Canadian licensed producer Aurora Cannabis last week shipped 50 kilograms of medical cannabis from its facility in Alberta to Berlin, Germany-based producer Pedanios, a wholly-owned Aurora subsidiary which distributes to more than 1,500 pharmacies throughout the nation. The shipment was necessary to help offset “a significant shortage of supply,” according to a press release.
Neil Belot, Aurora chief global business development officer, described the shipment as a “huge milestone” for the two companies and “a critical step” in their international expansion strategy.
“Our team has done an outstanding job accelerating our entry into Europe,” he said in the release. “This is the first step in unlocking future potential markets in the EU of several hundred million people, and strongly validates Aurora’s acquisition of Pedanios as one of the most significant strategic transactions to date in the cannabis industry.”
Aurora had to obtain permits from both Health Canada and the German Bundesopiumstelle – the federal narcotics agency – before exporting the product on Sept. 18.
Aurora CEO Terry Booth indicated that Germany has more than twice the population of Canada and can, currently, only be served by four international producers; three of which distribute through Pedanios.
“Moreover, Pedanios provides a well-established gateway to the wider [European Union] market, which continues to grow as additional countries proceed in improving patient access through the establishment of their own national medical cannabis systems,” he said in a statement.
In addition to their German subsidiary, Aurora holds a 19.9 percent stake in Cann Group Limited, the first company granted approval to cultivate and research medical cannabis in Australia.