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TORONTO — Aurora Cannabis Inc this week became the first major Canadian company to sell edibles and vapes for medical use, a small base that nevertheless helps shore up margins and paves the way for sales in the much larger European medical market.

Medical marijuana has been legal in Canada since 2001, and recreational use since October 2018, but derivatives – products from cannabis extracts, like edibles – were only approved for sales this week for both medical and recreational use.

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“If you’re looking to launch a product into markets like Denmark or Germany, you are required to be selling it in the medical market in Canada first,” said Deepak Anand, chief executive of Materia Ventures, a Europe-focused cannabis distribution company.

Aurora executive Cam Battley acknowledged this was a consideration in boosting its medical menu.

Canada’s second-biggest marijuana producer added gummies, mints and vapes to its medical menu on Monday. Aurora declined to give the value of medical sales so far but said it had to replenish gummies supplies on its website and saw an uptick in patient registrations.