Aurora Ignites Global Expansion with Whistler Cannabis Co. Brand Debut in Australia
"Whistler is a tried-and-true brand in the Canadian market," said Andre Jerome, Executive Vice President of Global Business Development at Aurora. "We're excited to now extend its legacy, and our Canadian cultivation expertise, to Australian patients. This milestone underscores our commitment to global growth and our patient-first approach."
First developed in 2013, Whistler is cultivated in Aurora's state-of-the-art facility, Aurora Alpine, located in Pemberton Valley, British Columbia. Produced in small batches using top-tier, proprietary genetics, each plant is harvested at its peak ensuring consistent quality. The premium craft medical cannabis flower is hang-dried and hand-trimmed, undergoing a slow, controlled drying process to preserve delicate trichomes – which contain most of the plant's aroma, cannabinoids, and active compounds.
The first two Whistler Cannabis Co. products to launch in Australia are:
Ginger Breath – 32% THC, Indica, 10g, bred from '91 Royale and Driftwood Diesel genetics, and has a terpene profile of Caryophyllene, Pinene, and Linalool. This cultivar has a complex aroma profile of spicy-ginger, gasoline, chai and citrus.
Critical Diesel – 28% THC, Sativa, 10g, bred from Critical Sensi Star and Driftwood Diesel lineages, and has a terpene profile of Caryophyllene, Pinene, and Myrcene. This cultivar has a fruity aroma profile of cherry, grape, strawberry, vanilla and gasoline.
Aurora has established trusted leadership in Canadian and international medical cannabis markets through robust regulatory expertise, investment in technology and distribution, and an unwavering commitment to science. A strict adherence to EU and TGA GMP certified production enables the company's success in international markets.
About Aurora Cannabis Inc.
Aurora is opening the world to cannabis, serving both the medical and consumer markets across Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, Aurora is a pioneer in global cannabis, dedicated to helping people improve their lives. The Company's adult-use brand portfolio includes Drift, San Rafael '71, Daily Special, Tasty's, Being and Greybeard. Medical cannabis brands include MedReleaf, CanniMed, Aurora and Whistler Medical Marijuana Co., as well as international brands, Pedanios, IndiMed and CraftPlant. Aurora also has a controlling interest in Bevo Farms Ltd., North America's leading supplier of propagated agricultural plants. Driven by science and innovation, and with a focus on high-quality cannabis products, Aurora's brands continue to break through as industry leaders in the medical, wellness and adult recreational markets wherever they are launched. Learn more at www.auroramj.com and follow us on X and LinkedIn.
Aurora's common shares trade on the NASDAQ and TSX under the symbol "ACB".
Forward Looking Information
This news release includes statements containing certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements made in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the launch of the Company's Whistler Cannabis Co. brand in Australia, including related to product potency and availability, and statements regarding the Company's commitment to continued growth and success in global markets.
These forward-looking statements are only predictions. Forward looking information or statements contained in this news release have been developed based on assumptions management considers to be reasonable. Material factors or assumptions involved in developing forward-looking statements include, without limitation, publicly available information from governmental sources as well as from market research and industry analysis and on assumptions based on data and knowledge of this industry which the Company believes to be reasonable. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances could cause actual events, results, level of activity, performance, prospects, opportunities or achievements to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, the magnitude and duration of potential new or increased tariffs imposed on goods imported from Canada into the United States; the ability to retain key personnel, the ability to continue investing in infrastructure to support growth, the ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms, the continued quality of our products, customer experience and retention, the development of third party government and non-government consumer sales channels, management's estimates of consumer demand in Canada and in jurisdictions where the Company exports, expectations of future results and expenses, the risk of successful integration of acquired business and operations, management's estimation that SG&A will grow only in proportion of revenue growth, the ability to expand and maintain distribution capabilities, the impact of competition, the general impact of financial market conditions, the yield from cannabis growing operations, product demand, changes in prices of required commodities, competition, and the possibility for changes in laws, rules, and regulations in the industry, epidemics, pandemics or other public health crises and other risks, uncertainties and factors set out under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual information from dated June 17, 2025 (the "AIF") and filed with Canadian securities regulators available on the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com and filed with and available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. The Company cautions that the list of risks, uncertainties and other factors described in the AIF is not exhaustive and other factors could also adversely affect its results. Readers are urged to consider the risks, uncertainties and assumptions carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such information. The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities law.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Sun
2 minutes ago
- Toronto Sun
Here's what Canada's effective U.S. tariff rate might look like after carve-outs
Published Aug 12, 2025 • 3 minute read The Canadian flag flies near the Ambassador Bridge at the Canada-U.S. border crossing in Windsor, Ont., on Saturday, March 21, 2020. Photo by Rob Gurdebeke / THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA — When you peel back the many layers of tariffs and exemptions imposed by the United States, the effective tariff rate on Canada looks much lower than the headline figures suggest, some economists say. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account RBC senior economist Claire Fan said in an interview that the effective tariff rate is an average of the import duties paid on goods heading to the United States that accounts for exemptions tied to the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) on trade. While U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up blanket tariffs on Canada to 35% at the start of the month, that move maintained an exemption for goods compliant with the CUSMA. RBC estimates the effective tariff rate on Canadian goods is closer to 6% today. BMO's calculations from the start of the month place that figure a little higher, at around 7%. Read More Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Bank of Canada said in late July — before Trump's latest escalation — that it estimated the effective U.S. tariff rate was around 5%, up from almost nothing at the start of the year. RBC's calculation is based on export volume data from 2024. Other sets of data offer slightly different measures of the tariff strain facing Canadian businesses. Fan said that, according to data published by the U.S. Census Bureau, Canada's effective tariff rate was roughly 2.4% in June, before the latest wave of higher tariffs came into effect. That figure captures the actual duties paid at the Canada-U.S. border, she said, and may fall short because of delays in reporting and general confusion over tariff levels among businesses. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's not surprising that there's a certain amount of disarray at customs,' she said. The effective tariff rate could also be lower in practice as U.S. businesses shift away from importing Canadian goods that carry the highest levels of tariffs, Fan said. RECOMMENDED VIDEO While the effective tariff rate offers a simple explanation for the total level of U.S. tariffs facing Canada, Fan warned that it can underestimate the on-the-ground impact. 'It's not the best gauge of the severity of tariffs, but it's one of the only ones that we have, unfortunately,' she said. CUSMA compliance does not broadly exempt Canadian goods from sector-specific tariffs like those levied under Section 232 of U.S. trade legislation. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Ongoing U.S. tariffs of 50% on steel and aluminum, for example, will have an outsized impact on those sectors going forward, Fan said. At roughly 6%, Canada's effective tariff rate is well below the cumulative rate facing the United States' other trading partners right now, which RBC pegs at around 15% to 17%. 'That's the key point right there, which is why we're still one of the countries that's facing the least amount of U.S. tariffs right now,' Fan said. It's not fully clear to economists how much of the Canadian goods entering the United States are tariff-free under CUSMA. The Bank of Canada said in its monetary policy report in late July that it assumes Canadian businesses will collectively achieve CUSMA compliance on 95% of non-energy goods under a scenario that sees the tariff situation hold steady over the coming three years. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The central bank doesn't assume perfect compliance, since some businesses might not want to go through the administrative burden of securing a carve-out. But Fan said the CUSMA exemption is the critical element giving Canadian exporters a 'competitive advantage' over other highly tariffed economies. Oxford Economics' lead economist Adam Slater said in a report issued Monday that, despite tremendous uncertainty tied to disruption of trade with the United States, Canada and Mexico may extract some benefit as long as CUSMA remains active. That trade agreement is up for renegotiation in 2026. Based on U.S. Census Bureau data from June, Oxford calculates the effect tariff rate for China at 35%, Japan at 15% and the United Kingdom at 8%. The firm suggests that — at 2.5% — Canada's effective tariff rate is a bit higher than RBC's estimate based on the U.S. Census Bureau data, while Mexico's effective tariff rate is estimated at 4%. 'If the relatively low tariffs apparently being paid on imports from Mexico and Canada persist, these two economies could pick up some benefits from shifts in supply chains, although uncertainties over the endgame for tariffs and the future of the (CUSMA) deal will be near-term drags,' Slater wrote. Opinion Toronto Blue Jays Toronto & GTA Canada Toronto Blue Jays
Vancouver Sun
2 minutes ago
- Vancouver Sun
Opinion: A treaty beats a handshake
After what, for now, has been the most tumultuous month in Canada-U.S. trade relations, Canada emerges in a unique place among its G7 counterparts. We are the only G7 country without a new Trump trade deal. We are the only G7 member that is still retaliating with reciprocal tariffs against U.S. exports. And we have the lowest average tariff rate on our exports to the U.S. — by a long shot. How can this be? At approximately six per cent, the average tariff rate applied to Canadian goods is roughly one-third of the rate agreed to by the European Union and Japan and one-half of the U.K rate in their recent handshake trade deals with the Trump administration. A daily roundup of Opinion pieces from the Sun and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Amidst the confusion, the answer is clear. The rules-based trade framework embodied in the Canada-U.S. Mexico agreement (CUSMA) and its free trade predecessors (NAFTA, Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement) has, for now, held. Perhaps the most disturbing thing about Canada's inability to reach a bilateral deal with the U.S. last month was not the 10 per cent tariff bump on CUSMA non-compliant exports. It was the fact that Canada's negotiators did not find out until the very last minute that the CUSMA framework had survived President Trump's Sharpie in signing his July 31 executive order on Canada. In what is being called the 'CUSMA carve-out,' up to 95 per cent of Canada's non-energy exports face free or very low-tariff access to the U.S. market as long as they comply with CUSMA rules. There is a lot of confusion around CUSMA-compliant estimates at the moment, with some commentators saying the number is lower and others saying it might, in fact, go higher. The key variable at play here are CUSMA's rules-of-origin provisions. In a complicated set of rules, CUSMA accords duty-free status to exports that can demonstrate at least a majority of their content originates from one or more of the three CUSMA partners. However, compliance with these rules requires extensive paperwork and reporting. A year ago, some Canadian exporters of, say, widgets considered the expenses of complying with CUSMA's widget rules of origin to be greater than the cost of absorbing the minimal U.S. widget tariff applied to other countries shipping widgets to the U.S. This tariff, known in WTO terms as the most favoured nation rate, was on average less than two per cent for exports to the U.S. Now that this average tariff has soared to 35 per cent for Canadian widgets, exporters are reportedly scrambling to get inside the CUSMA-compliant tent to secure the duty-free access they had foregone before. The CUSMA carveout does not apply to extraordinary Trump tariff levies on key sectors of Canada's exports including automobiles (25 per cent on non-U.S. content) and steel, aluminum and copper (all at 50 per cent). Nor does it have bearing on the ever-growing levies on our softwood lumber exports which, through a process initiated under the Biden administration, is on track to face tariffs in the range of 35 per cent by the end of this year. In the topsy-turvy world of U.S. trade deals, several countries have agreed to accept tariffs at much higher levels with fewer carveouts and some extraordinary commitments. For example, at the end of July, the EU agreed to suspend over 93 million euros of retaliatory tariffs against U.S. imports in return for accepting a tariff of up to 15 per cent on its exports to the U.S. (The previous average rate had been 1.2 per cent). In addition, the EU has also agreed to buy an additional $750 billion in U.S. energy products over the next three years and make $600 billion in investments in 'various U.S. sectors' by 2029. These undertakings have been made with a handshake without any indication if the EU intends to press European enterprises that would actually be doing the business to meet these commitments. Several other handshake deals contain similar commitments — such as the U.S.'s deals with Japan ($550 billion US in investment commitments) and the Republic of Korea ($350 billion USD in investment commitments and $100 billion USD purchase of U.S. natural gas). So far, Canada has made no such commitments. Amidst the chaos of tariff changes and industry trade adjustment packages, it's sometimes hard to see Canada's CUSMA advantage. However, the advantage is real and is, for now, holding. CUSMA is a formal trade agreement not a handshake. The agreement, which came into effect in 2020, was the result of a negotiation initiated in President Trump's first term to replace NAFTA, which he had called 'the worst trade deal in history' We should be constantly reminding him that CUSMA is his agreement — the 'Art of the Deal' magician at the top of his game. Importantly, CUSMA was approved into law by the U.S. Congress in. As such, it cannot be simply torn up by a U.S. President in a foul mood — for now, at least. This shifts the focus to CUSMA's renewal, which is scheduled for a review in July 2026. At that time, the parties may recommend revisions to the agreement which, if agreed, would extend the agreement by another 10 years. If, however, any party wishes to withdraw from CUSMA they need only provide six months notice Despite being the author of the agreement, it's hard to believe that Mr. Trump will be in the mood to accept a few tweaks here and there as he arguably did in the conversion of NAFTA to CUSMA. Moreover, we are already hearing a slow and steady drumbeat that CUSMA renewal talks will be advanced — perhaps as early as the end of this year. What is apparent is that trade with our largest trading partner will be framed in the future by more complicated rules and restrictions. In addition to some tariffs, we can expect tighter rules-of-origin and more quantitative restrictions on our exports to the U.S., making trade more managed than free. The era of relatively friction-free trade and just-in-time supply lines is, for now, on a death watch. It is imperative that CUSMA can adapt to this new reality. Canada's trade negotiators will need to demonstrate a greater degree of creativity and resilience than has been needed in the ancient normal times. At the same time, we need to aggressively building a new trade profile that is more diversified and less dependent on our isolationist America First neighbour. CUSMA is Canada's most important economic agreement delivering significant benefits for an open economy such as ours. Over almost four decades of free trade, our exports to the U.S. have grown to constitute a full quarter of Canada's GDP. No small share. The world is changing rapidly and Canada needs CUSMA to safely evolve with it. We need agreed rules and commitments that can govern what will still be our largest trade relationship for a long time to come. As Prime Minister Carney is fond of saying 'A plan beats no plan' and, I might add, a treaty beats a handshake. Stuart Culbertson is a former deputy minister in the government of B.C. He served as B.C. trade representative during the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement negotiations
Vancouver Sun
2 minutes ago
- Vancouver Sun
Opinion: Renewing long-term care needs a balance of quality and quantity
Canada's long-term care sector is in the midst of an unprecedented boom, with federal and provincial governments investing billions to fund the development of new facilities. In Ontario, for example, the government has committed to building 30,000 beds by 2028. In B.C., plans are underway to replace or build 5,070 publicly subsidized beds by 2030. Similarly, Nova Scotia has committed to adding or modernizing 5,700 long-term care beds by 2032. To meet the demands of an aging population, the Canadian Medical Association has estimated that 199,000 new beds will be needed by 2035, costing $64 billion in capital. A daily roundup of Opinion pieces from the Sun and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. This investment is both urgent and necessary. But the investment requires more than beds alone. Building more beds has received far greater attention than supporting the care that residents need. Equal emphasis must be placed on improving quality of care, otherwise we risk scaling up the very problems we set out to solve. A clear example of this challenge is the ongoing use of antipsychotic medications in long-term care. These medications are often prescribed to manage behaviours in residents with dementia, even when there is no diagnosis, such as schizophrenia, that would warrant their use. This is considered inappropriate and can lead to serious harms, including sedation, falls, strokes and even death. Despite years of awareness and improvement efforts, Canada's rate of antipsychotic prescribing in long-term care has climbed following the COVID pandemic. Currently, 24.5 per cent of residents are prescribed these drugs when there is not a diagnosis to indicate their use. This is more than double the rate in the U.S. at 10 per cent and well above the 18 per cent in Australia and 15 per cent in Sweden. These differences point to a care system that is stretched thin, where medications are sometimes used as a substitute for time, training or resources to provide more personalized care. In response to these rising rates, a national coalition has set a target to reduce inappropriate antipsychotic use in Canadian long-term care homes to 15 per cent . Developed by an expert panel through a months-long consensus process, this is an achievable and necessary goal. But meeting it requires reinvestment not only in where care is delivered, but how it is delivered. This includes investing in training in behavioural support and dementia care. It means providing enough staffing hours, so care teams have the time to build relationships and understand resident needs. It also requires clear accountability supports in long-term care to sustain improvement efforts. We already know these approaches work. Across Canada, many homes have successfully implemented behavioural approaches that reduce reliance on medications while improving resident well-being. Music therapy, access to outdoor space, one-on-one engagement and meaningful recreational activities have all been shown to support residents with responsive behaviours without the need for antipsychotics. These approaches not only improve symptoms safely but treat residents with the care and dignity they deserve. Canada has an opportunity to renew long-term care. The success of this reinvestment must be measured not only by how many beds we add, but how well those beds are staffed, how care teams are supported, and how our residents are treated. Prioritizing quality alongside quantity is the only way to deliver not just more care, but better care. Dr. Wendy Levinson is chair of Choosing Wisely Canada and a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto.
