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Lab testing in Canada
Questioning inconsistencies and proposing potential solutions to analytical testing BY TREENA HEIN
Sizing up the threat posed by side effect research agendas
| From the Editor
| Under the Lights Q&A with Nick Sosiak, CFO, Cannara Biotech
The science behind Safari Meet master grower Stacie Hollingworth and CEO Brigitte Simons in this company profile BY HALEY
NAGASAKI

By Haley Nagasaki
This issue we feature the talented team at Safari Flower located in Ontario’s Niagara Region. In conjunction with Women’s History Month in March, we’re showcasing industry excellence embodied by award-winning master grower Stacie Hollingworth, and CEO Brigitte Simons, a C-45 board member, chemistry PhD, and expert in quality, data collection and laboratory services.
We also hosted our first quarterly event this month and were fortunate to have Safari’s director of QA and compliance, Beatrix Csemer, moderate our Focus On: Labs & Cannabis Testing event panel. We look forward to the next virtual summit, Focus On: Extraction, happening May 31.
In this issue of Grow Opportunity , seasoned journalist Treena Hein addresses analytical testing. A complex topic it proved to be as the green industry grapples with lack of standardization and the notion of statistically improbable potency results and its repercussions. In her feature, Hein identifies solutions proposed by C-45 chair Tom Ulanowski, C3 president George Smitherman, and Deloitte Canada’s risk advisory director Brenna Boonstra. Regulatory consultant and former government regulator Denis Gertler joins us this issue, providing a cautionary tale through the Vantage Point column. Gertler detects possible research agenda threats opposing the cannabis sector
in the realms of respiratory illness and aggravated mental health for those predisposed. He calls out the “resurgent prohibitionist ethos alive in medical research,” and suggests additional vigilance to an already hypervigilant industry, one whose mandate is always to remain a few steps ahead.
As we wrap up the end of March, our friends at Marigold PR host their Tether B-Week, or Budtender Appreciation Week, from the 20th to the 26th. In correspondence, Grow Opportunity launched a new budtender column “Behind the Counter,” revealing the workings of our regulated cannabis gatekeepers.
As we find our footing in the long game, how might we in the corporate cannabis landscape develop models to better assist communities in need?
Finally, our Under the Lights Q&A guest this issue is Nick Sosiak, aka Niko Dank, CFO of high-performance Quebec LP, Cannara Biotech. Sosiak discloses the upcoming genetic he’s most excited to launch, talks Tribal brand specifics, and recognizes budtenders as his salespeople – happy to answer any questions they have for producers. Sosiak also returns as our next podcast guest, episode dropping March 31, sponsored by Anton Paar.
As we close out the first quarter of 2023, PRs flood the
web with topics of note including Canada’s interest in the international cannabis marketplace and expansion into psychedelics. As we’ve heard, some Canadian companies, especially those on the West Coast, seek to amend their Controlled Drug and Substances Dealer’s License to include psychoactive substances such as ketamine and MDMA for trials and treatment of mental health disorders, as well as, and I hope, taking a step towards destigmatization and harm reduction in response to the drug crisis in British Columbia.
As we find our footing in the long game, how might we in the corporate cannabis landscape develop models to better assist those in need? By that I mean how might we find ways to subsidize medical treatment and better support communities, many of whom have roots in the legacy market off whose genetics and style we piggyback. What are the parallels between the collapse of industry and that of mental health, and where is the point of mutual reconciliation?
Welcome to the inaugural Buyers Guide issue of Grow Opportunity . Our publication continues to evolve with this dynamic marketplace, and we thank those who have come along for the ride. Thank you to our contributors, sponsors, and readers. Continue to connect with us, amongst yourselves, and enjoy the five-page spread of our first Buyers Guide.
To brighter days ahead!
March/April 2023
Vol. 7, No. 1 growopportunity.ca
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By Denis Gertler
regulator.
This February, the International Congress on Clinical Trials on Cannabis met in London, U.K. where experts presented the latest findings on therapeutic uses and benefits of cannabis.
Findings covered a wide range of areas such as improved survival of brain cancer patients, the world’s first clinical trial for treatment of anxiety, reduced pain from cluster headaches, and lessened inflammation affecting tooth loss.
Treatment of chronic pain and some types of epilepsy are frequently mentioned. Also, that cannabis use may help people shed alcohol addiction and opioid dependency.
Peer-reviewed literature has reported progress in treating symptoms of mental illness such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Help alleviating effects of chemotherapy is another observed outcome. And contrary to popular belief, studies have found evidence that cannabinoids can improve memory and learning performance.
To be sure, there are also some red flags around cannabis use.
Studies have found that cannabis may aggravate symptoms of bipolar disorder although there is very limited evidence that its use leads to bipolarity. There is moderate evidence that cannabis use
may elevate risk of depression, suicidal ideation and perhaps psychoses such as schizophrenia, although there is no evidence that the incidence illness is affected by legal access.
Lately, researchers have begun exploring connections between cannabis and respiratory illness and it’s here where the industry should perhaps be paying closer attention.
A widely reported University of Ottawa/Ottawa Hospital study revealed an association between “marijuana” smoking and chronic damage to airways. According to the press release, researchers found that cannabis smokers have a higher rate of emphysema and airway diseases compared to cigarette smokers.
The study examined the chest CT examinations of 56 marijuana smokers, 57 non-smokers and 33 tobacco-only smokers. They determined higher rates of paraseptal emphysema and airway inflammatory changes, such as bronchiectasis, bronchial wall thickening, and mucoid impaction in cannabis smokers.
Looking directly at the research, however, tells a markedly different story than the publicity.
The paper’s authors own up to several key limitations. A tiny sample size is acknowledged, and an admission that causality cannot be inferred from the findings. Most concerning, 89 per cent of cannabis smokers (50 of 56) were also tobacco smokers, meaning that lung
Judging by the public messaging from the study, there seems to be an agenda to conflate tobacco and cannabis use.
damage found in members of this cohort cannot be meaningfully attributed to cannabis use.
The authors acknowledge that concomitant cigarette smoking among the cannabis cohort limits the study’s ability to draw strong conclusions. Indeed, a more recent Australian study found evidence of impaired lung function by age 30 from tobacco smoking, but no discernable harm from long-term cannabis usage at lower levels.
Researchers also detected no added risk to lung function from co-use of tobacco and cannabis, versus risks associated with tobacco use alone. As the study’s authors put it, “cannabis use does not appear to be related to lung function even after years of use.” Unlike the Ottawa research, the Australian study ran for thirty years (double the period of the Canadian trial) and
involved several thousand nowadult children of pregnant women recruited into the cohort study between 1981 and 1983.
But the Ottawa initiative is not a one-off. It references 32 research papers addressing potential harms from cannabis use, and judging by the public messaging from the study, there seems to be an agenda to conflate tobacco and cannabis use.
As Giselle Revah, one of the study authors is quoted as saying: “We still need more research before we can affect policy change. We need larger, more robust prospective studies with more patients.” I read that as stating there is an effort by some researchers to pursue an ill-supported bias against cannabis use, to corroborate harms like those known from tobacco.
Research requires funding and with the heyday of tobacco research past, cannabis would seem to be a new candidate to focus efforts and conveniently, funding. There is a resurgent prohibitionist ethos alive in medical research and public health communities, which we have seen with the recently revised Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines, and I’m detecting its emergence on the cannabis scene.
While Canada’s cannabis industry admittedly has more pressing business concerns, it’s time to squarely size-up the threat posed by ideologically driven research agendas.

George Smitherman, Tom Ulanowski, and Brenna Boonstra question inconsistencies and propose potential solutions for analytical labs and cannabis testing in Canada
By Treena Hein
As Canada’s regulated cannabis industry matures, as with any new industry, there are growing pains to address. In cannabis, these include profitability and taxes, consumer education, and quality control.
The latter topic – quantifying levels of THC, CBD, contaminants, and other parameters – has become a convoluted issue for the sector. Analytical lab testing has been subject to scrutiny since the inception of legal Canadian cannabis, and the time has come for solutions.
As George Smitherman, CEO of the Cannabis Council of Canada (C3) explains, while the primary focus of his organization is tax issues and profitability for LPs, “we are also concerned about standardization of testing to get consistent test results for THC and more.”
Smitherman expands by saying, “the range of test results that can come from the same batch is undermining credibility and confidence in our regulated

system, and we need to get to the bottom of it. There have been many examples of results from the same batch being inconsistent.”
Along with inconsistent results, inflated THC test results is an ongoing industry concern, says Brenna Boonstra, risk advisory director at Deloitte Canada. “It’s not new,” she says, “and we will likely see
it continue for dried cannabis as producers and labs try and retain their customer base in a market where price is often fixed to THC content.”
The notion that different labs can provide higher THC results for the same batch compared to other labs results is something called ‘lab shopping.’ But as Smitherman explains, it’s possible only











for those LPs who can and wish to spend the money on it. He’s not sure of the extent of this practice but says that “regardless of the frequency and scale of it, it’s not a good look for a highly-regulated industry, and we can certainly improve on it.”
Boonstra also points out that since testing methods aren’t yet mandated in Canada, it means there’s a potential situation currently in place where labs can change methods in order to have ‘more desirable’ test outputs.
“This happened with microbial testing too,” she says. “Labs using qPCR for testing microbes saw lower levels compared to plate testing results, so qPCR was the method selected for use. In an environment where Health Canada doesn’t require standardized methods, method selection for favourable results will likely continue to happen with THC.”
Tom Ulanowski, a professional chemist and chair of the C-45 Quality Association (C-45) further explains that labs are not subject to specific standards regarding not only testing method performance but also equipment.
Those at C-45 have been working on this issue for some time, as ‘a national private-sector advocate for compliance and quality in the Canadian cannabis sector.’ For years, says Ulanowski, C-45 has recommended that Health Canada enhances regulatory oversight of analytical testing licence holders.
“Under the current Cannabis Regulations, the quality assurance person for each licence holder is responsible for evaluating the analytical services offered by each lab and ensuring that validated methods are used to generate analytical results,” he explains.
However, he says there are many disadvantages to
For years, says Ulanowski, C-45 has recommended that Health Canada enhances regulatory oversight of analytical testing licence holders.
this current framework, namely that cannabis processors must inherently trust each lab, especially if the lab itself does not have any additional third-party accreditation.
“It is our hope that one day, labs – and the methods they use, especially for cannabinoid potency testing – will be scrutinized directly by the regulator,” says Ulanowski, “ensuring a level-playing field and minimizing the chance of biased results.”
Ulanowski also points to data from multiple jurisdictions in North America which suggests the average THC content of dried cannabis is approximately 20 per cent – but in general, anything over about 30 per cent is considered to be statistically improbable. “And yet there are a number of labs in Canada that seem to consistently issue certificates of analysis for dried cannabis products with THC potency above 30 per cent,” he reports.
Ulanowski questions the cause of these high potency results: “Is it biased sampling by the licence holders, inappropriate sample preparation methodologies prior to testing, or poor test method design and validation?” he wonders. “I suspect it’s likely a mix of all three, but a regulated analytical testing program would be able to identify and solve this pressing issue.”
It’s clear the issue of testing accuracy and consistency must be resolved, but the best way to address it is yet to be agreed upon.
It’s a positive, says Smitherman, that many in the industry have already thought a great deal about solutions. He adds that there are already a lot of data about best practices for testing procedures, and on specific factors that affect testing as well.
For example, there already exists plenty of reliable information on why and how degradation of terpenes in samples can occur and how this affects analysis.
Smitherman is sure, however, that “our industry can figure this out for itself.” He stresses that across the Canadian cannabis sector, “we have a lot of strength in terms of subject matter experts and we at C3 just need to be the catalyst. Hopefully we will make progress with that this year,” he notes.
Smitherman continues, wondering whether the solution will involve bringing some labs and LPs together to brainstorm and discuss. Or “maybe it will involve sending samples from one batch to all or many accredited labs and then digging into the outliers.”
Smitherman wonders about solutions, suggesting “maybe it will involve sending samples from one batch to all or many accredited labs and then digging into the outliers.”
“But however we proceed, there has to be industry-wide broad-based collaborative,” says Smitherman. “We could wait to be further regulated as an industry or come up with something on our own. Doing the latter is preferable, of course, and a good opportunity for us to mature as a sector.”
Sidebar: A look at other testing trends
There are those in the industry who question whether a shift towards in-house testing may help ensure test results are accurate and consistent. However, many such as Boonstra don’t see this happening widely because the specialized labour and equipment are very expensive – and to do testing economically in that situation would require economies of scale.
Ulanowski agrees. He says that while internal testing for cannabinoids, terpenes and chemical or microbial contaminants does potentially offer faster turnaround times in addition to other potential benefits, the capital and ongoing costs are not justifiable for most cannabis firms.
Instead, he says that “in today’s highly competitive market, companies are looking to focus on their core strengths and rely on other businesses for ancillary services, instead of pursuing a vertically integrated model. Moreover, third-party labs typically offer the advantage of independence and credibility, avoiding any real or perceived bias.”
Some Canadian companies do use in-house testing for R&D purposes, says Ulanowski, but Boonstra does not expect to see that for DNA testing and breeding to any great extent. Like quality testing, she says, DNA testing is unlikely to see widespread adoption in the industry because “the genetics are too complicated.”









Safari Flower is home to Niagara’s poster girl master grower Stacie Hollingworth, and cannabis testing and quality assurance mogul, CEO Brigitte Simons
By Haley Nagasaki
The Niagara region of southern Ontario, renowned for agricultural excellence and wine production, has developed a distinct craft cannabis presence suggestive of national and international expansion, as well as an attractive hotspot for cannabis tourism.
Safari Flower Company lies a 20-minute drive from the Niagara core in Fort Erie. In this Ontario agricultural heartland, an award-winning team helms Safari, including Niagara born and raised agriculturalist and master grower Stacie Hollingworth, and CEO Dr. Brigitte Simons, who received her PhD in analytical chemistry.
Simons’ long-standing background in testing and quality assurance is upheld by her position as director on the C-45 Quality Association board, bringing a skillset that spans numerous disciplines and provides multiple business opportunities to
Safari Flower, including the implementation of an in-house tissue culture laboratory led by Dr. Adel Zarei. The laboratory offers rare scientific transferability to the commercial scale of production by providing tissue culture and pathogen indexing services to the industry.
“Over time, the rigor of genetics holding a specific cannabinoid content may deteriorate and attract diseases through commercial handling – we then clean up the genetics and sell pathogen-free mother stock back to producers,” says Simons.
Simons’ inspiration for the international trade of Safari’s intellectual property, backed by Hollingworth’s data-driven indoor growing methods, is an intended business transparency that translates to desirable products sold in premium categories, including the latest brands – Sunset Octane, El Fuego, and WiFire – in collaboration with Garden City Cannabis Co.
Safari’s talent
The predominantly female management team at Safari Flower Co. has been (though the volume of female applicants) noted, while the number of women appointed to executive level cannabis remains relatively low. Simons says Safari has lucked out in attracting top talent that happens to be female.
Stacie Hollingworth’s diverse grow portfolio and love of cannabis as a medicine represents her methodical journey from legacy to commercial craft at-scale growing.
As a graduate from Niagara College’s commercial cannabis program, she understands cannabis culture from a greenhouse application, from scholarly studies, and experiences from the legacy market of understanding how quality sells. Furthermore, Hollingworth analyzes room environmentals and plant health traits within their state-of-the-art indoor

facility. This helps her translate data to commercial scale crops of flower, yielding 6,800 kg of dried product per year. The 120 kg per crop scale produced every week is why the team sets their sights on international distribution.
As poster girl for Niagara’s agricultural scene, last year Hollingworth won Master Grower of the Year at Grow Up’s annual industry awards ceremony, and her position on Grow Opportunity ’s 2022 Top Grower Award judging panel indicates further industry recognition of her intellectual property.
Last year, Hollingworth won Grow Up’s Master Grower of the Year Award, and her position on Grow Opportunity’s 2022 Top Grower Award judging panel indicates further recognition of her intellectual property.
The Safari team’s scientific accolades are unique for this industry. As mentioned, Simons holds her PhD in analytical chemistry, while Zarei is a PhD scholar in plant molecular biology. Together, with a lab technician team, the business publishes scientific literature that advances the fields of plant tissue culture and disease remediation.
“Legacy market genetics are highly desirable and their entrance into legal cultivation is something I witnessed working on the West Coast in 2019 where I assisted illicit micro-cultivators’ transition,” says Simons. “However, establishing these legacy genetics at 1,600 plant crop-scale exacerbates any inborn disease, if present, and really places financial risks once the business sinks working capital costs to produce.”
Zarei’s micro-propagation research enables Safari’s genetics stability for commercial applications as nursery acquired clones lead to inconsistent health.
Safari supports a crew of 35 in cultivation, another 40 in processing, and eight people in management. Their 10 carbon copy rooms, nine of which are dedicated to flower production, enables weekly or bi-weekly harvest, yielding 100-120 kg of dried craft flower per room. On top of their own SKUs, they provide the bulk flower to a number of other Canadian brands.

Safari focuses on the commercialization of forward-thinking consumer tastes in collaboration with store-brands and SKUs that meet the formats they sell in the region. Safari also wholesales flower to another 23 premium Canadian brands.
Winning methodology
Touring Safari Flower reveals one room dedicated to mothering, vegging, and cloning, while the other nine are flower rooms. These identical rooms have an approximate 200-meter square canopy allowing Safari to grow craft at scale.
The Niagara LP grows in one-gallon coco, with a tailored fertigation recipe, in rooms each the size of a micro-cultivator. Safari’s core team gauges their fertilizer by testing nutrients and performing in-house leaf analysis.
“Data collection is key.” Once the fertilizer formula is dialed, using an advanced auto-dosing system, Hollingworth continues a hands-off approach where cultivators will defoliate three or four times throughout the life cycle, in addition to some scouting and in-process lab testing.
“We’ve gone through quite a few ups and downs with disease. Especially when we first started, we were complete contract growers,” Hollingworth says.



The company would take on genetics from other LPs, receiving some 2,000 clones from other producers for the Safari team to grow out. This proved to be a detrimental practice for bringing in pests and pathogens, though now that they’ve further self-regulated, the company’s been pest and disease free for about one year.
Currently, Safari keeps five or six different cultivars growing, bringing in new varieties all the time for trial. Hollingworth calls their cultivar on-boarding scenario as “stress-testing before production scale,” meaning not all cultivars will thrive beneath their conditions and must first be trialed and assessed for commercial viability.
“You want us to grow your Blue Dream for you but first we need to see how it grows in our facility,” she says. This process takes six or eight months to discern.
Right now, Hollingworth is partial to the 8-Ball x Octane OG Kush and says it’s rewarding to grow. Another favourite cultivar is sativa dominant Dark Shadow Haze. Safari uses a cyclical pattern to revisit each cultivar that does well beneath their cultivation methods and in market response.
“The economic trend is this demand for new cultivars every product drop,” says Simons. “It’s the demand on the Canadian economy to have something new, something high, and something ready to fill scale.” This means that whether a producer has product ready, they must be prepared. The adaptability accompanying these targets entails the constant preparation of new cultivars meeting consumers tastes and yielding a potent chemical target with the right terpene profile.
The Niagara LP grows in onegallon coco, with a tailored fertigation recipe, in 10 carbon copy rooms each the size of a micro-cultivator.
Every product launch needs something catchy that holds bag appeal and can retain the premium price points for 3.5gram containers.
Meeting the THC levels demanded by the market is getting harder and harder, especially when high THC does not necessarily correlate to quality practice – a fact that is lost when product gating
happens between government and retail.
The reason for this, Simons explains, comes as a result of data. “They see prerolls at 27 per cent total THC moving faster than a very nice light flower at say 18 per cent, which is something I actually want to buy but I don’t have variety anymore.”
Hollingworth said she doesn’t know of anyone actively seeking out 27 per cent. Consumers in retail might ask for a store’s
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highest, but they wouldn’t necessarily know the difference between total THC labeled as 22, 25, or 27.
“For a grower like us, we know that our genetic library has high value beyond pressing over 28 per cent total THC and de-tuning all the other terrific chemical attributes of the plant,” says Simons.
Regardless of the hurdles, this far-reaching company, with its many avenues and talents, has adapted to the needs of the Canadian consumer and international purchaser.
Nestled in a locale historically attractive to international tourism markets, at a time when farmgate gains momentum and budtenders and educators tour local indoor growing facilities – experiencing sight, taste, and smell firsthand – there’s no cap on the long term potential of a producer like Safari Flower.



4PLANT
50 Carroll Street, Toronto ON M4M 3G3 Canada
Tel: 416-688-8864
e-mail: contact@4-plant.ca Website: www.4-plant.ca
ABC SECURITY ACCESS SYSTEMS
55 Queen’s Plate Drive, Unit #4, Toronto ON M9W 6P2 Canada
Tel: 416-614-7777
e-mail: info@abcsecurity.ca Website: abcsecurity.ca
ADVANCED MICRO POLYMERS
360 Guelph Street, Unit 51, #112, Georgetown ON L7G 4B5 Canada
Tel: 905-878-2742
e-mail: store@ampolymers.com
AESSENSEGROWS
2996 Scott Blvd., Santa Clara CA 95054 USA
Tel: 669-361-3086
e-mail: pgibson@aessensegrows.com
Website: www.aessensegrows.com/en/cultivation Twitter: twitter.com/aessensegrows Facebook: www.facebook.com/aessensegrows

AG SAFE BC
9440-202 Street, Suite 311, Langley BC V1M 4A6 Canada
Tel: 604-881-6078
Toll free: 877-533-1789
e-mail: contact@agsafebc.ca
Website: www.AgSafeBC.ca
Twitter: twitter.com/AgSafeBC
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AgSafeBC LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/4867778/ admin
Description: AgSafe is the non-profit health and safety association for agricultural producers in British Columbia, providing site-specific consultation and on-site safety education, as well as online workplace safety resources and materials. AgSafe offers a workplace safety Certificate of Recognition (COR) program for large and small employers.
ALPHA GREEN MILLING CO
16 Dyck Memorial Road, PO Box 568, Norquay SK
S0A 2V0 Canada
Tel: 204-868-0910
e-mail: audrey.bamber@alphagreenmilling.ca
Website: alphagreenmilling.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ AlfalfaFertilizerPellets
ANNEX BOOKSTORE
105 Donly Dr. S., PO Box 530, Simcoe ON N3Y 4N5 Canada
Tel: 519-429-5196
Toll free: 877-267-3473
e-mail: sdefields@annexbusinessmedia.com
Website: www.annexbookstore.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AnnexBookstore. ABM
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/annex-publishing-&-printing-inc
Description: The Annex Bookstore provides education and training materials, books, texts, and other products to industry professionals across Canada, providing the information they need to train, operate, and successfully grow in their industry.
ATHENA CULTIVATION INC.
1151 Manchester Road, London ON N6H 5P8 Canada
Tel: 416-678-5528
e-mail: anthony@athenacultivation.com
Website: athenacultivation.com
ATS SCIENTIFIC INC.
4030 Mainway, Burlington ON L7M 4B9 Canada
Tel: 905-332-1251
Toll free: 800-661-6700
Fax: 905-332-1394
e-mail: sales@ats-scientific.com
Website: www.ats-scientific.com
Twitter: twitter.com/ATSSCI
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ats-scientific
BELCHIM CROP PROTECTION CANADA
104 Cooper Dr. Unit 3, Guelph ON N1C 0A4 Canada
Tel: 519-826-7878
Toll free: 866-613-3336
e-mail: info.canada@belchim.com
Website: www.belchimcanada.com
Twitter: @belchimcanadad

BIOBEE BIOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS CANADA INC.
1295 Eglinton Av. E., Mississauga ON L4W 3E6 Canada
Tel: 519-933-0648
e-mail: info@biobee-canada.com
Website: www.biobee-canada.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile. php?id=100057161781541
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ biobee-canada
Description: BioBee mass produces and implements beneficial mites, insects and nematodes, a natural, smart, efficient and economical alternative to chemical pesticides. We know it is possible and economically feasible to produce high quality agricultural products using less chemicals, in an environmentally sustainable and responsible way. We have the solution.
BIOFLORAL
675, montée St-François, Laval QC H7C 2S8 Canada
Tel: 450-664-4844
Toll free: 877-384-9376
e-mail: info@biofloral.com
Website: www.biofloral.com
Twitter: twitter.com/biofloral_ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/biofloral
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/biofloral
BLACK DOG HORTICULTURE TECHNOLOGIES & CONSULTING
1120 Delaware Ave, Longmont CO 80501 USA
Tel: 720-420-1209
Toll free: 800-380-2291
e-mail: sales@blackdogled.com
Website: www.blackdogled.com
Twitter: twitter.com/blackdogled
Facebook: facebook.com/BlackDogLEDGrowLights
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/black-dog-led
BLOOMLABS CANNABIS SOLUTIONS
173 Dr Bernie MacDonald Drive, Bible Hill NS
B6L 2H5 Canada
Tel: 902-896-8782
e-mail: bloomlabsinquiries@perennia.ca
Website: www.bloomlabs.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/nsbloomlabs
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/78772666
10237 Yellow Circle Dr., 10237 Yellow Circle Dr., Minnetonka MN 55343 USA
Tel: 406-671-2509
e-mail: claire.erickson@bovedainc.com
Website: bovedainc.com
107-1100 South Service Road, Stoney Creek ON L8E 0C5 Canada
Tel: 855-755-7233
Toll free: 855-755-7233
e-mail: info@calibercommunications.ca
Website: www.calibercommunications.ca
Twitter: twitter.com/caliber_comms
Facebook: www.facebook.com/caliber communications.ca
3225 McCallum Road, Abbotsford BC V2S 7W5 Canada
Tel: 604-504-7296
e-mail: sales@can-neth.com
Website: www.can-neth.com/horticulture
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ can-neth-imports-ltd/?viewAsMember=true

1170 #305 Kensington Crescent NW, Calgary AB T2N 1X6 Canada
Tel: 403-998-8092
e-mail: info@canadiancannabisx.com
Website: canadiancannabisx.com
Twitter: twitter.com/cannabis_x?lang=en
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/canadian-cannabis-exchange/?viewAsMember=true
Description: The Canadian Cannabis Exchange is Canada’s leading fully integrated, B2B cannabis and hemp platform. As a leading B2B platform, CCX is dedicated to providing market transparency, standardized contracts and voice broker support to over 500 LPs, and is committed to shaping the future of the global cannabis market.
CANAPA
2037 East Maule Avenue, Las Vegas NV 89119 USA
Tel: 702-450-0808
e-mail: info@canapasolutions.com
Website: canapasolutions.com
Twitter: twitter.com/canapasolutions
Facebook: www.facebook.com/canapasolutions LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/paxiom-group
791 Exceller Circle, Newmarket ON L3X 1P2 Canada
Tel: 289-926-9359
e-mail: elfi@canfolia.com
Website: canfolia.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/canfolia

2100 Bloor St W Suite 6290, Toronto ON M6S 5A5 Canada
Tel: 778-938-4222
e-mail: info@canna.ca
Website: www.canna.ca/commercial Facebook: www.facebook.com/ CannaCanadaOfficial
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/canna-canada
Description: CANNA is the pioneer & global market leader of plant nutrients and growing media for the cultivation of fast growing crops. All CANNA products are manufactured from the highest quality materials, so you have one less thing to worry about. We understand the importance of clean, consistent, traceable inputs, as well as keeping it simple!

2927 Kingsview Blvd SE, Airdrie AB T4A 0C9 Canada
Tel: 403-945-5954
e-mail: info@cannagreenpak.com
Website: cannagreenpak.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/canna-green-packaging/?viewAsMember=true
Description: CannaGreen Packaging is a Canadian manufacturer of child-resistant cannabis packaging. We provide eco-friendly packaging solutions that are Health Canada-compliant. We offer packaging formats such as tubes, pouches, bulk bags, and more. Our stocking program gives LPs access to just-in-time inventory that can be shipped within one business day.
77 Union St, Toronto ON M6N 3N2 Canada
Tel: 800-561-1354
e-mail: info@cannasupplies.ca
Website: cannasupplies.ca
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/cannasupplies
408 Mersea Rd 3, Leamington ON N8H 3V5 Canada
Tel: 519-322-2515
e-mail: sales@climatecontrol.com
Website: www.climatecontrol.com
Twitter: twitter.com/GreenhouseAtm
Facebook: www.facebook.com/greenhouse automation
CO2METER
105 Runway Drive, Ormond Beach FL 32174 USA
Tel: 877-678-4259
e-mail: corporatesales@co2meter.com
Website: www.CO2Meter.com
Twitter: twitter.com/CO2Meter
Facebook: facebook.com/CO2Meter
CROPSIFY
400 - 1206 Wharf St, Victoria BC V8W 3B9 CA
Tel: 780-707-8640
e-mail: info@cropsify.com
Website: cropsify.com
Twitter: twitter.com/cropsify
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/18502152/ admin
DOPE AUTOMATION LTD.
721 Rye Street, Unit 2-3, Peterborough ON K9J 6X1 Canada
Tel: 416-709-4904
e-mail: sales@dopeautomation.com
Website: www.dopeautomation.com
DYNOMYCO MYCORRHIZAL INOCULANTS
120 Jaunell Road, Aptos CA 95003 USA
Tel: 888-964-0685
e-mail: info@dynomyco.com
Website: www.dynomyco.com
Twitter: twitter.com/DYNOMYCO
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dynomyco
EKIDNA SENSING
10 Marie-Curie Private, Ottawa ON K1N 9A4 Canada
Tel: 613-696-5938
e-mail: cali@ekidnasensing.com
Website: www.ekidna.ca
Twitter: twitter.com/EkidnaSensing
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Ekidna.Sensing.Inc
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ekidnasensing

200-144 West 5th Ave., Vancouver BC
V5Y 1H7 Canada
Tel: 778-866-6206
e-mail: hello@elevatedsignals.com
Website: www.elevatedsignals.com
Twitter: @elevatedsignals
Description: GMP-validated manufacturing software that combines inventory reporting, quality compliance, BI & environmental data into a single platform. Elevated Signals enables cultivators & processors to spend less time battling paper, spreadsheets & outdated seed-to-sale software, and helps them to be more profitable, efficient & competitive.
422 Richards Street, Vancouver BC
V6B 2Z4 Canada
Tel: 604-484-0691
e-mail: info@es-canada.com
Website: www.es-canada.com
254 Thames Road East, Exeter ON N0M 1S3 Canada
Tel: 519-235-1431
Toll free: 866-335-1431
Fax: 519-235-2852
e-mail: sales@exacon.ca
Website: www.exaconinc.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/exaconinc
5 Peacock Bay, St. Catharines ON L2M 7N8 Canada
Tel: 905-646-2000
e-mail: csr@f1ne.ca
Website: f1ne.ca
Facebook: www.instagram.com/f1ne.niagara
FERMATA
1001-38 Front Street, Nanaimo BC V9R 0B8 Canada
Tel: 250-797-1991
e-mail: ray.richards@fermata.tech
Website: www.fermata.tech
Twitter: twitter.com/FermataTech
Facebook: www.facebook.com/FermataTechnology
4129 Commercial Center Dr., Suite 450, Austin TX 78744 USA
Tel: 512-212-4544
e-mail: marketing@fluence-led.com
Website: fluence.science
Twitter: @Fluence_led
Facebook: fluence-led.com
LinkedIn: Fluence
43084 Rancho Way, Suite B, Temecula CA 92590 USA
Tel: 800-574-5456
e-mail: info@freshstor.com
Website: www.freshstor.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thecvault
FRONTLINE GROWING PRODUCTS INC
81 Adel Drive, St. Catharines ON L2M 3W9 Canada
Tel: 289-668-6131
e-mail: frontlinegrowingproducts@gmail.com
Website: frontlinegrowingproducts.com

1-1570 Kipling Ave., Etobicoke ON M9R 2Y1 Canada
Tel: 778-581-7295
e-mail: info@greenamber.ca
Website: www.greenamber.ca
Twitter: twitter.com/GreenAmberCA
Description: Green Amber Canada is a vertical cannabis company with operations in British Columbia. With expertise in cultivation, processing, regulatory oversight, education and equipment, we are proud to support the industry with LED-ONE automated grow light. Grow from seed to harvest while automating time, duration, intensity and multi-spectrums.
GROW-GENIUS LTD
GG HQ, Nottingham NN1 1NG United Kingdom
e-mail: contact@grow-genius.com
Website: www.grow-genius.com

GROWERIQ
40 Executive Court, Toronto ON M1S 4N4 Canada
Tel: 855-892-7500
e-mail: andrew@groweriq.ca
Website: groweriq.ca
Twitter: twitter.com/groweriq
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GrowerIQ
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/groweriq
Description: GrowerIQ is the operational backbone ERP that unites the fragmented systems required by cannabis production facilities of all sizes across Canada. The platform now powers operations in more than a dozen countries, and four languages – enabling true seed-to-sale traceability. For information, visit www.groweriq.ca.
711 South Powell Rd, PO Box 1059, Independence MO 64056 USA
Tel: 816-796-2900
Toll free: 800-779-4362
e-mail: jerry.schwarz@hemcocorp.com
Website: www.hemcocorp.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HEMCOcorp
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ hemco-corporation
241 Hanlan Rd, Unit 7, Woodbridge ON L4L 3R7 Canada
Tel: 416-864-6119
e-mail: client.care@highnorth.com
Website: www.highnorth.com
Twitter: twitter.com/HighNorthLabs
Facebook: www.instagram.com/highnorthlabs
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/highnorth
119-19055 Airport Way, Pitt Meadows BC V3Y 0G4 Canada
Tel: 604-457-3325
e-mail: sayhigh@highdeal.ca
Website: highdeal.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/highdealsolutions
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/highdeal-solutions
HOOGENDOORN AMERICA INC.
4890 Victoria Ave N, The Lodge Building R6, Vineland ON L0R 2E0 Canada
Tel: 905-562-0800
e-mail: pkw@hoogendoorn.ca
Website: readysetgrow.nl
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/hoogendoorn-americas
HOSKIN SCIENTIFIC
5 - 3280 South Service Road, West, Oakville ON L6L 0B1 Canada
Tel: 905-333-5510
Toll free: 800-665-5871
Fax: 905-333-4976
e-mail: sales@hoskin.ca
Website: www.hoskin.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ HoskinScientificLimited
JIWA CONES
4388 Still Creek Drive, Burnaby BC V5C 6C6 Canada
Tel: 604-537-8367
e-mail: victor@jiwacones.com
Website: www.jiwacones.com

JVK
1894 Seventh Street, P.O. Box 910, St. Catharines ON L2R 6Z4 Canada
Tel: 905-641-5599
Toll free: 800-665-1642
Fax: 905-684-6260
e-mail: info@jvk.net
Website: www.jvk.net
Description: Soilless Mixes, Coir Cubes, bags and pellets, Plug Trays, Oasis Foam Media, Preforma engineered media, growing pots and trays, Ultrafine and injectable mycorrhizae.
KLONETICS PLANT SCIENCE INC.
3575 Alcan Road, Kelowna BC V1X 7R3 Canada
Tel: 403-710-2720
e-mail: info@klonetics.com
Website: www.klonetics.com
Twitter: twitter.com/KloneticsInc
Facebook: www.facebook.com/klonetics
KOOLJET REFRIGERATION INC.
150 Adams Blvd., Brantford ON N3S 7V2 Canada
Tel: 519-752-2424
Toll free: 866-748-7786
Fax: 519-752-4040
e-mail: louriem@kooljet.com
Website: www.kooljet.com
KOOTENAY FILTER INC
PO Box 952, Nelson BC V1L 6Z8 Canada
Tel: 250-777-7120
Toll free: 833-553-4247
e-mail: info@kootenayfilter.com
Website: www.kootenayfilter.com

34 Seneca Road, Leamington ON N8H 5H7 Canada
Tel: 519-326-2978
e-mail: bmellon@koppert.ca
Website: retail.koppert.ca
Twitter: twitter.com/koppertca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KoppertCanada
Description: Koppert combines an integrated system of specialist knowledge with safe, natural products that improve plant health.
Our solutions include beneficial insects and traps for biological pest control as well as bumblebees for natural pollination.
1055 Canada Pl, Vancouver BC V6C 0C3 Canada
Tel: 972-349-7702
e-mail: info@liftexpo.ca
Website: liftexpo.ca
Twitter: twitter.com/lift_events
Facebook: www.facebook.com/liftandcoexpo

1170 #305 Kensington Crescent NW, Calgary AB T2N 1X6 Canada
Tel: 403-681-6741
e-mail: info@loudlionsupply.com
Website: loudlionsupply.com
Twitter: twitter.com/LoudLionSupply
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/loud-lion-supply/?viewAsMember=true
Description: Loud Lion Supply simplifies the buying and selling of cannabis equipment & packaging. Our platform connects buyers and sellers in Canada, the US, and Mexico. We offer preferred member pricing on sustainable packaging, nutrients, processing equipment and trusted products through our distributor agreements.

242 Kerr St, Unit 3, Oakville ON L6K 3B2 Canada
Tel: 877-681-5541
e-mail: info@marigoldpr.com
Website: marigoldpr.com
Twitter: twitter.com/marigoldpr
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MarigoldAgency
Description: Marigold PR is Canada’s top PR firm for Licensed Producers and National Brands. We are a team of branding, social & PR experts, heavily engaged and connected in the cannabis industry. We make an impact for our clients through awareness building campaigns, industry focus and excellent service.
MORGAN LI
383 E 16th St, Chicago Heights IL 60411 USA
Tel: 708-758-5300
e-mail: sdkluber@morganli.com
Website: www.morganli.com
Twitter: @MorganLiRetail
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MorganLiFixtures
OCCO INNOVATION
1590 Galbraith Rd, Comox BC V9M 4A1 Canada
Tel: NA
e-mail: info@occoinnovation.com
Website: www.occoinnovation.com
Twitter: twitter.com/OccoInnovation
PAUL BOERS LTD. / PRINS GREENHOUSES
3500 South Service Road, Vineland Station ON L0R 2E0 Canada
Tel: 905-562-4411
Fax: 905-562-5533
e-mail: suzanne@paulboers.com
Website: http://www.paulboers.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/paulboersltd
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ paul-boers-ltd

PHILIPS HORTICULTURE LED SOLUTIONS
281 Hillmount Rd, Markham ON L6C 2S3 Canada
Tel: 905-927-4900
e-mail: horti.info@signify.com
Website: www.philips.com/horti
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ philips-horticulture-led-solutions
Description: Whether you’re cultivating cannabis indoors or growing in a greenhouse, large commercial scale or a small boutique grow, you can always count on quality and reliability with Philips horticulture LED grow lights. Maximize the efficiency of your grow operation and gain greater control of your cannabis crop with Philips brand LED grow lights.
960 boulevard industriel, Terrebonne QC
J6Y 1X1 Canada
Tel: 855-817-5696
e-mail: info@preroll-er.com
Website: preroll-er.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/preroll-er
32 Airpark Place, Unit 2, Guelph ON N1L 1B2 Canada
Tel: 519-821-1684
Toll free: 877-821-1684
e-mail: julie.fordyce@royalbrinkman.ca
Website: royalbrinkman.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ royalbrinkmancanada
7000 N Robinson Ave, Oklahoma City OK 73116 USA
Tel: 405-842-7700
Toll free: 800-521-8089
e-mail: info@smartpots.com
Website: www.smartpots.com
Twitter: twitter.com/SmartPots
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SmartPots
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/smart-pot

770 Silver Street, Agawam MA 01001 USA
Tel: 800-732-8667
Toll free: 800-732-8667
Fax: 413-789-3425
e-mail: info@sungro.com
Website: www.sungro.com
Twitter: twitter.com/sungro
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sungrohort
Description: Sun Gro Horticulture is one of the most prominent suppliers of growing media in North America. The ingredients in our peat and coir-based products are developed by professional horticulturists and made to exacting standards for exceptional quality and consistency. Our vast product selection offers a growing media solution for any production system.
385 S. Pierce Avenue, Ste. C, Louisville CO
80027 USA
Tel: 303-993-5271
e-mail: info@surna.com
Website: surna.com
Twitter: twitter.com/surnainc

385 S. Pierce Avenue, Suite C, Louisville CO
80027 USA
Tel: 303-993-5271
e-mail: info@surna.com
Website: surna.com
Twitter: twitter.com/surnaofficial
Facebook: www.facebook.com/surna
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/surna-cultivation-technologies
TCBC SOLUTIONS
83 Berkshire Close, Calgary AB T3K 1Z2 Canada
Tel: 587-830-4381
e-mail: bryanrmacleod@gmail.com
Website: Tcbcsolutions.com
TWISTER TECHNOLOGIES
9445 189th St., Surrey BC V4N 5L8 Canada
Tel: 855-534-7866
e-mail: aaron.seminiano@keirton.com
Website: www.twistertech.io
Twitter: twitter.com/twistertrimmer
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/twister-trimmer
U CANN GROW
5 Peacock Bay, St. Catharines ON L2M 7N8 Canada
Tel: 905-646-2000
e-mail: contact@ucg-f1.ca
Website: www.ucanngrow-f1.ca

VANDEN BUSSCHE IRRIGATION
2515 Pinegrove Road, Delhi ON N4B 2X1 Canada
Tel: 519-582-2380
Toll free: 800-387-7246
e-mail: info@vandenbussche.com
Website: www.vandenbussche.com
Twitter: twitter.com/VBIrrigation Facebook: www.facebook.com/marc.vandenbussche.54
Description: Vanden Bussche Irrigation was incorporated in 1954 to service the irrigation needs of the agriculture market in Southwestern Ontario. As we have grown and expanded to new markets, our core values of integrity, fair dealings and commitment to excellence in customer service have never changed.
WEST PENETONE INC.
10 900, Secant Street, Anjou QC H1J 1S5 Canada
Tel: 514-355-4660
Toll free: 800-361-8927
e-mail: solution@westpenetone.com
Website: www.westpenetone.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/westpenetone
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/west-penetone-inc-



Nikola Danko Sosiak, or Niko Dank as he’s known in the industry, chose an alternative route getting into the cannabis market first by recognizing a medical affinity for the plant during his adolescence, which helped him focus and achieve his goals. He then studied at Concordia University, completing a bachelor of marketing and accounting, and went on to McGill University to complete his CPA degree in 2012.
“I worked at Ernst and Young, Price Waterhouse, KPMG, and then I worked at a real estate company, Dundee 360 Real Estate Corp., where I was their VP of finance for five years,” he says.
After legalization, Sosiak began applying to different positions and finally, through a friend, heard of a new cannabis project in his home province of Quebec.
The CEO, Zohar Krivorot, purchased a 625,000 sqft facility to which Sosiak applied, but they already had a CFO. “In April of 2019,” he says, “when they were reporting their first Q1, a week and a half before the deadline, I get the call saying ‘Nick, we have a problem.’”
Sosiak completed their financial statements and became the new VP of finance for Cannara Biotech, later to become CFO and lead product and brand creator for the company, responsible for bringing in top shelf strains, expanding the cultural aspect of their brands, and connecting with cannabis breeder Exotic Mike.
Award-winning, culture forward Cannara is kept lean and mean; and it works.
GO: Can you describe your daily operations?
NS: It’s pretty much just me and Zohar, we have no COO.
He’s in charge of the cultivation aspect, the operations, the people, the packaging, and I’m in charge of everything else. He’s at the grow houses every day, the packaging room, hash room, and making sure the operation’s flowing. So, he’s taking care of the COO side as the CEO.
And then I share the COO role, too, and CFO, and many other roles including marketing and sales, product development, R&D, PR/IR, and deploying the company’s overall strategy. We also have VPs overseeing each division – these are our commanders leading our team to success. Followed by directors/managers and other staff acting as our day-to-day soldiers on the ground. And our ticker is LOVE.
GO: What is your top selling brand and the product you’re most proud of?
NS: I’d say Tribal because we have a set product roadmap for Tribal based on the cannabis genetics we bring to market. With our partnership with Exotic Genetix, Tribal’s mission is to phenohunt as many exceptionally different and unique cannabis strains as possible, and bring those genetics to life in dried flower, pre-rolls, live resin vape carts, and live resin dabbable extracts.
We also did a collaboration with Yocan and co-developed our Uni Pro Ark – a full zinc metal alloy vape battery with full temperature control. Everything that’s in the market is plastic, so it’s the “Ferrari” of batteries. And everything I do I sell as cheap as possible.
For the vape cart packaging, attention to detail is everything. As a user, I constantly lost my carts. So, I want a reusable package that people can carry with them. I made sure you can open the tin with one hand, and then the case fits three different vape carts. There’s a lot of my thought process and life experience behind it.
GO: What new genetics are you working on?
NS: We’re working on anywhere between five and ten different genetics, but the one that I’m most excited about is Jigglers from Exotic Genetix. It tastes like straight up strawberries in cream; it’s delicious.
GO: What do you recommend to other LPs?
NS: “Stay Frosty!” Or buckle your belt because we’re all in for a ride. If you built your business right, you’re going to survive and you’re going to come out thriving because you know there’s going to be more market share, more shelf space, less noise, less price compression, and more customer clarity.
And the market is not dying. It’s still a four or five-billion-dollar market right now. So, if you’re on your game, you can take advantage of the growth potential right now.
GO: Finally, how do you relate to budtenders?
NS: I don’t have a sales force because I don’t want to pay commissions. If I do, then I have to increase my prices. But I do have brand ambassadors in each province, acting as an extension of me, to keep the message going.
I’m happy to connect with budtenders, my salespeople, to understand what they’re thinking. We also offer discount codes for budtenders in our swag shop – cannaraswag. shop/budtender
IG: @NikoDank

We’re working on anywhere between five and ten different genetics, but the one that I’m most excited about is Jigglers, from Exotic Genetix. It tastes like straight up strawberries in cream; it’s delicious.




























