Cannabis Weekly Round-Up: Earnings Season Kicks Off

Trio of cannabis companies shares financial results

This week's financial results from leading cannabis companies showcase different facets of the industry and are a chance for investors to assess the health of the market.

Wednesday (August 3) brought reports from two US-based companies with different cannabis business plans: Green Thumb Industries (CSE:GTII,OTCQX:GTBIF) and Innovative Industrial Properties (IIP) (NYSE:IIPR).

Green Thumb reported a revenue jump of nearly 5 percent from the last quarter to finish the Q2 period with US$254.3 million in revenue. The increase in revenue brought the company US$24.4 million in net income, its eighth consecutive positive quarterly period.

Green Thumb Founder, Chairman and CEO Ben Kovler credited his team for navigating the challenging macroeconomic setup. “The complexity in US cannabis makes us work harder and smarter every day to create long-term value for all our stakeholders,” Kovler said in the update.

For its part, IIP reported US$70.5 million in revenue for the Q2 period, creating a net income line of nearly US$40 million. The cannabis real estate investment trust firm continued paying a dividend to shareholders. This time it came in at US$1.75, representing a 25 percent uptick from last year.

Over the border, leading Canadian firm Canopy Growth (NASDAQ:CGC,TSX:WEED) shared less glowing results for its first fiscal quarter of 2023. Leading executives for the company celebrated a more disciplined approach to spending and advancements from a pipeline of products with and without cannabis.

Canopy's revenue for the quarter was flat compared to the previous period, and it reported a larger net loss compared to the preceding quarter. The firm blamed its C$2 billion net loss on a C$1.7 billion “impairment in goodwill, and non-cash fair value changes.”

Canadian cannabis waste reaches record level

New figures from Health Canada, first reported by MJBizDaily, show that in 2021, 425 million grams of licensed cannabis were destroyed by Canadian producers.

Additionally, 7 million packaged products were destroyed by these companies.

“Since 2018, almost 900 million grams of unpackaged dried cannabis has been destroyed by licensed producers because of overproduction and quality issues,” the report indicates.

The new numbers show a 50 percent uptick from the amount destroyed in 2020, 279 million grams.

Cannabis company news

• PharmaCielo (TSXV:PCLO,OTCQX:PCLOF) confirmed the first shipment of “cannabinoid products” to its Mexico-based joint venture. "The Mexican market represents a large, near and mid-term opportunity for PharmaCielo, and we are proud to export cannabinoids in support of the development of products for the medicinal market,” Bill Petron, CEO of PharmaCielo, said.

• High Tide (NASDAQ:HITI,TSXV:HITI) acquired eight Canadian cannabis dispensaries for C$4.2 million in shares of the company, with a plan for an additional ninth dispensary pending regulatory approval.

• MariMed (CSE:MRMD,OTCQX:MRMD) announced the debut of a new cannabis-infused ice cream brand done in collaboration with Emack & Bolio’s. The two initial flavors launched are Cup O’ Coffee Chip and Chocolate Sunny Days. More flavors are planned in the future.

• Tilray Brands (NASDAQ:TLRY,TSX:TLRY) announced an agreement has taken place between a division of its wellness subsidiary and Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. It will gain access to a wider distribution network to position a new avenue for its CBD beverages.