Reuters — Canada’s No. 2 marijuana producer Aurora Cannabis on Wednesday received final regulatory approval for the purchase of smaller rival CanniMed Therapeutics, which would make it the world’s most valuable weed producer.
The approval of the $1.1 billion deal from the Competition Bureau follows months of tensions between the companies and comes at a time when companies are jostling to gain from the country’s legalization of recreational use of pot.
Edmonton-based Aurora had initially made a hostile bid capped at $24 per share for CanniMed in November and increased it to $43 in the new offer.
Saskatoon-based Cannimed, which was already engaged in a friendly deal to buy Newstrike Resources, canceled it in January in favour of the increased Aurora offer.
— Reporting for Reuters by Ahmed Farhatha in Bangalore.
