Cannabis News
Village Farms International leads B.C. cannabis producers in global export push
Village Farms International, one of the world’s largest cannabis production facilities located in Delta, BC, increased its export volumes by more than 500 percent by the end of 2025, with international sales reaching US$37.9 million, or just over 20 percent of total cannabis revenue of US$188 million. The main export markets are Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Israel.
The company is also expanding, developing an additional 550,000 square feet of greenhouse space across the street from its main facility, designed to support both domestic and international cultivation. Orville Bovenschen, VFI’s global president of operations, points to the excise burden as a permanent strain on the domestic economy: “If you look at how much we paid in excise last year, it’s astronomical,” he says, although VFI declined to provide specific figures.
Walker Patton, one of the founders of the BC Cannabis Alliance, which represents about 50 licensed growers in the province, frames the domestic regulatory environment in stark terms: “With the rules that this industry was set up for, it’s like doing business right out of the gate.” Canada’s excise tax structure charges by weight instead of market price, meaning that since wholesale prices have fallen to roughly half of initial projections, effective tax rates for producers have risen.
© This is Holland
Sweetgrass Cannabis, a micro-farm located in the Kootenay region, now derives 60 to 70 percent of its sales from international markets after retreating from provinces such as Ontario and Alberta. Company CEO Gemma Hayes says: “Margins, as well as export opportunities, drove our decision.” Ontario’s wholesale markup of up to 25 per cent, layered with excise taxes, spurred what Hayes described as a “race to the bottom.”
Rubicon Organics, a Vancouver-based publicly traded company, entered international markets last year and recently opened a 47,500-square-foot facility in Hope in part to meet overseas demand. Speaking from the International Cannabis Conference in Berlin, Mathieu Aubin, director of marketing and new business, said: “Canada is very well positioned to access international markets for reliable and safe cannabis,” noting that reliability and product integrity are key to gaining access to the medical market.
Not all producers have equal access to these markets. Alex Rumi, founder of grower Good Buds out of Salt Spring Island, said established export markets are structured around an indoor pharmaceutical-style model that hurts sun-grown cannabis, and that Canada’s export system “works for big growers and doesn’t work for craft.” Julia Cameron, president of Cannabis Cultivators of BC and chair of communications and corporate affairs for the VFI, added that growers must secure permits for each shipment while navigating different rules across countries, creating a prohibitive barrier for small operators.
BC has more than 200 licensed growers and accounts for roughly a quarter of Canada’s legal cannabis production, but represents only 14 percent of national exports. Lana Popham, B.C.’s Minister of Agriculture and Food, points to the FIFA World Cup games in Vancouver as a near-term possibility: “It will be interesting to see how many people engage with what is a great product here in B.C.”
Cannabis News
Will the top World Cup expert in the fruit, vegetable, and horticulture sector come from Canada, the U.S. or Belgium?
FreshPublishers 2026 World Cup Group Stage
The World Cup is coming to an end, with the third-place play-off between France and England on Saturday, and the final between Spain and Argentina the following day. It won’t be long until the grand winner of FreshPublishers’ first World Cup pool is revealed.
© Fresh Publishers
As previously reported, Slim Kooli from Courchesne Laros is the favorite to win the €1,000 prize. He has secured a comfortable lead over Nol Batist of North American Interstate Greenhouse Company, while buyer Bjorn Van Ryckeghem of Deprez Construct is currently in third place.
| 1 | Sim School | Spain | 1–0 | 2–1 | 737 | 9716 | |
| 2 | Nol Batist | France | 2–1 | 1–1 | 674 | 9433 | |
| 3 | Bjorn Van Ryckeghem | France | 2–2 | 3–1 | 674 | 9264 | |
| 4 | Christian Anton Smedshaug | England | 1–2 | 1–2 | 659 | 9134 | |
| 5 | Perry Springintveld | Spain | 1–1 | 2–1 | 647 | 9105 | |
| 6 | Willem Tijssen | Spain | 2–0 | 2–1 | 710 | 9098 | |
| 7 | Hans Borsboom | Spain | 2–1 | 2–1 | 528 | 9058 | |
| 8 | Bart Triemstra | Spain | 2–1 | 2–1 | 737 | 9052 | |
| 9 | Youness Bensaid | Spain | 2–1 | 1–1 | 722 | 8954 | |
| 10 | Vijay Dijkstra | Portugal | 2–0 | 2–1 | 382 | 8953 |
However, there have been some surprises during the tournament, and bonus points must be added, so we will keep the suspense a little longer. On Monday we will find out who is the main World Cup announcer in the international fruit, vegetable and horticulture sector…
Standard Wellness has entered into an agreement with License in the Flats, LLC to enter into definitive agreements to acquire a dispensary license in the Flats following the required regulatory review period. At the end of that period, the company and License in the Flats intend to execute those agreements and then continue to develop the dispensary into a retail location branded The Forest Cleveland.
Following regulatory approval of the change of ownership by the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control, the new dispensary will become the Company’s first retail location in the city of Cleveland, where the Company is headquartered.
Additionally, the Company announced the divestiture of The Forest Sandusky and The Forest Springfield, its Ohio dispensaries, to Greenlight, again subject to pending regulatory approvals.
“We are excited to expand our presence in the city of Cleveland and serve guests in our hometown,” said Kate Ols, Vice President of Retail for Standard Wellness. “As our business continues to grow, we are focused on building a retail network that will best position us to serve our communities for the long term. At the same time, we are proud of the role our Sandusky and Springfield dispensaries have played in Ohio’s cannabis history, and we are confident that those communities will continue to grow under Greenlight’s leadership.”
Standard Wellness and Greenlight are working closely together to support a smooth transition for staff and guests throughout the transfer process. As established operators in Ohio and Missouri, the companies share a commitment to strengthening the regulated cannabis industry and serving the communities in which they operate.
The new dispensary is expected to serve both local residents and visitors while completing the Company’s Northeast Ohio footprint.
Under Ohio law, a cannabis operator cannot hold more than eight dispensary licenses statewide. The acquisition of the Cleveland license and divestiture of The Forest Sandusky and The Forest Springfield allows Standard Wellness to continue to meet Ohio’s property limits while strategically repositioning its Ohio retail footprint and focusing investments in key markets.
Forest Sandusky and Forest Springfield have played significant roles in the evolution of Ohio’s cannabis industry. Sandusky was the site of the state’s first legal cannabis sale in January 2019, and Springfield became the first part of Ohio’s cannabis industry merger and acquisition transaction when Standard Wellness purchased Pure Ohio Wellness’ dispensary.
For more information:
Standard Wellness Holdings
standardwellness.com/
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