Canadian exports of medical cannabis hit an all-time high last year as the county’s licensed producers continue to diversify from the competitive local market in favor of pursuing top-line opportunities overseas.

In the 2023-24 fiscal year, Canada exported roughly 218 million Canadian dollars ($189 million) worth of medical marijuana products for commercial and scientific use, MJBizDaily has learned.

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That’s an increase of more than 36% from the previous year’s exports of CA$160 million.

The data from regulator Health Canada paints a picture of brisk and consistent growth in the export sector.

In previous years, the revenue of cannabis exports reported by licensed producers was:

CA$8 million in 2019-20. CA$39 million in 2020-21. CA$107 million in 2021-22.

Health Canada said the 2023

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The number of active U.S. cannabis business licenses continued to shrink in early 2024, according to CRB Monitor, a marijuana intelligence firm that tracks and monitors licenses in the regulated industry.

Total active licenses – including those in regulated medical and recreational marijuana markets – fell 6% from the fourth quarter of 2023 and by 10% from the first quarter of last year.

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The latest licensing numbers mark the fifth consecutive quarter of declines; the number of business permits began shrinking in 2022.

License totals declined on a year-over-year basis for the first time in 2023, when the number of active permits fell 4% compared to 2022 numbers.

The licensing declines come after years of nearly double-digit growth in the rapidly expanding marijuana

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Creditors of cannabis operator MedMen Enterprises will meet in a few weeks as investors seek repayment for hundreds of millions of dollars in outstanding debt.

The cash-strapped company entered bankruptcy proceedings in Canada on Friday and placed its California retail assets in receivership, the first steps to unwind the business and sell off assets in liquidation.

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The developments usher in the end of the company’s days as a marijuana multistate operator and cement perhaps the most precipitous downfall in the marijuana industry to date.

With creditors reporting more than 560 million Canadian dollars ($410 million) in claims, MedMen likely represents the largest failure in U.S. and Canadian marijuana retail history.

At one point, the company operated more than 20 stores nationwide, including about

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