Avicanna signs medical cannabis supply deal with Canada’s Shoppers Drug Mart

Toronto-based Avicanna – which has cultivation operations in Colombia – on Friday announced an agreement with Shoppers Drug Mart to supply Canada’s largest pharmacy chain with medical cannabis.

However, the products – at least initially – won’t be shipped from Colombia. Avicanna will have one or more Canadian producers manufacture them, which will then be sold online only under Avicanna’s brands Rho Phyto medical cannabis and Pura Earth CBD derma-cosmetics.

Down the road, pending regulatory allowance, the products might be shipped to Canada from Avicanna’s Colombian operations, the company’s CEO, Aras Azadian, told Marijuana Business Daily.

Azadian confirmed that this move does not mean a downsizing of the Colombian operations.

The medicines are expected to become available in “in early-2020,” according to a news release.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The company’s products will be available only in the medical market.

Avicanna’s announcement also mentioned that sales efforts will be accompanied by “education, training and ongoing support” of the medical community.

The pharmacy chain previously signed supply deals with companies such as Aurora CannabisAphriaMedReleaf – now owned by Aurora – and Tilray.