News

Quick Hits: Cannabis news in brief

Published on April 4, 2025 by oz. staff

Photo: Contributed

Cannabis news in brief: Sweetgrass ditches Ontario; Vancouver store unionizes; Organigram’s global branding; Breakthrough at Aurora; Validation for breathalyzer

Ontario not sweet enough for BC grower

A BC cannabis producer is leaving the Ontario market.

Kootenay-based Sweetgrass Cannabis posted on X: “It was a good run but we’ve made the call to step back from the market out there to concentrate our efforts elsewhere. Big thanks to everyone who showed support along the way.”

Ontario’s rules apparently make it difficult for small producers to succeed.

“Saddened for your customers in Ontario. Unfortunately, it is a very difficult province for a small craft company to do business in,” replied the Victoria Cannabis Company.

“It was a tough call but it was also a bit of a tough go to stay afloat in such a large market out there,” Sweetgrass replied to another comment. “ON is a huge market with certain requirements & demands that we’ve found difficult to meet as a small-scale producer.”

Sweetgrass products will continue to be sold in B.C., Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec, the company said.

Sweetgrass, which has been growing pot since 2020, operates a 6,000-square-foot facility in Ymir, near Nelson. It specializes in flower and pre-rolls.

Westcanna stores go union

Workers at WestCanna cannabis stores in Vancouver have unionized.

“WestCanna workers secured wall-to-wall union certification across their Vancouver stores with UFCW 1518,” the union said in social media postings. “This means the entire company’s local operations are now unionized, creating a stronger, more unified voice for workers.

Westcanna has two locations in Vancouver — the original store on West Broadway and a newer store on Robson Street. Westcanna opened in 2016 as a medical dispensary, according to its website.

The next step is to negotiate a first contract for the workers, the union said.

UFCW 1518 represents workers at cannabis stores in Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo and New Hazelton, and at Potanicals Green Growers in Peachland.

Quick Hits

🌄 Prohibition to craft: The history of cannabis in British Columbia  (Victoria Cannabis Company)

💸 High price: Trump tariffs to raise prices for US cannabis users (Reuters)

🍆 Shooting blanks? Your weed habit may be messing with your sperm (New York Times)

🤵‍♀️ C-shE-O: Aurora Cannabis recognized for executive gender diversity by the Globe and Mail (Newswire)

📊 Up and down: BC survey shows fewer young people using cannabis after legalization, but increased use among those who do (Stratcann)

Organigram thinking global

Organigram Holdings is changing its name to Organigram Global Inc.

Company shareholders voted for the name change in a virtual meeting on March 24. They also elected a board of directors.

Organigram operates facilities in Moncton, N.B., Lac-Supérieur, Que, and in Aylmer and London, Ont. It has an edibles facility in Winnipeg.

Its brands include Edison, Holy Mountain, Big Bag O’Buds, Shred and Boxhot.

Aurora makes mildew breakthrough

Edmonton-based Aurora Cannabis has discovered a new source of genetic resistance against powdery mildew.

“The development of this proprietary genetic marker technology, which is now in use in Aurora’s breeding program, is set to produce powdery mildew-resistant cultivars that will be explored for commercial launch this year,” the company said in a news release.

“This discovery offers a critical solution to a pressing challenge in the cannabis industry worldwide,” said Lana Culley, vice president of innovation and international operations at Aurora.

PM2 was developed through research by Jose Celedon, Aurora’s top scientist, in collaboration with researchers at the University of British Columbia.

In their peer-reviewed research, the scientists say: “breeding genetic resistance to economically important crop diseases is the most sustainable strategy for disease management and enhancing agricultural and horticultural productivity, particularly where the application of synthetic pesticides is prohibited.”

Breathalyzer validated

A Vancouver company’s cannabis breathalyzer has received more validation.

Cannabix partner Omega Laboratories says it has completed a full validation study that will be published to further show the effectiveness of the breath-testing system in real-world testing scenarios.

This validation marks a significant milestone for the breathalyzer, Omega says in a news release.

“Omega Laboratories is confident in the reliability and accuracy of the THC breath test system,” the release says.

Omega is headquartered in Ohio, with an additional facility in Ontario.