News

Quick Hits: Cannabis news in brief

Published on June 19, 2026 by Pat Bulmer

Photo: Contributed

Cannabis news in brief: Craft growers want “fair shake”; Village Farms named top producer; Akanda non-compliant; 2 big shipments for Herbal Dispatch; Alberta producer for sale; Broken Coast adds strain; Tweed relaunches in Germany; Greenway increase exports; Alberta stores can accept samples; Rubicon brand of the year; Vanquish infuses pre-rolls; Spinach No. 1 vapes; Tilray intros German brand

Why are craft cannabis producers punished?

Why do craft brewers get a break on excise taxes, but not craft cannabis producers?

“Can we please get a fair shake from our governments? How on earth can this continue when we are suffering the exact same fate for the exact same reasons,” Saskatchewan’s North 40 Cannabis posted on X where it linked to a CBC story about Ottawa extending tax cuts for brewers.

“Sask. breweries celebrate two more years of alcohol excise duty relief” was the CBC headline. “Federal ministers visited Regina brewery to share the news.”

North 40’s post, which tagged Premier Scott Moe, continued: “I have brought this forward to our provincial government and was told to pound sand.”

The tweet didn’t say who “I” was, but all signs point to co-owner Gord Nichol.

Producer of the Year

Delta, BC’s Village Farms International was named Producer of the Year at the 2026 Business of Cannabis Awards in London, England.

“The award recognizes excellence and innovation in cannabis cultivation practices, techniques, and product quality, and celebrates cultivators who have demonstrated exceptional skill, dedication, and expertise in producing high-quality cannabis while adhering to best practices in sustainability, compliance, and safety,” Village Farms explained in a news release.

The Business of Cannabis Awards, handed out May 26, are only a couple of years old, but were described as Europe’s leading celebration of excellence in the cannabis sector.

Village Farms’ exporting success apparently got the attention of the European award presenters.

“The company is a leading supplier of medicinal cannabis to Europe’s highly regulated medical markets, with several current top-selling cultivars in Germany,” the Village Farms release said. “Village Farms has been scaling its international export business since 2021 and recently announced that facility upgrades at its production campus in British Columbia have expanded its leadership position with the world’s largest EU-GMP certified cannabis facility.”

Akanda not in compliance

Akanda Corp. is having issues with financial compliance.

The Toronto company announced in a May 22 news release that the Nasdaq stock index has found Akanda “not in compliance with the periodic filing requirements … as a result of its failure to file its annual report … with the Securities and Exchange Commission by the required due date.”

“The company intends to file the Form 20-F as soon as practicable,” Akanda said. “The company is required to submit a plan, by July 19, 2026, which outlines the steps the company expects to take to regain compliance.

The ruling does not affect Akanda’s stock listing — for now.

Akanda has two main businesses — one subsidiary is focused on cannabis while First Towers and Fiber Corp. builds towers and fibre-optic networks in Latin America.

BC producer makes 2 huge shipments

BC’s Herbal Dispatch has made two large export shipments.

A 500-kilogram international medical cannabis export shipment to Europe was followed by a 251-kg shipment a few days later.

The first was Herbal Dispatch’s largest shipment ever.

“Europe remains one of the most attractive global medical cannabis opportunities, supported by growing patient adoption, expanding regulatory frameworks and increasing demand for EU-GMP compliant imported cannabis products,” the company said in a news release.

“The shipment further strengthens Herbal Dispatch’s growing international commercialization network, which now includes active relationships involving Australia, Portugal, Germany, Brazil, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Costa Rica.”

CEO Philip Campbell said there will be more to come.

“We continue to see growing inbound interest from international groups seeking reliable access to premium Canadian cannabis products,” he said.

And Herbal Dispatch also now has export insurance.

“The EDC (Export Development Canada) insurance coverage becomes active on June 1, 2026, and is valid for an initial one-year term,” another news release explained. “Under the program, Herbal Dispatch may obtain insurance protection of up to $250,000 per qualified export transaction … The EDC coverage is expected to provide protection against non-payment risk.”

Alberta producer up for sale

An Alberta cannabis grower that had stopped production, but just got its Health Canada licence back, is up for sale.

Sirona Pharma went into protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act. The court-ordered monitor, Ernst & Young, is putting the company’s properties up for sale.

“Sirona owns a three-building, 126,800 square-foot indoor facility designed for medical cannabis cultivation, processing and distribution… near Peers, Alberta … Yellowhead County,” a news release said.

The properties will be put up for bidding. Deadline is June 24.

The monitor will be showing the property to potential bidders by appointment on June 9, 10 and 16. Email senior VP Matt McCulloch at [email protected] or director Karen Zahacy at [email protected] to make an appointment.

The official Sale and Investment Solicitation Process documents can be found at ey.com/ca/sirona.

New Broken Coast strain

Tilray is launching a new craft cannabis strain under its Broken Coast label.

“Cherry Ztripez is an indica-dominant strain derived from Lemon Cherry x Z Animal, cultivated in strain-specific, laboratory-grade rooms,” the company said in a news release. “Each batch is hang-dried, cold-cured, carefully milled and hand-packaged.”

Cherry Ztripez is available in 7g whole flower, along with a 1 x 1g blunt format, and additional preroll formats expected later this summer.

The new product comes in Broken Coast’s recently updated packaging that includes refined glass jars, enhanced product visibility and Grower’s Notes.

Tweed relaunch in Germany

Canopy Growth has re-launched its Tweed brand in Germany by introducing three cannabis strains developed by the recently-consumed MTL Cannabis.

The initial launch includes three cultivars – Pablo’s Revenge, Dante’z Inferno and Frost’d Flakes. Up to five MTL-derived strains are expected to be introduced in June 2026, Canopy said in a news release.

“Germany is one of the fastest-growing medical cannabis markets globally,” said CEO Luc Mongeau.

The Smiths Falls, Ont.-based company has also been issued with a management cease trade order by the Ontario Securities Commission.

“A Management Cease Trade Order is a regulatory penalty in Canada that restricts corporate insiders (like CEOs, CFOs, and directors) from trading their company’s stock. It is typically issued by provincial securities commissions when a company fails to meet its financial filing deadlines, ensuring management cannot dump shares while regular investors are in the dark,” Google AI explains.

Canopy will be refiling “relevant financial statements” from its annual report on June 15, the company said.

Greenway increasing exports

Ontario’s Greenway Cannabis Corp. is now making about half of its sales overseas, the company said.

“Since commencing international shipments in late 2024, Greenway has continued to methodically increase its exposure to the worldwide medical cannabis markets,” a news release said.

“Greenway believes international medical cannabis markets continue to present opportunities for stronger realized pricing per gram compared to the domestic market, supporting improved revenue potential,” the company said.

“International sales have become an increasingly important component of our business,” said CEO Jamie D’Alimonte. “Over the past year, we have worked closely with strong strategic partners to steadily grow our presence across the global medical cannabis market, expanding both into new jurisdictions and new product offerings.”

The company is also developing strains designed to appeal to international buyers.

“Our cultivation team is focusing on providing us with flower that aligns with the evolving preferences of both the domestic and international markets,” added D’Alimonte. “As our export business grows, we believe tailoring cultivars specifically for international opportunities represents an important next step in the evolution of our platform and reach.”

Greenway does both large-scale greenhouse production and smaller-scale craft-style growing.

Alberta stores can accept samples

Cannabis store licence holders can accept samples on an ongoing basis, under new regulations issued by Alberta regulators.

“Effective immediately, cannabis representatives may provide cannabis product samples to retail cannabis store licensees on an ongoing basis, in quantities appropriate for legitimate business and educational purposes. All samples are for licensee use only and must comply with federal guidelines,” a bulletin from Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis says.

“In addition, record‑keeping requirements for cannabis sampling is reduced from six years to two years.”

1964 Supply a big winner at Grow Up Awards

BC’s Rubicon Organics is celebrating its victories at the Grow Up Industry Awards, held June 1 in Toronto.

Rubicon won Brand of the Year for 1964 Supply Co. and Best Dry Flower for Simply Bare Organics’ BC Organic Fruit Loopz.

“These recognitions reflect the strength of the company’s brand portfolio and genetic library, the consistency of its product quality, and its continued leadership in premium cannabis,” Rubicon said in a news release.

The awards were held as part of the annual Grow Up conference and expo. A full list of winners hadn’t been posted at the time of this writing.

Canopy Growth, meanwhile, was drawing attention to its win in the best infused preroll category for its Claybourne’s Frosted Flyers Variety Pack.

“Building on that recognition, the company also announced the expansion of Claybourne’s Frosted Flyers infused pre-roll lineup in Canada, with three new 8-pack variety formats and the brand’s first bundle pack,” Canopy Growth said in its release.

Lawyer Brian Vicente was awarded a lifetime achievement award: “Brian Vicente is one of the most influential figures in the legalization of cannabis in North America. As a lead drafter of Colorado’s historic Amendment 64, he played a pivotal role in making Colorado one of the first jurisdictions in the world to legalize adult-use cannabis. Beyond Colorado, Brian has advised governments across the United States and internationally — including Canada and Uruguay — helping shape the framework for regulated cannabis markets worldwide,” the awards website said.

Infused prerolls from Vanquish

Vanquish Brands (aka Pistol and Paris) is entering the infused preroll category.

“Pocket Rockets are diamond-infused, kief-coated pre-rolls that come five to a tin at 0.5g each. Two strains are launching simultaneously: Blue Surfer, built on Blue Zushi whole flower … and Redline, made with Pink Goo whole flower,” the company said in a blog post.

“Both carry THC levels of 37-43% and a terpene range of 3-9%, and both are finished with a hand-applied Dutch crown. Blue Surfer leads with a berry-driven terpene profile and candy-like undertones … Redline has a cherry-forward profile, punchy sweetness layered over a heavier, more intense smoke,” the post said.

The prerolls have been a year in development.

“For years, people have been telling us to enter the infused category. We waited on purpose,” said CEO Dylan King. “We wanted the fundamentals locked in first with genetics, cultivation support, partner alignment and production consistency.”

Getting everything right wasn’t easy, said supply and production coordinator Cody Rossi: “Diamonds, whole flower and kief each behave differently under heat. Getting them to work together and not against each other meant testing micron sizes, diamond melt points, kief densities and grind profiles through countless R&D cycles.”

Pocket Rockets are hitting shelves across Canada now.

Spinach vapes are now No. 1

Cronos Group’s Spinach-brand vapes are now No. 1 in Canada, the company proclaimed.

Spinach vapes captured a 10.4% market share in April, a news release said.

“Reaching the No. 1 position in Canada marks an incredible milestone,” said Chief Growth Officer Jeff Jacobson

The company says its vapes are “crafted using high‑purity extracts, feature vibrant and distinctive terpene profiles, and utilize advanced hardware.”

Cronos will launch more Spinach products this summer “including three new flavours for the Spinach Puffers all-in-one 1g vape and its first-ever limited-time offer vape, all infused with liquid diamonds.”

Tilray introduces new German brand

Tilray has launched its first made-in-Germany medical cannabis brand.

ARX was developed and cultivated in Germany, and will debut at the Mary Jane Berlin 2026 expo, the company said.

“The introduction of ARX marks a significant step forward in the quality of medical cannabis available in Germany and reflects more than two years of development at the Aphria RX facility in Neumünster,” a news release said. “ARX combines genetics sourced from the Broken Coast renowned library with cultivation expertise developed through years of premium cannabis production in Canada and executed with German precision.”

Broken Coast is Tilray’s craft producer in Nanaimo, BC.