News

Quick Hits: Cannabis news in brief

Published on July 11, 2025 by Pat Bulmer

Photo: Contributed

Cannabis news in brief: More BLK MKT & Tenzo; Blue Sky Hemp sells; Gov’t stores open longer; Quick Hits; All in one vape launched; Peace Naturals to Switzerland; Christina Lake delays financials; More stores unionize; Simply Solventless sheds jobs; Canna Cabana features local; breathalyzer validated

More Avant brands to be available

Kelowna-based Avant Brands has secured 30 more product listings in BC and Ontario.

“This expansion spans the company’s flagship brands, BLK MKT and Tenzo, and represents one of the most focused and impactful portfolio deployments in Avant’s history,” a news release says.

“Canada is a strategic battleground, and this expansion confirms that our brands are resonating with both budtenders and consumers alike,” said Norton Singhavon, founder and CEO, in the release.

The company also announced it has entered into two multi-year international supply agreements serving the European medical cannabis market. Avant will export up to 2,000 kilograms per year of dried flower cultivated at its Flowr and 3PL facilities.

Avant is also taking advantage of regulatory amendments by Health Canada “to launch transparent packaging and premium 1.5g pre-rolls,” the release said.

Hemp food division sold

Saskatoon’s Blue Sky Hemp has sold its food division.

“After strong growth in both our food and cannabis divisions, we reached a strategic crossroads,” said CEO Andrew Potter in a news release. With limited physical space and capital, we concluded that monetizing our successful hemp food business would allow us to better scale our cannabis operations and drive long-term shareholder value.”

Proceeds from the sale will be used to accelerate expansion of Blue Sky’s contract manufacturing services — including vape pens, pre-rolls, and softgels, the release said. The company is on track to complete EU-good manufacturing practice certification, which will open up export opportunities.

“Fresh Hemp Foods (the new owner) remains focused on bringing nutritious, sustainable hemp foods to more and more customers and consumers,” said Jared Simon, president of Manitoba Harvest and Tilray Wellness, the parent companies.

Founded in 2017, Blue Sky operates a 15,000-square-foot cannabis processing facility.

Longer hours for Quebec cannabis stores

Twenty government cannabis stores in Quebec will soon be open longer.

The new Vieux-Montreal store, set to open July 7, will be the first with the extra hours. The rest will take effect Aug. 3.

Stores will stay until 10 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 6 p.m. on Sundays — an hour later than they do now.

“The goal of this process is to better fight the illegal market at a time of the day when demand exists and illegal vendors are very active,” said Jean-François Dulac-Lemelin, senior vice-president for the Société québécoise du cannabis, which runs the stores.

”Nearly 20% of our customers who buy cannabis outside our network cite our opening hours as a reason.”

The SQDC needed a change in government legislation to offer the new hours. Bill 85 has now received final approval.

Vieux-Montreal is the 107th store run by the SQDC.

Quick Hits

🙅🏼 Legal misconduct: BC lawyer gets suspension for misconduct in retail cannabis application (CBC)

🩺 Misdiagnosis: ER docs are too quick to assume cannabis users are experiencing this rare side effect (Stat)

🌾 Not there yet: Cannabis farmgate a step forward, but more changes needed to make it viable (Stratcann)

🌳 Battle over buzz: Federal and state crackdowns on intoxicating hemp products escalate (Reuters)

⛪️ Holy smoke: A decade later, the First Church of Cannabis still sparks conversation (The Statehouse File)

New all-in-one vape

BC-based Rubicon Organics is launching a new all-in-one vapourizer.

“Building on the successful launch of its 510 FSE resin vape cartridges in May 2024, Rubicon Organics introduces a new all-in-one device,” the company announced.

“The first AIO release will feature Comatose, 1964 (Supply Co)’s best-selling 510 vape in a 0.5 gram format … The product will debut in British Columbia and roll out to most major provinces across Canada (excluding Quebec) in the coming months.”

Rubicon plans to launch two more all-in-ones by the end of 2025.

“As one of the only AIO products in the category to feature FSE resin, this launch sets a new standard in a vape segment largely dominated by distillate-based products,” the company boasted in a news release.

Cannabis for Switzerland

A Canadian cannabis company is making inroads in Switzerland.

Cronos Group’s Peace Naturals flower will be distributed by Dascoli Pharma AG.

“We are excited to partner with Dascoli to bring high-quality medical cannabis to Swiss patients,” said Mike Gorenstein, chairman, president and CEO of Cronos in a news release. “Expanding our presence in Europe is an important area of focus for Cronos’ growth.”

Peace Naturals medical cannabis products also recently launched in Australia and Malta.

Production boost delays financial report

B.C’s Christina Lake Cannabis will be late filing its annual financial statements.

“The delay … is due to the audit taking longer than expected, primarily because of the high level of testing required and the limited availability of staff resources,” the company said in a news release. “Given the increased production levels over the past year and the introduction of additional product lines following the Midway acquisition, the process of costing and inventory allocation is taking longer than originally anticipated.”

Christina Lake acquired an outdoor cultivation site in nearby Midway, B.C., in a $3-million purchase early last year.

The company hopes to file the financial statement by July 14.

Christina Lake has a 950,000-square-foot operation on a 32-acre site, featuring outdoor grow space, offices, propagation and drying rooms, research facilities, and a facility dedicated to processing and extraction.

Cannabis stores unionize

Employees at Earth to Sky Cannabis stores in Trail and Sooke have unionized.

In social media posts, UFCW 1518 said it’s the latest chain to be entirely unionized.

The B.C.-based union local also represents workers at cannabis stores in Victoria, Vancouver, Delta, Nanaimo and New Hazelton.

Job losses at Calgary company

A series of acquisitions by Calgary-based Simply Solventless Concentrates has led to job losses.

In 2024-25, the company acquired Ontario-based CannMart, pre-roll specialist ANC and Humble Grow (the former Delta 9 Bio-Tech greenhouse in Winnipeg).

“During late Q1 2025, SSC continued to restructure operations to capture acquisition synergies. This restructuring reduced headcount by approximately 58 during March 2025, reducing annualized payroll costs by approximately $2,500,000,” the reports said.

“These amounts exclude headcount reductions made prior to closing the Humble acquisition.

“SSC has identified further restructuring opportunities with an estimated cost savings of between $500,000-$1,000,000 per year,” the company said in its latest financial report.

The company reported “record quarterly gross revenue of $12.4 million, EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of $9.5 million, net and comprehensive income of $8.4 million, and adjusted EBITDA of $3.2 million.”

Canna Cabana to promote local

Provincially grown cannabis products will be featured at Canna Cabana stores as part of a new promotion.

“Each Canna Cabana location will provide dedicated shelf space for products that are either grown in the province or produced by a licensed producer based in the province in which the Canna Cabana location resides,” store owner High Tide announced in a news release.

“The initiative will roll out across all of the company’s Canna Cabana retail stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario as of June 24 … and will continue throughout the summer.”

High Tide now has 202 Canna Cabana stores after opening new stores in Winnipeg and Toronto.

Cannabis breathalyzer validated

A Vancouver company’s cannabis breathalyzer received a seal of approval.

Cannabix partner Omega Laboratories has validated the Cannabix technology, a press release claims.

“The delivery of the Validation Packet completes a major milestone under the strategic partnership and development agreement between Cannabix and Omega. This establishes Omega and Cannabix as the premier technology for collecting and testing breath for recent marijuana usage,” Cannabix announced.

In another release, Cannabix announced the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a notice of allowance for the B.C. company’s “Contact-Free Breath Analysis Device and Method.” The notice is a step toward being granted a patent. Winnipeg-based Price Electronics has been selected as a manufacturer for Cannabix’s alcohol breathalyzers, which are being marketed to workplaces.