Pot companies to shed light on production next week

Four Canadian-based cannabis companies will report third-quarter earnings next week, providing a glimpse to how the start of legalized cannabis in Canada has fared. While most cannabis companies are unlikely to show revenues from recreational weed as the quarter ended prior to Oct. 17 when pot became legal in Canada, the earnings calls present an opportunity for some of the companies to describe how sales have unfolded. Aurora Cannabis reports early Monday, while Tilray and Cronos Group publish their earnings on Tuesday. Canopy Growth reports its results early Wednesday to cap the week.

Second Cup looks to pot for growth

Canadian coffee retailer Second Cup is looking to a future where people can smoke their marijuana while enjoying a latte, one of its directors told BNN Bloomberg’s David George-Cosh. Earlier this week, Second Cup announced it began a strategic review which company director Michael Serruya said will include a “full spectrum” of options that includes shutting underperforming stores. The company wants to try its hand at cannabis with a plan that could see at least 20 stores in Ontario retrofitted into pot shops.

Brink’s tie-up with Canopy a potential derivative pot play

Brink’s, the armoured truck company best known for ferrying cash to banks, now wants to get into the pot business. The company struck a deal with Canopy Growth late Thursday to provide “secure logistics and cash management services” for the cannabis company, including international shipments of weed. The tie-up could see Brink’s become a derivative pot play without betting on volatile pot stocks, according to a report from Bloomberg.

Why cannabis patents could be worth billions of dollars

Competition is heating up as pot companies invest in a myriad of technology and biotech services to make plants grow strong, refine concentrates and perfect the cannabis-infused edible. Firms are rushing to lock in lucrative patents to come out ahead of their peers, reports the Financial Post. With forecasts of the global pot industry as high as US$194 billion in the coming years, intellectual property may emerge as a way some companies could get an edge. Securing IP was a significant factor behind Constellation Brands’ $5 billion investment in Canopy Growth.

What a new U.S. Attorney General could mean for legal pot

What’s the outlook for legalizing cannabis in America with Jeff Sessions out as U.S. Attorney General? Forbes reports that the table is now set for President Donald Trump to select a new attorney general which could be good - or very bad - for the cannabis industry. Matthew Whitaker, Sessions’ former chief of staff, has assumed the role on an interim basis and it’s generally unclear how he will rule on state marijuana laws.

DAILY BUZZ

“We’re going to focus on the high-end market, the segment of the market that will be under less pricing pressure.”

– Vinay Tolia, CEO of The Flowr Corporation, on the company’s focus on producing high-end cannabis for legal marijuana markets.

Cannabis Canada is BNN Bloomberg’s in-depth series exploring the stunning formation of the entirely new – and controversial – Canadian recreational marijuana industry. Read more from the special series here and subscribe to our Cannabis Canada newsletter to have the latest marijuana news delivered directly to your inbox every day.