BCBusiness

MAY 2019 BCBUSINESS 17 SUHARU OGAWA A s of March, the value of Canada's six largest cannabis companies totalled almost $43 billion—that's a lot of cash (or kush). But not all the buzz is reserved for the big- gest •rms. Take these four B.C.-based companies, all of which have the potential to play in the pot space for the foreseeable future. BURB CATEGORY: Cannabis products, accessories and clothing LOCATION: Its •rst, „agship store just opened in Port Coquitlam…on 4/20 ACTIVE SINCE: 2019 BUZZ: Design-savvy bricks-and- mortar and online seller of streetwear, dope accessories and, well, high-quality, care- fully selected dope: "Our stores will sell cannabis, apparel and accessories," notes founder John Kaye. "More than that, we'll be selling culture" SELLING POINT: Combining slick branding with an upscale buy- ing experience I WANT IN: Privately owned ON THE HORIZON: Burb is plan- ning to "start low, go slow." In addition to the original loca- tion, it will gradually add seven more retail storefronts by 2021, all in the Lower Mainland. The company has the ex- COO of Loblaws on its board and an advisory team that includes Starbucks' EVP of U.S. retail operations and the founder of hip NYC-based Paper magazine PROSPECTS: Well- designed apparel and accessories, a gorgeous, clean- lined modern store and select B.C. cannabis products bode well for the new venture DOJA CANNABIS CO. CATEGORY: Small-batch can- nabis grower, online retail and lifestyle LOCATION: Kelowna ACTIVE SINCE: 2014 BUZZ: Boutique producer espousing a seductive, old- skool approach to cannabis harvesting: "After reaching full maturation, every batch is „ushed, dried and slow cured as a whole plant to retain the „avour and nose. We stay true to the culture by trimming by hand." Down on Yasgur's farm, no doubt SELLING POINT: Not just a grow- op, Doja is also a lifestyles product e-tailer and café now backed by Canopy Growth, an industry heavy hitter I WANT IN: You'll need to go through the back door. In 2017, Doja merged with Tokyo Smoke to form Hiku Brands (which also counts female- oriented Van der Pop acces- sories as part of its stable). Last year, Ontario-based Canopy, Canada's largest cannabis company, bought Hiku in a $326-million deal PROSPECTS: Hiku Brands is poised to be a marketing pow- erhouse. With Canopy behind it, the future looks promis- ing for Doja and its a§liated companies TANTALUS LABS CATEGORY: Recreational and medical cannabis producer LOCATION: Vancouver and Maple Ridge ACTIVE SINCE: 2012 BUZZ: Created a 75,000-square- foot, state-of-the-art environ- mentally friendly growing facility called SunLab, the •rst such greenhouse to rely on sunlight instead of arti•- cial light. One angel investor described Tantalus as the Tesla of the cannabis industry SELLING POINT: Its Sungrown cannabis is highly rated—and, according to some reviews, a delightfully intense green, which is apparently what happens when the sun is your primary enerªy source. Who'd a thunk? I WANT IN: Privately owned. "We are the largest cannabis company that you cannot buy," Tantalus CEO Dan Sutton told BNN Bloomberg last year PROSPECTS: Industry leadership in sustainability—plus clever "Sungrown BC Cannabis" branding—means Tantalus is well positioned to carve out an enduring niche TILRAY CATEGORY: Medical marijuana producer LOCATION: Nanaimo ACTIVE SINCE: 2013 BUZZ: For a brief time last Sep- tember, Tilray was the world's most valuable cannabis com- pany, reaching US$300 a share after debuting at US$17 just seven weeks earlier. Bubbly! SELLING POINT: Tilray was the •rst cannabis out•t to go public in the U.S. I WANT IN: Although the stock is well o¯ its highs, you'll still pay for the privilege. In late March, shares were trading in the US$65 range ON THE HORIZON: Tilray recently inked a deal with Swiss-based pharma company Novartis and another with U.S. brewing giant Anheuser-Busch, to make a cannabis-based drink for the Canadian market. But in the future, it will concentrate on Europe and America PROSPECTS: This Bud's for You? Radar Love From licensed producers to consumer- facing retail, these B.C. cannabis operations are going up—in smoke by Guy Saddy ( the informer ) P O T S HO T S

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