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“The only way that they could get into this journey was to become a full licensed producer, but without cultivation,” Neufeld noted. “They’re not a grower. They don’t want be.”

Neufeld said he was “fairly confident” that Shoppers will get its producer license, which would let it sell medical marijuana online.

In the meantime, Aphria has been expanding its greenhouse facility in Leamington, and aims to expand its capacity to one million square feet. The company also announced Nov. 7 that it had closed a bought-deal offering worth approximately $92 million, with the net proceeds expected “to be used in connection with the Company’s construction or acquisition of domestic production facilities,” among other uses.

Neufeld said his company is looking at the consumer preferences of today, and estimated that half of underground sales in Toronto involve marijuana that has been grown indoors in British Columbia.

“Some of the experience of bud grown in B.C., indoor, but from old culture guys, is just what consumers are going to want,” Neufeld said. “They’re getting it now, and they’ll want it tomorrow. And if you don’t have it, they’ll go elsewhere.”

Neufeld said he hasn’t been excited by any talk of acquisitions on the medical side of his business, where he says that his company is the “lowest cost producer.” Instead, Neufeld said Aphria is looking for recreational brands, and the right “bolt-on” acquisitions.

“Whether it’s going to be a separate sub-brand, it could possibly be,” said Neufeld. “It’s a wait-and-see until we find the right partner for us to jump into that. But we are absolutely on the hunt for that sort of, I call it a, more than a line extension, it’s an identity extension.”

“Ontario selling Ontario is good,” he added. “Ontario selling B.C. Bud … is really good.”

gzochodne@postmedia.com

Twitter: @geoffzochodne