Debra Borchardt
It’s time for your Daily Hit of cannabis financial news for July 30, 2018.
On The Site
Scythian Biosciences
Last month Scythian Biosciences agreed to sell its interests and assets in Argentina, Columbia, and Jamaica to Aphria Inc. in a deal valued at $193 million. Now the company is taking that money to enter the Florida Medical Marijuana market in a deal valued at C$136 million.
Scythian signed a letter of intent (LOI) to purchase CannCure Investments Inc, which is an Ontario-based company that is itself in the process of acquiring an interest in the Florida-based 3 Boys Farms, along with The Healthcare Organization. In addition, the deal includes a Florida agricultural company that has a license to operate as a Medical Marijuana Treatment Center in the state. The deal is expected to close on or about October 15, 2018.
Insys Therapeutics
The FDA giveth and the FDA taketh away. On July 27, 2018, Insys Therapeutics (INSY) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declined to approve the company’s New Drug Application for Subsys, an opioid-based painkiller, on the grounds that it was potentially unsafe.
News of the denial on Friday sent Insys shares sliding by 9% to $6.62. For the last several years, Insys shares have been on the decline, due in large part to the company’s ongoing legal issues.
Organigram
Canadian-based Organigram Holdings Inc. (OGRMF) stock rose over 2% to approximately $3.43 after the cannabis delivered solid results for its fiscal third quarter. The company reported sales of C$3.7 million for the fiscal third quarter versus last year’s C$1.9 million in the same time period. The company also reported net income of C$2.8 million for a sequential increase of 162% compared to $1.1 million in the second quarter. This easily topped last year’s third-quarter loss of $C2.3 million.
In Other News
Phivida Holdings
Phivida Holdings Inc. (PHVAF) won the approval of its Form 211 by FINRA, and the approval to graduate on to the OCTQX Best Market as a foreign issuer, with full DTC eligibility now in process. The Company’s common shares are scheduled to commence trading on the OTCQX under the symbol “PHVAF” effective July 30th, 2018.
Village Farms International, Inc.
Village Farms International, Inc. (VFFIF) and Emerald Health Therapeutics, Inc. (EMHTF) announced that their 50/50 joint venture for large-scale, low-cost, high-quality cannabis production, Pure Sunfarms, has received its cannabis sales license from Health Canada. Pure Sunfarms is now permitted to immediately begin selling product from its expanding inventory of high-quality dried cannabis, including to Emerald Health Therapeutics, under their previously announced supply agreement, as well as to address significant demand from other licensed producers. This sales license also positions Pure Sunfarms to secure supply agreements with provincial government distributors for the imminent legal adult-use marketplace.
2 comments
Cobus Pieterse
July 31, 2018 at 4:03 pm
Would like to buy shares in canabis companies before IPO
How do I go about this, if you can help me with this info please.
Thank you and kind regards.
Cobus
Cape Town
Debra Borchardt
July 31, 2018 at 8:28 pm
Those shares are given to investors, employees, founders, etc. There is no secondary market at this time for trading shares of private cannabis companies. There are some markets like this for tech stocks because so many employees are paid in stock but then they don’t go public for years. Cannabis stocks go public relatively quickly.