Cannabis Weekly Round-Up: Executive Survey Reveals Latest Industry Struggles

EY's cannabis CEO survey shows business challenges

The cannabis team at EY released its latest report this week, the EY Global Cannabis CEO Survey.

The survey collects opinions from industry executives on a variety of topics, such as the financial state of the market.

The last year offered plenty of challenges as inflation, rising costs and limited capital for publicly traded players pushed the limits of active companies. In fact, the study recognizes the need for strategic M&A.

“Put simply: 2023 is depicted as another 'tricky' year for the industry, with significant upside for companies that have established strong foundations and are better capitalized,” the report indicates.

The study found over half of the respondents “will require funding in the next 6-12 months." At the same time, about half of the executives indicated their capital investments in 2023 will be equal or less to the previous year.

Even so, many participants expressed optimism about their business strategies for 2023 and ahead.

"Although cannabis executives are anticipating another wave of intense hurdles with persistent inflation, ongoing competition, pricing compression and margin pressure, companies that have established strong foundations are confident that they'll weather the storm," said Rami El-Cheikh, leader at the EY Americas Cannabis Center of Excellence.

Major app now offering cannabis delivery in BC

Uber Technologies’ (NYSE:UBER) Canadian division announced a partnership with Leafly (NASDAQ:LFLY) in BC to offer cannabis deliveries to anyone over the age of 19. Through the popular Uber Eats app, the companies will work together to fulfill customers' orders from local licensed cannabis retailers.

Klaas Knieriem, general manager of new verticals for Uber Eats Canada, stressed a safety element to this announcement, saying delivery will help prevent consumers from driving impaired.

The move by Uber Canada represents another way players outside the cannabis industry are getting exposure to the sector.

"More British Columbians are accessing legal cannabis than ever before,” Knieriem said.

Cannabis company news

• Curaleaf Holdings (CSE:CURA,OTCQX:CURLF) informed shareholders it will restate financial statements from the Q4 2021 and Q1 and Q2 2022 periods as wrong figures have been identified from “review of certain purchases and sales of products through the Company's wholesale channel to determine whether they had commercial substance, and to confirm the timing and appropriateness of the recognition of revenue from those transactions.”

• Fire & Flower Holdings (TSX:FAF,OTCQX:FFLWF) completed a master license agreement with MC Cannabis, a subsidiary of grocery giant Alimentation Couche-Tard (TSX:ATD).

• Trees (NEO:TREE) closed an acquisition strategy for five operating dispensaries on Vancouver Island. The additional stores will bring in C$500,000 per month starting in the Q2 period.

• TerrAscend (CSE:TER) issued an update on its planned uplisting to the Toronto Stock Exchange. “Assuming the proposed reorganization is approved by our shareholders and the TSX grants approval for the listing of TerrAscend's common shares, we should be in a position to commence trading on the TSX shortly thereafter,” Jason Wild, executive chairman of TerrAscend, said.