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Another key vertical that is untouched by the industry in Canada is the veterinary market, where CannTrust is developing products with Grey Wolf Animal Health. “It’s a really exciting vertical because it allows us to work with CannTrust’s technical and development teams to optimize our standardized product line for Canadian veterinarians,” says Dr. Ian Sandler, CEO of Grey Wolf Animal Health. “We’ve seen strong results coming out of the U.S. in that vertical. The potential is significant, and no one in Canada is in this yet.”

Dr. Sandler reports that the overall pet industry spend in Canada is around $7 billion and growing. “People love their pets,” he says. “When you look at companion animals, there are 16 million in Canada. We see a huge opportunity in creating products for that market.”

Pet owners have long expressed a serious interest in cannabis-based treatments because they are derived from natural products and cost less than other medications, Dr. Sandler notes. Grey Wolf products are expected to be introduced to the veterinary marketplace by Q4 of this year.

Moving forward, Rogers says CannTrust will continue to take its best practices to tackle additional verticals that make sense. “We have a strong platform from which we can work.”

Projects on the go include cannabis-infused food and beverage products such as single-serve brewing pods for Keurig brewers and sports recovery drinks. The company has invested significantly in nanotechnology that reduces the particle size, thus enabling ease of mixing CBD/THC in water-soluble solutions like beer, wine and many other drinks. As well, Canntrust owns a unique extraction process that actually produces a product free of any taste, which is ideal for CBD/THC-infused drinks and edibles that the company anticipates will be approved in the next round of recreational legislation. It also foresees applications for the technology in the formulation and production of health and beauty products like shampoos and topical creams.