Yo, check it out! There’s some dope news making waves across the pond in the UK. Village Farms International, one of the illest Canadian producers of greenhouse cannabis, just shipped their first official shipment to the UK after years of anticipation. This Vancouver-based crew is making moves in the booming United Kingdom Cannabis market.
In a statement they dropped on Wednesday, Village Farms spilled the tea that two of their fire cannabis brands, Pure Sunfarms High-Quality BC Indoor Cannabis and The Original Fraser Valley Weed Co., are about to make a big entrance into the UK market through 4C Labs. 4C Labs is a Canadian cannabis company that’s all about importing and distributing medical marijuana. They rock two commodity brands owned by Village Farms – Pure Sunfarms High-Quality BC Indoor Cannabis and The Original Fraser Valley Weed Co.
Village Farms ain’t just about that Mary Jane life. They’re a complicated crew with their hands in many pots. They started out in controlled environment agriculture (CEA), growing premium-quality fruits like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and herbs in soil-less, glass greenhouses with tight food safety controls. These cats are all about sustainability too, using hydroponics and water recycling to consume less water than traditional open-field farming and keep it easy on Mother Earth.
But then, in 2017, they dipped their toes into the legal cannabis industry. They started companies like Pure Sunfarms for cultivation and processing, and ROSE LifeScience for R&D and product development related to cannabis. These guys are all about diversifying too, with subsidiaries such as Balanced Health Botanicals for high-quality hemp-based health and wellness products, and Leli Holland for “Responsible and Confident Cannabis.” Talk about versatility!
Now, by exporting their Mary Jane goods, Village Farms is tapping into the growing demand for medical cannabis worldwide. The UK is their fourth overseas market they’re hitting up, after Germany, Australia, and Israel. The CEO of Village Farms, Michael DeGiglio, is hyped about this expansion, saying, “We are now exporting our preferred brands of Canadian-grown cannabis products through our subsidiary Pure Sunfarms to four international medical markets – Germany, Australia, and Israel, which together with the UK represent a population base of over 185 million.” That’s a whole lot of people getting lit!
Helping Village Farms with their UK invasion is 4C Labs, a private Canadian medical cannabis company that knows their stuff when it comes to importing and distributing weed. Their expertise and network in the medical cannabis sector are making it easier for Village Farms to crack into the UK market. It’s all about collaboration, baby!
So why is this such a big deal? Well, the UK medical cannabis market is blowing up! Before 2020, only specific patients could get their hands on medical cannabis through individual approvals. But things changed last year when the government decided to allow bulk imports. Since then, the market has exploded! In 2020, there were around 4,046 items of medicinal cannabis prescribed privately in England. Fast forward to the first nine months of 2022 and that number skyrocketed to a mind-blowing 182,010. That’s some serious growth, my friends.
And it’s not just the UK feeling the love for Village Farms’ products. Their international sales have been on fire too. In the nine months leading up to September 30, 2023, their sales outside Canada reached CA$5.1 million ($4m). That’s a major jump from the CA$19 million they made in the same period last year. Clearly, there’s a demand for high-quality Canadian weed all around the world.
Village Farms International has been crushing it globally thanks to their top-notch quality, compliance with regulations, and strategic partnerships. Pure Sunfarms, one of their subsidiaries, has become a trusted name in Canadian-made products. They’ve already made moves in Germany, Australia, and Israel, proving that they can adapt to different markets with different regulations.
As Village Farms continues to slay the UK market and beyond, they’re also keeping it sustainable. That’s right, they care about the environment just as much as they care about getting you high. Their commitment to sustainability aligns with the growing awareness of environmental impact among consumers worldwide.
So, kudos to Village Farms International for making their mark in the UK’s emerging medical cannabis market. The partnership with 4C Labs is a smart move, showing that collaboration is key when it comes to conquering new territories. With the medical cannabis market in the UK growing like crazy, Village Farms has a real shot at becoming one of the top Canadian brands in town.