News

Quick Hits: Cannabis news in brief

Published on January 30, 2026 by Pat Bulmer

Photo: Contributed

Cannabis news in brief: Another Canna Cabana unionizes; Village Farms celebrated for exports; How much PEI spent on weed; New TeaPot drink; Christina Lake’s real estate deal; Big Montreal pot bust; Herbal Dispatch is CSE: HERB; Cannara is doing alright

Waterloo budtenders join union

Budtenders at the Canna Cabana store in Waterloo, Ont. have unionized.

“This newly unionized group of cannabis retail workers came together to improve their workplace and address key issues such as improving scheduling, achieving better compensation, and ensuring fair treatment on the job,” UFCW Canada said in a news release on Jan. 17.

In 2020, employees at Canna Cabana in Hamilton became the first retail cannabis workers in Ontario to organize with UFCW (United Food and Commercial Workers) Local 175. In subsequent years, workers at Canna Cabanas in Ottawa, Innisfil, Toronto and more joined the union.

“Cannabis retail workers often manage complex responsibilities. They need to understand regulations and detailed product information, and ensure compliance with strict security and inventory controls. Despite these demands, many workers report low wages, inconsistent scheduling, limited benefits, and high turnover,” the local union said in its own release.

Village Farms wins export award

Village Farms’ B.C. greenhouse has won a BC Export Award.

The Business in Vancouver awards were handed out Saturday.

“Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Pure Sunfarms, the company operates one of the largest cannabis greenhouses in the world, located in Delta, B.C.,” BIV said on its website, explaining why the company was nominated. “Pure Sunfarms is a leading producer in Canada, and supplies premium, greenhouse-grown cannabis to Canada’s recreational market as well as medical cannabis to international markets.”

In touting its Consumer Products award, Village Farms said exports have grown 758% in just a year.

The Delta site is “one of the largest single-site agricultural employers in British Columbia,” and supports hundreds of jobs, the company said on Monday.

Village Farms exports to “highly regulated” markets, particularly in Europe.

The heavy regulation can actually be a good thing, said CEO Michael A. DeGiglio: “We built our international business by treating regulation as an opportunity for sustainable performance, investing ahead of demand, and leveraging decades of controlled environment agriculture expertise rooted in British Columbia. That approach has allowed us to compete and win in some of the most demanding medical markets in the world.”

Islanders buy $26M worth of cannabis

PEI cannabis stores reported net sales of $26.4 million In fiscal 2025, an increase of half a million dollars from the previous year.

In the PEI Cannabis Management Corporation’s annual report, CEO Daniel MacDonald reported the corporation had a net income of $2.5 million and that $4 million in excise tax revenue was generated for the province.

The corporation operates stores in Charlottetown, Summerside, Stratford, Montague, O’Leary and online. Charlottetown generates more than 44% of the revenues. Online sales were small.

Top selling categories for the fiscal year ending March 31 were: pre-rolls (28.23%); edibles (22.69%); flower (19.97%), and infused pre-rolls (9.6%).

Customers generally spent just under $40 per trip to the store, but double that for every online visit, the report showed.

Generally, the stores had 55,000-60,000 customers a month. or just under 700,000 for the year.

The corporation has about 700 products available — including cannabis from island producers Auxly, Fresh Island Grown. Fog Organics and Retro. The report includes a feature on Fresh Island Grown.

New TeaPot rosin tea

The maker of Samuel Adams beer has brewed up a new cannabis-infused iced tea for Canada.

The Boston Beer Company’s Canadian-based subsidiary, BBCCC, Inc., has launched TeaPot Blueberry Chamomile with 10 mg of rosin THC.

“TeaPot’s new Blueberry Chamomile is a non-carbonated iced tea made with real chamomile and natural blueberry flavour … without the use of chemical solvents,” the company said in a news release.

It’s caffeine free, 35 calories and contains seven grams of sugar. Teapot products are available in most provinces (not you, Prairies), but selections are limited in some.

Christina Lake sells off unused land

B.C.’s Christina Lake Cannabis has sold 99 acres of land it’s not using.

The unserviced land sold for $550,000.

“The land is not required for the company’s current or anticipated operations and was classified as a non-core asset,” the company said in a news release. It was part of acquisition made last February.

The Kootenay grower has a two properties, totalling about 370 acres, with large outdoor growing areas ,and processing and extraction facilities.

More cannabis seized

Border services agents with the Montreal Marine and Rail Services division seized over 1,100 kilograms of illegal cannabis destined for the U.K.

At the Calgary airport, border officers discovered 17 kg of cannabis stuffed into luggage destined for Germany.

The Canada Border Services Agency also announced on its X account a number of other drug, tobacco and gun seizures this month.

Herbal Dispatch gets new listing

BC cannabis e-tailer Herbal Dispatch has a new stock market listing.

Company shares are now trading on the U.S. OTCQB Venture Market under the ticker symbol “LUFFF.”

“OTCQB is the Venture Market tier of the U.S. over-the-counter markets operated by OTC Markets Group and is intended for international growth-stage companies that are current in their reporting and meet defined eligibility standards,” Herbal Dispatch said in a news release. “This new listing complements the company’s primary listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE: HERB) and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange listing.”

Ontario, Quebec growth for Cannara

Quebec’s Cannara Biotech is increasing its market share, the company declared in its latest financial report.

“Cannara achieved an estimated national retail market share of 4.1%, its highest market share to-date,” the report, issued Monday, said.

The company reported growth in Ontario and its home province, where the legalization of vaping products provided a boost. The company rolled out a number of new vaping and other products in the past quarter.

“Launch highlights included new Tribal ceramic-tip preroll format extensions and Tribal extracts … Porto Leche live resin vape cart and live resin full spectrum extract, and the Nugz El Guapo all-in-one cured resin vape,” the report said.

Cannara recently opened a new processing centre in Valleyfield, Que., and is preparing more growing space.

Some numbers:

— Gross cannabis revenues before excise taxes increased to $41.8 million from $34.9 million in the same quarter a year ago —  a 20% increase “driven by deeper penetration in existing markets, the Quebec vape launch, and new genetics/product additions.”

— “Total revenues (net of excise taxes) increased to $30.1 million from $25.1 million, a 20% increase;

— Adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) increased 47% to $8.8 million.