Aurora Cannabis to report Q4 late Tuesday, analysts expecting steep loss 

Aurora Cannabis reports its fiscal fourth-quarter results after markets close on Tuesday, with analysts expecting the Edmonton-based company to report $73.3 million in revenue, while booking a steep net loss of $572 million. Many of the company's main financial headlines were previously reported when Aurora announced its new CEO, and warned a write-down as large as $1.8 billion could lay ahead, but investors will be likely keeping a close eye on how the company’s net cannabis sales are doing as well as any further information on its U.S. plans. Canaccord Genuity analyst Matt Bottomley reduced his price target on Aurora to $10 from $21, stating in a report that flat-to-declining revenues could be more of an industry-wide trend for Canadian operators. 

B.C. to assist smaller and Indigenous-owned pot producers with retail distribution, farm-gate

British Columbia wants to make it easier for smaller and Indigenous-owned cannabis companies to make their marks in the legal industry. The province announced new measures late Sunday that include the option of delivering cannabis directly to licensed retailers as well as a new farm-gate sales program where producers will be able to sell their legal pot to consumers directly from their cultivation facility. The measures are scheduled to take effect in 2022 and are a contrast to what other provinces such as Ontario allow licensed producers to do, a reflection of Canada's fragmented regulatory rules surrounding the sale of cannabis. The B.C. government did not say how it will define small producers, but says nurseries will be included in the policy.   

Zimbabwe sets new rules for industrial hemp production

Zimbabwe is moving closer to establishing a robust cannabis industry after the country's agricultural industry unveiled new rules on how producers can grow industrial hemp. The country's agriculture minister said there will be three types of permits issued for growers, researchers and merchants, which will determine how industrial hemp can be grown, cultivated for research, or produced for a specific product. Previous restrictions on cannabis saw growers in Zimbabwe facing a jail term of up to 12 years. 

Manitoba to explore letting non-pot retailers sell cannabis

Manitoba is exploring whether it wants to allow businesses outside of the regulated retail sector to sell cannabis. Businesses like restaurants and spas could be able to sell cannabis, as the province's regulator announced plans to work with Leger, a market research and analytics firm, to determine whether Manitobans would be open to licensed cannabis-consumption spaces. The move could offer a fresh new revenue stream for businesses already under pressure from the pandemic and looking for an edge to lure customers back to their establishments, Global News reports. The website reports that the discussions are still "exploratory" and no formal decision is expected for some time. 

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