Tobacco Giant Enters CBD space As It looks To Move Beyond Nicotine

A SECOND UK tobacco firm has turned its attention to cannabis with British American Tobacco launching a new CBD vaping device – Vuse CBD Zone.

BAT, which sells Dunhill, Lucky Strike and Benson & Hedges, disclosed its interest in developing new products for its vape brands Vype and Vuse, last year.

A pilot has now begun in a selection of Manchester convenience stores with a nationwide UK launch slated for later this year.

The company says it is the first ‘truly global’ vaping manufacturer to launch a CBD device and is part of its stated ambition to launch products that move its portfolio ‘beyond nicotine’.

Vuse CBD Zone is available in three e-liquid flavours: mint, mango, and berry. Fredrik Svensson, general manager at BAT UK & Ireland, said: “CBD vaping is a new category for us, and we will be using this pilot launch to gain key learnings about consumer and retailer experiences.”

CBD Gin Complaint Upheld

In 2020, British tobacco giant Imperial invested £75m into Canadian firm Auxly Cannabis Group in return for equity in a deal which allows the recipient access to Imperial’s vaping technology.

This follows its initial investment into fellow UK firm Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies in June, 2018.

A CBD-infused gin sold by Guilford-based Silent Pool Distillery has been the first alcoholic CBD drink to be censored by the alcoholic drinks watchdog the Portman Group.

A complaint under the Portman’s Code of Practice for the Naming, Packaging and Promotion of Alcoholic Drinks related to the making of therapeutic claims. It was upheld and the Portman Groups says it is now re-assessing its guidelines on the use of CBD in alcohol products.

AQSE-market listed World High Life has announced its wholly-owned subsidiary Love Hemp recorded second quarter sales – October 1 to December 31 – of £1,562,000 a 97% increase from Q1. It sold over 69,000 units sold online,

Tony Calamita, CEO of World High Life and Founder and CEO of Love Hemp, said: “We have seen huge growth potential during the pandemic.”

Ex-Zoetic CEO Crowdfunds £370,000

Following its investment in UK South West Brands Fast Forward Innovations has staked a further £560,000 vertically-integrated Australian Securities Exchange-listed Little Green Pharma.

Little Green recently announced it had achieved a major milestone with the first commercial shipment of cannabis flowers to Berlin-based Demecan.

Former Zoetic International CEO Nick Tulloch has secured over £370,000 for the launch of his new CBD brand Voyager Life.

The Perth firm sells CBD oils, soaps and gummies secured the cash – more than double its original target – on the Seedrs platform.

A US specialist in the CBD industry is establishing its European headquarters in Northern Ireland. Colorado-based Triverity Laboratories says its Belfast operation will create 10 specialist scientific jobs over the next two years.

It will be headed-up by Wendi Young, the former head of regulatory and compliance at Mile High Labs.

Australian Securities Exchange-listed ECS Botanics has signed a three-year supply agreement with London-based pharmaceuticals distribution company The Armour Group for the sale, export and distribution of medicinal cannabis oils.

Medical cannabis wholesaler The LYPHE Group has agreed to a deal with Canadian independent EU-GMP manufacturer Northern Green to buy its range of indoor-grown flowers under the brand name of NOIDECS.

DB Ventures, ex-England footballer David Beckham’s investment vehicle, has reportedly taken a stake in Cellular Goods; a synthetic CBD skincare firm which is reportedly looking to list on the London Stock Exchange (LSE).

The UK’s LSE debutants Kanabo Group and MGC Pharmaceuticals have both got off to strong starts – keep up with their progress by following their LSE tickers KNB and MXC.

Australia’s Cann Group is to buy UK-based health and wellness company Satipharm from Canada-based Harvest One Cannabis for C$4 million. Satipharm holds the exclusive licence to develop and market the proprietary Gelpell delivery system for cannabinoids.

European Round-Up

Israeli cannabis genetics start-up RCK has signed an agreement valued at several million dollars with a Dutch seed company, SeedTech, to develop new cannabis strains in the form of hybrid seeds.

Zenabis Global’s Maltese joint venture, ZenPharm has secured European Union Good Manufacturing Practice (EU-GMP) authorisation from the Malta Medicines Authority.

Tilray has agreed with Worldpharma Biotech to export Good Manufacturing Process medical cannabis from Portugal to Spain, and says it has been authorised sell its products in Portugal by its national healthcare regulator.

US firm Kaya Holdings and its Greek joint venture Kaya Kannabis has engaged Dutch-based Orange Ridge Capital to raise up to $45m for its 15-acre cannabis cultivation and processing facility in Thebes, Greece.

Panaxia Labs – Israel’s largest manufacturer of medical cannabis products – has been selected to supply premium oils to Cyprus by the Cypriot government.

HEXO Corp is to buy Zenabis Global for C$235m in an all-stock transaction and Tilray has reported its first profitable quarter as its proposed merger with Aphria looks set to conclude in Q2.