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Trimming Technology Is A Great Opportunity For Cannabis Industry Innovation

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business.

One of the most important stages of the life of quality cannabis flower is the trimming stage. Many cultivators do a great job of acquiring the right cannabis genetics and caring for the plant up until harvest just to ruin the crop with poor trimming. That is especially true for large scale cultivators.

Cannabis companies that cultivate cannabis on a large scale are faced with two choices when it comes to cannabis trimming – hire a small army of trimmers to complete the task by hand, or use current machinery designed for trimming cannabis that often diminishes the quality of the end product.

Obviously, neither of those scenarios is ideal. Hiring trimmers can be expensive and the trimming process can take a lot of time. On the other hand, current trimming technology results in an inferior product in the eyes of most seasoned consumers.

That creates an opportunity for innovators to revolutionize the trimming process with new solutions. Read about it in our recent article in Cannabis & Tech Today.

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Colombia Enters Cannabis Oil Production

Written by Marguerite Arnold on . Posted in Business.

Colombia has been on the map, certainly when looking at the cannabinoid world from Europe, for the last two to three years. Judging by the number of participants who show up at International Cannabis Business Conferences, at least from this part of the world, this is also not a casual discussion.

As of November, the game has clearly changed. For all of the talk about production in the country, up until now, all the licensed grows were for plants with less than 1% THC.

This has now changed. The country has issued its first license for the commercialization of “psychoactive” cannabis, in other words containing higher levels of THC. The recipient of the same, Khiron Life Sciences Corp. also announced that it would use the license to produce high THC extract to treat 15,000 patients via the Latin American Institute of Neurology and the Nervous System (or ILANS).

Beyond domestic distribution, what does this development bode for international markets?

While Germany is clearly on the minds of Khiron, a shrewd international operator with operations that already reach to the UK and Germany (including helping to supply cannabis for the British Project2021 project) this opens up other discussions a little closer to home in the same hemisphere. Namely, how long will it be before such companies also begin to look to both the Canadian and US markets?

Khiron, in particular, also has plans to supply Uruguay with whole-plant export, which is an ambitious move considering the country is the only one in Latin America and still one of less than a handful globally to legalize recreational use.

Nevertheless, it is this play alone which signifies that Khiron, along with others that clearly establish themselves in such geography, is looking at markets with high need and cost sensitivity.

How cost-effective cannabis oil from Colombia is in the European hemisphere as more local production begins to ramp up is another matter. See Greece, Portugal, and of course North Macedonia in the short term.

This question is still in the room of course, along with the acceptance of medical GMP standards for anything coming out of the American hemisphere in general, particularly in the aftermath of CannTrust.

Regardless, it is clear that as another early mover Canadian decides to revamp and retool, including putting both European and Canadian plans to expand on indefinite hold that Latin America will play an increasingly bigger role in the global cannabis market.

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Setting The Price For Medical Cannabis In Europe?

Written by Marguerite Arnold on . Posted in Business.

The German government has just announced that it will buy at least 650 kilograms (1,433 pounds) of GMP certified, medical cannabis flower from “domestic producers” who won the tender lots. This means, in other words, that of the three Canadian companies who won the bid (Aurora, Aphria and Wayland/ICC/Demecan), the only domestic production that currently takes place is via the ICC facility in Eastern Germany.

This means that at least the short term winner, certainly on the price front, is ICC and Demecan.

Why?

It is the only one of the three that has certified production facilities in place. The other two producers, Aphria and Aurora, must import from somewhere else. 

However, this announcement makes things even more strategically interesting, as Aurora announced a much lower price to the Italian government – canceled bid nonetheless (that was for medical-grade CBD).

That alone undermines the price now set out by the German government – of €2.30 euros a gram wholesale – as the one to beat in Europe.

This also means that enterprising producers elsewhere now have a reference price to beat (and many of them can). Even with the price of transportation, this price is a calling card for those of Portuguese, Spanish, Greek and Polish extraction who have either entered or about to enter the game.

It also puts the decision to delay the export of North Macedonian flower in an even more interesting new light. No matter when the country decides to export, it has a world of opportunities on its immediate, European, if not German, doorstep.

With this number on the table, enterprising distributors now also have not only benchmarks for the first time, but an insight into the market that so far has only been acquired before by personal interviews of insiders on the ground.

Bottom line? The market is opening for low cost, imported flowers, and oil that can beat that price.

Combined with a reduction in the required mark-up imposed by German pharmacies this means that the retail cost of cannabis in Germany is in line for another fairly dramatic correction at point of sale, and while it may not quite yet beat the unregulated market, this means that cannabis priced certainly under €15 a gram will be available soon.

It also means that the high cost put on bringing in a new premium-priced product is finally beginning to normalize (although expect to see additional drops in price as rules continue to change around Europe). If nothing else, both Italian and Polish crops will further undermine the German reference price, to say nothing of the winds now blowing if not growing in Portugal, Spain, Greece, and other lower labour climes throughout Europe.

However, no matter the ultimate winners in the market from the business side, it also means that patients are beginning to have alternatives to either out-of-sight priced product only affordable with insurance coverage or the black market.

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What Percentage Of Investors Have Purchased Cannabis Stocks?

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business.

The cannabis industry is booming, and investors are taking notice. The legal cannabis industry is already worth billions of dollars, and the rate of growth is astounding. With so many U.S. states and countries around the globe reforming their cannabis laws, there’s no end in sight to the exponential growth of the cannabis industry.

For some investors, cannabis stocks provide a great opportunity to dip their toes into the industry without having to take a deep dive via a massive investment. Launching a cannabis cultivation facility is expensive. So is launching a cannabis dispensary.

Cannabis stocks are far cheaper compared to those options and compared to funding many other ancillary cannabis business ideas. For many years investors refused to give serious consideration to the cannabis industry due to stigma and lack of legal/viable options.

However, that has changed, as evidenced in the results of a recent investor survey commissioned by GOBankingRates which was featured by Yahoo Finance. Below are some of the key findings from the survey:

  • 49% of survey participants stated that they have already purchased cannabis stocks or plan to
  • Roughly one-third of survey respondents said they would start investing in cannabis if it were legalized
  • Among survey participants who were open to investing in cannabis stocks, 27% said that they plan to invest $1,000 or more

It will be very interesting to see where investor attitudes are as time goes on and more cannabis stock options become available. For investors that are open to investing in the cannabis industry yet have refrained from doing so thus far, presumably, some of them are just waiting for what they deem to be viable options.

Current cannabis stock options largely revolve around Canada’s cannabis industry and the Canadian Stock Exchange due to limitations in the United States. When things open up in the United States, it’s logical to assume that investor interest will spike.

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Legal Recreational Cannabis Sales Begin In Michigan

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business.

It was a historic day in Michigan on Sunday, where legal adult-use cannabis sales officially launched in select locations. Michigan has been home to an amazing cannabis community for many years and the launch of adult-use sales is a major milestone that cannabis advocates have fought for over the course of several decades.

Michigan voters approved a cannabis legalization initiative during the 2018 election. On Sunday Michigan joined a growing list of states that allow legal, regulated cannabis sales to adults 21 years old or older. The first legal purchase was made by a long-time cannabis advocate, as detailed by the Detroit Free Press:

The actual first sale happened at 9:50 a.m. to legendary cannabis activist John Sinclair, a Detroit resident who racked up three marijuana-related arrests in the 1960s and landed a 10-year prison sentence for giving an undercover cop two joints. His plight attracted the attention of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, who headlined a concert in Ann Arbor in 1971 to bring attention to Sinclair’s arrest.

Several media reports detailed long lines at the limited number of retail outlets that were authorized to conduct sales, which is a common occurrence in legal states on the first day of legal sales. As more outlets open over time, the basic principles of supply and demand should even things out.

Colorado was the first state to allow legal adult-use sales in 2014, and lines were wrapping around city blocks for multiple days. That will likely be the case in Michigan too, where consumers are presumably excited to frequent a legal dispensary rather than make their purchase via an unregulated source.

Michigan is one of the top-ten most populated states in the country, so it’s a really big domino to fall in the effort to legalize cannabis sales nationwide. The only other top-ten state as measured by population-size to allow adult-use sales is the state of California. Next month another state, Illinois, will join that list.

Congratulations to all of the cannabis advocates that worked so hard for so many years to make legal sales a reality in Michigan!

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Thai Government Opens Way For Citizens To Grow Their Own Cannabis – And Sell It Back To the Government

Written by Marguerite Arnold on . Posted in Business.

In a unique twist to what is going on in Europe right now, the Thai government has suggested that it would soon pass a measure allowing Thai citizens to grow up to six cannabis plants at home. For now, at least, the government envisions an environment where such crops could also be sold back to the government for “medical use.”

According to Thai Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, “We have confidence that marijuana will be among the major agricultural products for Thai households. We are speeding up the changes. But there is a process.” The same minister also hinted as of September that families will be able to grow cannabis in their back gardens just like any other herb.

The announcement comes after the Thai government unveiled what it describes as the largest industrial-scale medical cannabis facility in Southeast Asia. University researchers from Maejo University planted 12,000 seedlings in September. The crop should be ready by March next year if all goes well.  

However, beyond just the crops planted there, the university is setting up to teach Thai farmers how to grow cannabis. Cannabis as an economic development tool is also on the agenda for political parties. The health minister’s party is currently suggesting that the sale of each mature plant, even grown in semi-professional cultivation circumstances, could fetch up to US$2,225 – meaning that families could earn $13,350 for their entire crop. 

The average annual Thai salary is about $8,200.

Of course the average Thai citizen, just like the average person, can not just go out and “grow medical” – certainly not that is integrated into formal pharmaceutical channels. Globally, there are high standards (that are also expensive to attain) before any substance, including cannabis, can be considered as a medical product. This certification process – also known loosely as GMP – is also the standard required internationally for medical exports beyond the existing international treaties that also govern the same.

 

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Malta Likely To Allow Cannabis For Pets

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business.

It is well documented, via studies and personal testimonies, that cannabis is an effective medicine for humans. The cannabis plant can be used to treat a number of health conditions that humans suffer from, from chronic pain to insomnia.

A growing body of evidence is establishing that the cannabis plant can also be used to treat animals. That is especially true for cannabidiol (CBD). An increasing number of pet owners and farmers are choosing to treat their animals with CBD products and the results are positive.

The archipelago nation of Malta may start allowing veterinarian cannabis products soon. Chris Cardona, Minister for the Economy and Deputy Leader for Party Affairs Labour Party, recently stated the following:

The animal wellness sector of the cannabis industry is likely going to be huge in the future. Most of the products currently available in legal markets revolve around CBD-based tinctures, however, that will presumably change over time.

Just as the number of options of cannabis products for humans has increased exponentially in recent years as the legal cannabis industry has expanded, the same should occur in the cannabis-for-animals sector of the industry. It will likely be a blend of pharmaceutical-grade products and products made for non-veterinarian use (such as topical lotions).

More research involving cannabis and animals is definitely needed. Evidence that cannabis can be effective for treating animals is piling up, however, that’s not to say that the jury isn’t still out on some things, not the least of which is dosage levels.

Pets, especially small ones, obviously have different needs than humans. A large animal such as a cow or horse is going to have a significantly different dosage level than a small bird.

CBD is less of a concern compared to THC, but research is still vital to ensuring effectiveness and safety. If you are looking for opportunities in the cannabis industry, you should keep a close eye on developments in the cannabis-for-animals sector, and not just in Malta.

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Is A Cannabis Policy Change In New Brunswick Good News For The Technology Sector?

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business.

Ever since the launch of adult-use cannabis sales in New Brunswick, the industry has been operated by a government monopoly. For the past year, a Crown corporation has served as the sole legal cannabis industry entity in New Brunswick.

Canadian Crown corporations are government-owned entities and are specifically owned by the Sovereign of Canada. In New Brunswick, lawmakers and regulators felt that giving a monopoly to one entity to oversee the province’s cannabis industry was a good idea. Time has proven that to not be the case.

The industry will now transition to a private company that will have a monopoly. Will the continued-monopoly model be good news or bad news for the cannabis technology sector in New Brunswick? Read about it in our recent article on Cannabis & Tech Today.

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What Can Other Nations Learn From The Vape Crisis In The U.S.?

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business, Politics.

Vape hysteria has gripped the United States in recent months, with a growing number of illnesses, and even some deaths being reported across the country. Regulators recently announced that the likely culprit is vitamin E acetate, which is a common ingredient in some vape pen cartridges, especially unregulated vape pen cartridges.

Vitamin E acetate is used by some vape pen creators to change the level of thickness of the cannabis oil inside of the vape pen cartridge. The ingredient is also used as a filler for unregulated vape pen cartridges.

Leading up to the announcement THC was being unfairly blamed for the vape crisis by members of the mainstream media and especially by cannabis opponents. It resulted in a situation where hysteria was driving the conversation and the research instead of science and sound public health policies.

Other countries can learn from the failures of how this played out in the U.S. Read about it in our latest article on Cannabis &Tech Today.