation can be diurnal, it also often utilizes artificial light, and consume enormous amounts of water via sprinkler systems. Sun-grown, as the name suggests, uses less artificial light and therefore takes longer to yield. There is a dichotomy between patient adherents of organic farming principles and industrial agriculture’s shareholder-driven penchant for speeding up productivity, often by whatever nefarious means necessary (such as using cancer-causing glyphosate to kill weeds).

In addition to consuming massive amounts of natural resources, this budding industry, in a rush to be adequately regulated, often creates compliance in a counter-intuitive manner. For example, cultivators have to take their unusable, residual plant material (or trim) waste and mix it with 50 percent non-plant waste such as dirt, soil, leaves and other compost. “Then it gets put into [probably plastic, non-biodegradable] trash bags, which go into a dumpster, to be compliant,” says Wil Ralston, President of CBD company, SingleSeed, a division of SinglePoint. (OTCQB: SING)

Naturally, these and other mitigating factors contribute to the debate as to which approach to ganja farming is more sustainable.

Legacy, generational farmers Alex Zorniger’s and his cousin Bob Estes’ great-grandfather Joe “Daddy Burt” Burton was an outdoor hemp farmer in Kentucky, prior to prohibition, back when planting hemp was a legislative requirement for farmers. After prohibition, his farm was forced to shutter. Estes and Zorniger are currently running Daddy Burt Hemp Co., in Jessamine County, KY, in their great-grandfather’s honor. Estes and Zorniger are the CEO and Director or Business development, respectively.

Water Consumption & Carbon Dioxide Issues

Despite indoor growth originating from the need to be clandestine due to prohibition, with science and technological innovation, Zorniger thinks this method is still the best possible scenario for sustainable farms, both environmentally and economically. He believes indoor cultivators can lessen the need for water and pesticides, which he thinks are two crucial detractors to farming outdoors.

“As long as we put our brains to work at figuring out how to decrease the energy use of the grow houses, with the growth of LED lighting and the use of renewables, I do think it’s possible to get to a much more sustainable place,” he says exclusively via email.

Zorniger thinks that the huge caveat to that approach to sustainable farming is that technology is not quite ready. Currently, indoor farms use substantial amounts of energy because all of the innovation hasn’t been adopted yet across the board.

The Daddy Burt farm is allegedly a carbon sink — a natural or artificial reservoir that stores carbon-containing chemical compounds accumulated over an indefinite period. The process by which carbon sinks remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is known as “carbon sequestration.”

“Our hemp plants need carbon to grow and can absorb it from C02 in the air, reducing greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere,” says Bob Estes.

While a carbon sink may be a step in the right direction for reducing C02 emissions, “There’s no way around the fact that cannabis is a thirsty plant,” Estes admits.

With the precipitous boom in growing cannabis in Colorado, Oregon, and Kentucky among other places, the farming process is starting to utilize too much water out of rivers and watershed.

“When you grow indoors, you’re able to control the variables that the plant needs and reduce water usage. In the long run, growing indoor will be the best way to control how much water we’re pulling from the environment, which could become even more critical in the coming decades,” says Zorniger.

Lucas Nosiglia, Chief Agricultural Officer of Avicanna disagrees. Nosiglia claims there are ways to fully control the cultivation environment by using glasshouses.

“We also control the water we are pouring on to our plants. Perhaps we face more evaporation, but that comes back to the ecosystem; which in our case, being close to the equator, is extremely biodiverse. So, it has a circular logic. You can have healthy and compliant crops without being outdoor. It all comes down to the test results.”

Pesticide Issues

Both Daddy Burt farmers believe that if economic forces and public policy continue to push indoor grow houses to become less energy intensive, that is the most appropriate scenario from a holistic perspective, considering the impact on the land, water, and reduction of cancer-causing pesticides.

Growing cannabis outdoors on residual pesticide-contaminated soil is a serious problem. As some illicit growers continue to cut corners to compete with legalized farms, they are not testing their product for contaminants. While authorized cannabis companies offer non-competitive prices that are three to four times higher than illicit grows, they justify the inflation citing herb that is “lab tested,” to be free of contaminants including metals and pesticides.

However, whispers abound inside the industry of labs accepting kickbacks to sign off on contaminated flower, and of moldy or contaminated recalled herb being processed into oil and sold to consumers.

Craft Cannabis Vs. Big Ag

Given the rampant corruption in producing cannabis, the safest way to proceed as a consumer seems to be to eschew products from Big Ag, similarly to how farmer’s market produce is seemingly healthier than Big Ag produced crops. If DIY home-grown cannabis is unavailable, “Craft” cannabis, such as DS & Fitz, is the farm-to-table equivalent to more robust, safer consumption.

Sunrise Mountain Farms, run by Lorelie Sandomeno and her husband Dave, cultivate cannabis in California’s Emerald Triangle– a globally renowned hub for cannabis farming from legal and illicit grows alike. The Sandomenos take a clean, sustainable approach to producing cannabis alongside naturally thriving wild elderberries (Sambucus). Their cannabis crop often winds up in Papa & Barkley’s products.

California-based cannabis company Flow Kana’s is self-described as “just one out of many cannabis companies,” who work with a minor fraction of the region’s 53,000 farmers, who cultivate cannabis in the Emerald Triangle.

Flow Kana claims many of the local farmers’ “livelihoods are presently at stake with the impending takeover of Canadian conglomerates who have their eyes set on the Emerald Triangle. We need policymakers and regulators to support and preserve these farmers’ way of life.”

The community is on heightened alert for an imminent, Cannosaurus Rex corporate takeover and plans to push back to keep their way of life from facing extinction.

“The company’s pre-existing, small-holder agricultural ecosystem (think Dr. Bronner’s) which is 100% free of the harmful pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers necessitated by Big Ag, makes the need for a Big Ag cannabis takeover in California completely obsolete,” according to CEO Michael Steinmetz.

In support of these ideals, a grassroots ad campaign throughout California focuses on how “small farmers can change the world.” The concept is to provoke consumers to think about who grows their cannabis, where it originates from, and its aforementioned impact on the environment.

“Everyone should know who grows their cannabis, including where and how it is grown,” reads the company’s mission statement. “Flow Kana partners with independent multi-generational farmers who cultivate under full sun, sustainably, and in small batches. Using only organic methods, these stewards of the land have spent their lives balancing a unique and harmonious relationship between the farm, the genetics and the terroir.”

Flow Kana claims using “nothing but rainwater and solar power, many farmers practice diversified and regenerative farming techniques, growing cannabis in its rightful place under the sun, alongside a rotation of organic herbs, fruits, and veggies.”

Canndescent’s CFO Tom DiGiovanni claims the company invested a combined $3.75m to retrofit its inimitable 11,000 square foot warehouse for solar and cannabis production. To accelerate the adoption of solar power and “green door” practices within the cannabis industry, Canndescent promises to release a white paper in the second quarter of 2019, sharing its solar project plans as open-source information. DiGiovanni says Canndescent wants “to help the ‘green’ industry to go greener.”

Steinmetz believes the cannabis industry at large, needs to “prioritize environmentally responsible practices and source from sustainable resources.”

*This article was updated to include a quote from Avicanna.

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Why Isn’t Big Pharma More Active In Cannabis?

Why Isn’t Big Pharma More Active In Cannabis?

The cannabis space has seen a few large-scale deals in the medical space, but this begs the question: why isn’t big pharma much more involved in the industry?

Megan Henderson, executive producer of The GrowthOp, moderated a panel of experts Wednesday at the Benzinga Capital Cannabis Conference in Toronto to explore big pharma’s role in cannabis.

Wallin: Big Pharma ‘Largest Obstacle’ To Industry

The “biggest roadblock” preventing full legalization of cannabis across the U.S. happens to be big pharma companies, said Vertical Companies CEO Smoke Wallin. The largest pharmaceutical companies are working behind the scenes across every state house to prevent progress, he said.

For example, New Jersey lawmakers postponed a vote on legalization in late March, Wallin said — and it shouldn’t be a surprise, since 14 of the 25 biggest pharmaceutical companies call New Jersey home.

The medical community is aware of the benefits of cannabis and patients aren’t shying away from asking their doctors about the drug, the CEO said.

Elsley: Start With ‘Conservative’ Medical Segments

Big pharma is closely watching the cannabis space, and when a therapeutic strategy evolves, the sector will move with force, said David Elsley, president and CEO of Cardiol Therapeutics Inc (OTC: CRTPF) said. The company explores cannabidiol products and targeted therapies for heart failure and cancer — two of the more “conservative” health care segments, he said.

Consumers are “turning away” from traditional medical treatments, but it is also clear companies need a “pure molecule to test” before treating patients with cannabis, Elsley said.

Allen: All About The Data

Big pharma is actively watching the cannabis space, including Avicanna, said Dr. Christine Allen, the company’s chief scientific officer. Avicanna is engaged in cannabinoid-based health, wellness and medical product exploration.

Before big pharma can flex its muscles, more data is needed on the space, Allen said. For example, companies need to understand relationships between doses, dosing forms and dosing schedules — and this isn’t necessarily being done now.

The use of cannabis for health and wellness is only partly based on producing new and exciting formulations, Allen said, adding that the other key to success is understanding the data and how it can be best used.

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David Elsley, left, president and CEO of Cardiol Therapeutics; Vertical Companies CEO Smoke Wallin; and Dr. Christine Allen, chief scientific officer at Avicanna, speak during a panel discussion Wednesday at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Toronto. Photo by Juil Yoon.

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