Spanish cannabis company Alcaliber SA is in a bidding war to become a partner of Canopy Growth, the Canadian marijuana producer. Alcaliber is majority owned by Spanish billionaire Juan Abello, and 40 percent is owned by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi. The Spanish firm specializes in cannabis production based on opium poppy cultivation and the extraction of alkaloids.
The Spanish market is ripe for international cannabis production. The country has an incredibly low cost of labour, a medically approved cannabis industry, and is a highly sophisticated agricultural and pharmaceutical industry. While Spain is not yet fully legalized, it does home page have the potential to lead cultivation in mainland Europe. Canopy Growth and Alcaliber will collaborate in the cultivation of marijuana in Spain. Meanwhile, Portugal has increased the value of its licences and recently invested EUR26.5 million in a medical cannabis business.
Despite these obstacles, Canopy has taken another major step towards a European expansion plan. The Canadian firm announced its next strategic move in Spain in early September. The company signed a supply license agreement with Alcaliber, S.A., a company that specializes in breeding and research to convert plant-based raw materials into narcotic medicines. This deal could give Canopy access to the Spanish medical cannabis market, and even expand its operations to the rest of Europe.
The Spanish cannabis industry is ripe for another major Canadian cannabis company. Alcaliber, the leader in the world for producing morphine, is a Spanish company that holds a 60% stake in Torreal. It is owned by the Spanish entrepreneur Juan Abello and holds a cultivation license from the Spanish government. Last year, Alcaliber was acquired by British fund GHO for over 200 million euros.
The Spanish government recently approved the cultivation of marijuana by a licensed producer in Canopy Growth’s new Spanish partner. Alcaliber is a leader in the pharmaceutical industry and is a leading producer of medical marijuana. A partnership like this could pave the way for Canopy to become a global leader in the cannabis industry. In addition to the seed supply, Alcaliber will be selling marijuana worldwide.
Canopy Growth also plans to create value-added cannabis products in the years to come. These could include higher-concentrated vaping oils, edibles, and beverages. As the Canadian government prepares where to buy cannabis seeds to legalize recreational cannabis, Canopy Growth is actively laying the foundation for these value-added products. The company has also invested in edible and beverage production facilities.
Canopy Growth intends to conduct business activities in federally permissible jurisdictions. While marijuana is illegal in the U.S., the company will only conduct such activities in countries where cannabis is legal. However, the company is still involved in partnership agreements with U.S.-based cannabis producers, which involve licensing intellectual property from the U.S. government. This is one of the most common types of partnerships between Canopy Growth and Alcaliber.