Aurora Cannabis products unavailable in Germany until further notice

Image of a German dispensary

Aurora Cannabis’ medical marijuana products are temporarily unavailable in Germany pending a review by health authorities of “a proprietary step” in the Alberta company’s production process, a spokesperson confirmed to Marijuana Business Daily.

MJBizDaily corroborated the products’ unavailability with several German pharmacies “until further notice.”

According to the pharmacies, the reason is related to a method used by Aurora to ensure the shelf life of the flower, a process German authorities are currently reviewing.

The company “stands behind the safety of products previously sold to medical patients and has not initiated a recall,” Aurora’s spokesperson told MJBizDaily.

“Products for the German market are sourced from an EU GMP (Good Manufacturing Process)-certified facility and are safe to consume.”

German pharmacists said they were instructed to stop selling the products until the situation is clarified.

Aurora expects sales to resume “very early in the new year.”

The interruption, even if it ends up being very short, could be felt by the company after sales resume.

The reason is patients who were using Aurora flower will now have to switch to another supplier in order to not interrupt treatment.

A new prescription would be needed to go back to Aurora’s products after they become available, and doctors typically are hesitant to prescribe products that do not have a good track record of availability, according to medical and industry sources.

Aurora’s shares trade as ACB on the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Alfredo Pascual can be reached at alfredop@mjbizdaily.com