News

Quick Hits: Cannabis news in brief

Published on November 14, 2025 by Pat Bulmer

Photo: Contributed

Cannabis news in brief: Auxly pays back; Verano says bye bye BC; Sourz expands flavour; Unionizing in Regina; Illicit weed seized; Herbal Dispatch cuts products; AI good for cannabis retail; Pre-rolls come with matches; A new way to extract; Tilray eases medical access; New products from Nextleaf

Auxly repays big loan

Toronto-based Auxly Cannabis Group has repaid a $5 million loan.

The loan repayment to GrassHopper Capital was paid with cash on hand and is expected to result in interest savings of about $900,000 annually, the company said.

“We would like to thank GrassHopper for its financial support and partnership over the past two years. Our business is growing profitably and is now in the position to strategically allocate capital,” said CEO Hugo Alves in a news release. “Solidifying our balance sheet and reducing interest expense was an obvious choice for deploying our excess cash.”

In July, Auxly announced it had eliminated $21 million in debt through a series of financial transactions. One of the results was that Imperial Brands had become the owner of 19.9% of Auxly shares.

Auxly produces cannabis in Leamington, Ont., and cannabis products in Charlottetown. Brands include Back Forty, Dosecann and Foray.

Company moves to Nevada

Shareholders of Verano Holdings have approved moving the company from British Columbia to Nevada.

All the paperwork and filings have now been completed and voting shares in the B.C.-based Verano Holdings Corp. are being exchanged for shares in the Nevada-registered company.

Many U.S. cannabis companies that don’t even operate in Canada are registered in B.C. That’s because it’s easier to get financial services, and a stock exchange listing — key to raising money — in Canada than it is in the United States, where pot is still illegal federally.

“Many of those companies are recognizing that the federal legal issues will prevent them from listing themselves as publicly traded entities on certain U.S. stock exchanges. According to CNN, many of these companies are instead choosing to look elsewhere for stock exchange listings, with Canada being one of the top contenders,” Investopedia wrote in 2018.

Caramel green apple gummies are back

’Tis the season for gummies that taste like fall.

Toronto-based Cronos Group is bringing back its Sourz by Spinach Caramel Green Apple gummies for a seasonal return.

As the name suggests, the gummies have a buttery, sweet caramel and tart-green apple flavours, Cronos says. They’re available in a five-pack.

Two other new products are hitting the market:

• Sourz by Spinach Fully Blasted Caramel Green Apple 10mg THC gummy
• Spinach Sweet Green Apple 1g vape (sativa).

There’s no word on whether Cronos has a pumpkin spice gummy in the works.

Regina cannabis workers unionize

Workers at two The Joint Cannabis locations in Regina have voted to join UFCW Local 1400, following five locations in Saskatoon that joined the local in September 2024.

The 21 new union members joined the union to address workplace issues and to secure a fair collective agreement, the union said in a news release. About 40 members were involved when the Saskatoon locations unionized.

“We are proud to welcome our newest members of Local 1400 to our union family,” said Local President Lucy Figueiredo. “With the protection and security of union representation, cannabis workers are transforming their lives and workplaces for the better.”

UFCW 1400 represents workers across Saskatchewan in a variety of industries, including retail food, food processing, security, industrial, and transportation.

Cannabis seized at Halifax port

A container headed to Britain from the Port of Halifax was loaded with 801.5 kilograms of cannabis, the Canada Border Services Agency said.

In September, the CBSA and RCMP intercepted and examined the container, which was declared as wire mesh bins destined to a business in the U.K.

The cannabis was packed in 1,479 vacuum-sealed packages.

Illicit cross-border movement of cannabis is punishable with imprisonment of up to five years under the Customs Act and up to 14 years under the Cannabis Act, the CBSA says.

Herbal Dispatch streamlines lineup

An online cannabis retailer is shedding products and adding executive experience.

Richmond, BC-based Herbal Dispatch said in a blog post it has cut 300 products from its 800+ product menu.

Less quantity, better quality, the company says.

“In addition to our house brands (Happy Hour, Buzz Cannabis, Golden Spruce, Nu and Northern Drip), we’ll be introducing new, highly sought-after products from top-rated partner brands,” the post said.

Products from Rubicon Organics, Carmel Cannabis, MTL and Coast Mountain Cannabis are being added to the lineup.

The company also announced Jay Wilgar has joined as a strategic adviser.

Wilgar is the former CEO and chairman of Newstrike Brands Ltd.—one of Canada’s first licensed cannabis producers.

“During his tenure there, Mr. Wilgar raised over $150 million and led its $260 million sale to Hexo Corp, later acquired by Tilray Corp.,” a news release said. “Since exiting Newstrike, Mr. Wilgar has served as president, managing director, and founding partner of Nicoya Ventures Ltd., a venture capital firm.”

Wilgar is quoted as saying: “I am thrilled to join the Herbal Dispatch team to help advance their rapidly growing cannabis distribution platforms. I’m excited to apply my experience and expertise in the cannabis sector to support this dynamic and undervalued company.”

Budtenders are better with AI

Eighty-six per cent of cannabis customers will be loyal to a specific dispensary if it offers personalized recommendations, an American survey has found.

It’s a self-serving survey, promoting AI and e-commerce tools being offered to retailers by Sweed, but still offers interesting numbers.

“The findings show that AI-powered digital conveniences paired with expert budtender recommendations lead to more profitable and loyal customer experiences,” a news release said. Sweed offers AI-powered retail displays that budtenders and customers can access to come up with recommendations.

“The survey results highlight the growing trend towards consumer loyalty in cannabis customers being tied to personalization. AI does not entirely supplant the value of expert budtenders. As the survey data clearly shows, cannabis retailers must offer both best-in-class digital conveniences as well as budtender expertise to win over customers.”

Other findings:

— 76% of shoppers say a budtender’s expertise and advice directly influences what they buy.

— 86% said loyalty or rewards programs would motivate repeat visits.

— 71% said digital tools like online menus, kiosks and in-store screens are important to the shopping experience.

— 75% want the ability to reorder with one click

— 72% want to pre-order online

— 67% say delivery options are essential.

Pre-rolls come with their own matches

Village Farms pre-rolls now come with their own matches.

The Super Toast Animal Mintz Slim 10-pack of straight-packed joints includes a 10-match matchbook.

Just make sure you make every match count and don’t waste two or three of them lighting one joint. We advise not lighting up under windy conditions.

“We’ve always believed our products should fit seamlessly into people’s lives,” said Orville Bovenschen, president, Village Farms Canadian Cannabis. “This new packaging innovation makes that easier than ever, because we all know the frustration of not

finding a lighter when you need one. Now, our consumers will have a light wherever they go.”

A better way to extract cannabis

A Montreal company says it has revolutionized cannabis extraction.

“Traditional systems require multiple steps, manual labor, and post-processing. OneStep condenses the entire process to one step with one operator in one day,” the company said in a news release. “The system produces true-to-plant oil with full aromatic and cannabinoid integrity for an unmatched user experience.”

Company founder Billy A. Morrison created the system in collaboration with an Italian manufacturer that created the process for the perfume industry.

“Only 12 machines are handcrafted in Italy each year. OneStep does not engage in mass production or mass marketing — ensuring every client gains a protected, defensible market advantage, the company said in a news release.

One Step says its system reduces production costs by 50-80% and doubles or triples yields.

Tilray Medical increases eligibility

Tilray is lowering prices and easing eligibility thresholds for some of its medical cannabis programs.

“Tilray Medical’s Compassionate Pricing program now features an increased annual income eligibility threshold of $65,000 CAD, up from $32,500 CAD, ensuring more patients qualify for support. To apply, patients must submit their Notice of Assessment for the most recent taxation year to [email protected],” the company said in a news release.

Tilray Medical has also strengthened its Seniors Pricing program.

Tilray also offers programs for first responders, frontline workers, veterans and for paediatric care.

“With our expanded eligibility criteria and enhanced discounts across all pricing programs, we are leading the industry by setting a new standard for

compassionate access,” said Tilray Canada President Blair MacNeil.

Patients can learn more by visiting tilraymedical.ca.

Nextleaf launches new vapes, prerolls

BC-based Nextleaf Solutions is launching a new brand.

Yard is aimed at the recreational market and will include will THC-dominant vapes and infused prerolls.

The new products are:

• Blueberry Rocket all-in-one vape, 1g
• Lemonade Classic all-in-one vape, 1g
• Fruit Punch Bowl infused pre-rolls, 3 x 0.5g
• Fruit Punch Bowl vape cart, 1g
• Bottle Cap Classic vape cart, 1g

All five products will be available in Saskatchewan and Manitoba starting this month. Four have been approved for sale in B.C. and three in Alberta. The Lemonade Classic vape will go on sale in Ontario in January.

“The brand will feature innovative technology, including next generation post-less vape hardware and ceramic heating elements.” the company boasted in a news release.

Nextleaf is best known for its Glacial Gold softgels and oils.