Canada: the world's leading exporter of medical cannabis

Canada moves slowly towards cannabis legalization in July 2018. The medical cannabis industry, however, has not waited for this opening to become the world's biggest: it exports a great deal internationally.

Canada has thus become the world's leading exporter of medical cannabis. And it's positioning itself in all the new markets, thanks to a handful of companies: Tilray, Aurora, Canopy Growth (and its subsidiaries Bedrocan Canada and Tweed), Aphria or Cannimed. Review of countries to which Canada exports cannabis.

South Africa

Export is not yet up and running, but has been announced in August. Cannimed will soon be distributing its oils in South Africa, in partnership with the South African company Akula Trading 2 Pty Ltd.

Germany

Germany represents a virtual Eldorado for medical cannabis companies, as its use is reimbursed by the health insurance system.

Aurora has acquired at the beginning of the year Pedianos, a German medical cannabis distributor. Pedianos was previously supplied by Peace Naturals, another Canadian company.

Tweed had already sent in July 2016 its first delivery of medical cannabis to German company MedDCann GmbH Pharma and Nutraceuticals.

Germany has virtually no domestic production. Other deals of this kind, whether Canadian or American, are likely to be concluded soon.

Australia

Australia is one of Canada's future markets of interest. Having legalized the medical use of cannabis In 2016, it banned the use of unprocessed flowers.

Tilray has therefore developed a CBD oil (not available in Canada), CBD Max, containing approximately 98% of CBD. Its other product is Tilray 1:1, which contains an equivalent ratio of THC and CBD.

Canopy is also in the starting blocks, and should soon be marketing some of its products there, as well as contributing some of its know-how.

Cannimed also exported 3,600 mL of oil there, with a second order scheduled for 360,000 mL by the end of September 2017.

Brazil

Bedrocan Canada has been exporting products to Brazil since June 2016. Tilray has teamed up with national producer Alef Biotechnology to market Tilray drops to Brazilian patients.

Chile

Few details on the products that will be sent there, but Tilray continues its partnership with Alef Biotechnology for the export of medical cannabis.

Cyprus

In May of this year, Tilray announced that it would be sending cannabis-based drops to Cyprus, in direct liaison with the Ministry of Health.

Croatia

With their export of THC and CBD-based capsules to Croatia, Tilray boasted the first legal export of «THC-containing products to Europe from North America for commercial medical use». The Croatian capsules contain a 1:1 ratio of THC:CBD.

Cayman Islands

Cannimed has entered into a strategic partnership with a local company to sell its cannabis oils, in May of this year. A total of 12,960 mL was exported.

New Zealand

New Zealanders have had (difficult) access to Tilray products since early 2017. Same products as in Australia.

Canadian medical companies have a bright future ahead of them. In particular, they are targeting Europe, which is just beginning to move into the medical sector, without any real production capacity. This competitive first-mover advantage is set to continue for the next 5 to 10 years. By then, the international cannabis market should be worth between $100 and $200 billion a year, according to estimates, with medical cannabis accounting for half the value.