Aphria increases activities in Germany
Competitor Tilray expands operations in France and Portugal.

The soon to merge Canadian mega-producers Tilray Inc. (Nasdaq: TLRY) and Aphria Inc. (TSX: APHA) - expand their international activities to France and add brands in Germany. On Tuesday, British Columbia-based Tilray said it was selected by the French National Agency to deliver medical cannabis as part of an 18-24 month experiment in France. Meanwhile, Aphria said Tuesday that its German subsidiary CC Pharma has signed a contract with a major European cannabis distributor to distribute Aphria-branded products in the German market. After the two companies revealed a merger plan in December, they said the $ 5 billion deal would make them a top player in the global weed industry. Tilray will supply medical cannabis to the French government from its GMP-certified European campus in Portugal. A total of six companies from Australia, Canada, Israel and the UK - including Aurora Cannabis Inc. (TSX: ACB) - will supply dried flowers and cannabis oil for up to 3,000 patients, according to the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products. However, the French agency said last October that neither the government nor patients have to pay for medical cannabis, and the companies that supply the product will have to cover their own costs. Nonetheless, Tilray CEO Brendan Kennedy says the deal marks another milestone for the company to expand its operations in Europe. Patients can only participate in the study if they have certain diseases, including cancer and multiple sclerosis. In France, medicinal weed is seen as a last resort and must meet pharmaceutical quality standards. In the east, AMP German Cannabis Group Inc. (CSE: XCX) is selling Aphria's medical cannabis brand in Germany for the first time. Aphria says its drug distributor, CC Pharma, will partner with AMP by organizing conferences in Germany to market Aphria products to doctors and pharmacists. "This agreement offers the opportunity to expand the Aphria brand in Germany, one of our key international markets," said Aphria Germany director Hendrik Knopp in a statement. AMP has expanded its sales team and says that its only focus is on selling medical cannabis in Germany, which makes the distributor an ideal partner for Aphria. Ontario-based Aphria also said Tuesday that it has launched cannabis products under its Solei brand in Canada for the first time. Aphria's shares rose 7.5 percent to $ 16.45 on Tuesday on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Tilray shares climbed 10.7 percent on the Nasdaq. The newly merged firm will retain the Tilray name and trade under TLRY on Nasdaq once the deal is completed, which is expected in the second quarter of 2021.





