Aurora Cannabis
A Canadian licensed cannabis company focused on medical cannabis, consumer products, and international distribution.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Aurora Cannabis Inc. is a Canadian licensed cannabis company headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta. Its principal activities have included the cultivation, processing, distribution, and sale of medical and adult-use cannabis products. The company has operated through a combination of owned production facilities, international subsidiaries, acquisitions, distribution partnerships, and retail investments. Aurora was founded in 2006 by Terry Booth, Steve Dobler, Dale Lesack, and Chris Mayerson. Booth and Dobler reportedly provided more than C$5 million in initial personal capital. The founders established the business in Alberta, where they secured a large parcel of land in Mountain View County and developed Aurora's first production site. Alberta was selected partly because of its comparatively favorable corporate-tax environment and agricultural financing conditions. The company reached an important regulatory milestone in 2014, when Health Canada granted it a cannabis cultivation licence. Aurora subsequently received a licence to sell medical cannabis in November 2014. It expanded from dried cannabis into oils and other processed formats, receiving authorization to produce cannabis oil in 2016 and to sell oils in January 2017. Four oil product lines were introduced in April 2017. Its product portfolio has included dried flower, cannabis oils, capsules, softgels, pre-rolls, edibles, beverages, vapes, and other regulated cannabis formats, although the availability of individual products and brands has changed over time and by market. Aurora pursued an aggressive expansion strategy during the late 2010s. It built large-scale Canadian facilities, developed projects in Denmark, acquired medical-cannabis distribution and patient-service businesses, and entered international markets through subsidiaries such as Pedanios GmbH in Germany. By 2018, the company reported operations or sales activity in numerous countries and had several licensed facilities and sales licences. The acquisitions of CanniMed Therapeutics and MedReleaf were especially significant: CanniMed broadened Aurora's Canadian medical-patient base, while MedReleaf increased production capacity and international distribution reach. Aurora became publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange in July 2017. Its shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2018 under the symbol ACB, and the U.S. listing later moved to Nasdaq in May 2021. The company was one of the most prominent Canadian cannabis issuers during the period surrounding Canada's national legalization of adult-use cannabis on October 17, 2018. Its substantial cultivation investments helped it obtain a meaningful share of the early Canadian retail market, but the sector subsequently faced regulatory delays, limited retail-store rollout, excess inventory, high operating costs, and competition from the illicit market. The company's expansion also created financial and operational pressure. During 2019, Aurora began reducing expenses, pausing or suspending selected construction and cultivation projects, and reviewing facilities and capital spending. Projects affected included Nordic 2 in Denmark and Aurora Sun in Alberta; the company stated that these measures were expected to reduce planned spending. It also suspended production at certain sites and placed some properties on the market. The downturn in cannabis-equity valuations and disappointing sector revenues contributed to a sharp decline in Aurora's share price. In 2020, the company reported a multibillion-dollar fiscal-year loss, and its premium-focused product strategy was identified as one factor that made some offerings less competitive on price. Aurora has also participated in cannabis retail through partnerships, investments, and stores. Its activities have included a partnership with Choom Holdings, the acquisition of Clarity Cannabis retail locations, a stake in Alcanna, and the opening of a large flagship store at West Edmonton Mall in 2019. The company later divested its Alcanna position. It has likewise reorganized its production footprint: Aurora Polaris was shuttered in 2021, Aurora Sky was sold to Bevo Agtech in 2022 as part of a transaction in which Aurora retained a 50.1 percent stake in Bevo, and the former Aurora facility in Exeter, Ontario was sold in 2020. Aurora's current brand identity is associated primarily with regulated medical cannabis, research-oriented production, international pharmaceutical-style distribution, and selected adult-use products. The business remains exposed to regulatory requirements, wholesale and retail pricing, cultivation economics, product-quality standards, and the evolving laws of each country in which it operates.
History
Aurora Cannabis began in 2006 when Terry Booth, Steve Dobler, Dale Lesack, and Chris Mayerson formed a company intended to participate in Canada's emerging regulated medical-cannabis industry. Booth and Dobler supplied more than C$5 million of personal capital. The founders selected Alberta as the base for their first major project, acquiring more than 160 acres in Mountain View County. The location offered agricultural infrastructure, comparatively favorable corporate-tax conditions, and access to farm-credit programs. Aurora's first major regulatory breakthrough came in 2014. Health Canada authorized the company to grow cannabis, making Aurora the first federally licensed producer in Alberta according to the cited company history. Later that year, Aurora obtained authorization to sell medical cannabis. It completed Aurora Mountain, a production facility in Mountain View County, in 2015. The company then expanded into processed cannabis: it received authorization to produce oils in February 2016, obtained a sales licence for oils in January 2017, and began selling four oil lines in April of that year. The business expanded through both construction and acquisition. Aurora Vie, an indoor facility in Quebec, was acquired in 2017 while still under development. Aurora also developed Aurora Sky, a highly automated greenhouse project near Edmonton International Airport, and pursued the Nordic 2 project in Denmark. Its corporate acquisitions included CanvasRx, a Canadian medical-cannabis patient-outreach company; BC Northern Lights, an indoor-growing-equipment business; Aurora-Larssen Projects, a greenhouse engineering and design consultancy; and Pedanios GmbH, a Berlin-based medical-cannabis importer, exporter, and distributor. Pedanios became an important channel for supplying European pharmacies and helped Aurora enter markets such as Italy. Aurora listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange in July 2017. In November of that year it made an all-stock bid for CanniMed Therapeutics. The proposed transaction became a contested takeover after CanniMed's management pursued an alternative combination with Newstrike Resources and adopted a rights plan. The Ontario Securities Commission required additional disclosure and prevented the rights-plan defense from blocking the process. Aurora and CanniMed eventually reached an agreement valued at approximately C$1.1 billion, and the acquisition was completed in 2018. The transaction increased Aurora's Canadian registered-patient count to about 42,000, according to the cited reference. Aurora then announced a stock merger with MedReleaf in May 2018. The transaction closed in July, with MedReleaf shareholders receiving Aurora shares. The combination increased the stated potential production capacity of the enlarged company and expanded its distribution relationships in Germany, Italy, Brazil, and Australia. Aurora became one of the most valuable cannabis companies during the sector's 2018 investment boom. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2018, while Canada's national legalization of adult-use cannabis took effect on October 17 of the same year. The early adult-use market exposed structural difficulties. Legal retail-store openings were slower than expected, commercial inventories accumulated, prices were often less competitive than those offered by the illicit market, and producers had invested heavily in capacity before demand and distribution systems had matured. Aurora initially captured a significant share of Canadian retail sales, but the company began reducing costs in the second half of 2019. It paused Nordic 2 and temporarily halted Aurora Sun, suspended cultivation at selected facilities, and offered some property for sale. The company also launched Cannabis 2.0 edibles, including gummies, chocolates, baked products, and mints, in an effort to diversify beyond flower and oils. The deterioration in sector valuations affected Aurora's stock and strategic flexibility. Senior executives Neil Belot and Cam Battley departed in December 2019. In February 2020, co-founder and CEO Terry Booth resigned, with Executive Chairman Michael Singer becoming interim CEO. Aurora subsequently reported a very large fiscal-year loss, and its premium-oriented product strategy faced criticism because higher prices could make products less attractive in a price-sensitive market. Proposed U.S. investor class actions alleged misleading disclosures concerning revenue forecasts, profitability, and planned capital expenditure; those allegations are reported here as litigation news rather than established findings. Aurora continued to rationalize its assets. It sold the former MedReleaf facility in Exeter in 2020, divested its Alcanna position in June 2020, closed Aurora Polaris in 2021, and moved its U.S. listing from the NYSE to Nasdaq in May 2021. In 2022, Aurora sold Aurora Sky to Bevo Agtech while taking a 50.1 percent stake in Bevo. These transactions reflected a shift away from the late-2010s strategy of building extensive cultivation capacity toward tighter capital allocation and a more focused operating model. The company remains an active Canadian cannabis business with medical-cannabis, adult-use, and international activities subject to local regulation.
- 2022
Aurora Sky transaction with Bevo
[1]Aurora sells Aurora Sky to Bevo Agtech and takes a 50.1 percent stake in Bevo.
- 2021
U.S. listing moves to Nasdaq
[1]Aurora transfers its U.S. exchange listing from the NYSE to Nasdaq.
- 2020
Terry Booth resigns as CEO
[1]Co-founder Terry Booth leaves the chief executive role and Michael Singer becomes interim CEO.
- 2019
Cost-reduction program begins
[1]Aurora pauses selected construction and production activities and begins reducing expenses in response to weak market economics.
- 2018
CanniMed acquisition closes
[1]Aurora completes its approximately C$1.1 billion acquisition of CanniMed Therapeutics.
- 2018
MedReleaf merger closes
[1]The MedReleaf combination expands Aurora's potential production capacity and international distribution network.
- 2018
New York Stock Exchange listing
[1]Aurora begins trading on the NYSE under ACB.
- 2018
Canada legalizes adult-use cannabis
[1]Aurora enters the nationally legalized Canadian adult-use market on October 17.
- 2017
Toronto Stock Exchange listing
[1]Aurora becomes publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under ACB.
- 2015
Aurora Mountain is completed
[1]The company's first major production facility is completed in Mountain View County, Alberta.
Products and positioning
A medical-cannabis-led, research-oriented producer emphasizing regulated quality, broad product formats, large-scale cultivation, and international distribution.
Medical cannabis
Medical cannabis dried flower
Dried cannabis flower has been central to Aurora's medical-cannabis business. Products are cultivated and processed under Canadian licensing requirements and have been distributed directly or through international medical-cannabis channels. Product strains, cannabinoid profiles, packaging, and availability vary by jurisdiction.
Medical cannabis · 2017
Cannabis oils
Aurora expanded into cannabis oils after receiving production authorization in 2016 and sales authorization in 2017. Its initial commercial launch comprised four oil lines. Oils provided a non-flower format for medical users and helped establish the company's broader processed-product portfolio.
Medical cannabis
Capsules and softgels
Capsules and softgels offer measured oral delivery of cannabis extracts. They form part of Aurora's medical and consumer product range and are positioned as alternatives to inhaled flower or manually measured oils.
Adult-use cannabis
Aurora Drift
Aurora Drift is one of the consumer-facing product names associated with Aurora's adult-use cannabis portfolio. The brand is used for selected regulated cannabis products, with exact formats and market availability subject to changing provincial product listings.
Adult-use cannabis
Daily Special
Daily Special is an Aurora-associated value-oriented cannabis offering. It has been used to address consumers seeking lower-priced regulated products, an important consideration in a market where legal products compete with illicit-market pricing.
Edible cannabis · 2019
Cannabis 2.0 edibles
Aurora's Cannabis 2.0 launch included gummies, chocolates, baked goods, and mints. These products broadened the company's offer beyond flower and oils after Canadian rules permitted additional adult-use formats.
Controversies
2019
U.S. investor class-action allegations
Several U.S. law firms announced proposed class actions alleging that Aurora misled public investors about revenue and profit expectations, planned capital investment, and business prospects after its share price fell sharply. The cited material reports allegations and filings, not a final judicial finding of wrongdoing.
Marketing campaigns
- 2019Cannabis 2.0 product expansion
Canada
Aurora introduced edible products such as gummies, chocolates, baked goods, and mints as part of Canada's expansion of legal cannabis formats.
Outcome. The company broadened its regulated adult-use portfolio beyond flower and oils.
- 2017Public certificate-of-analysis access
Canada
Aurora's online store and mobile application began making simplified third-party laboratory certificates of analysis available for its cannabis products, supporting a transparency and quality-assurance message.
Outcome. Product testing information became accessible to customers through digital channels.
Brand decisions
2022
Aurora Sky sale and Bevo investmentM&ABackground
Aurora was reducing exposure to large-scale cannabis cultivation assets and seeking alternative uses for greenhouse infrastructure.
Action taken
Aurora sold Aurora Sky to Bevo Agtech and received a 50.1 percent stake in Bevo.
Aftermath
The transaction converted a major cultivation asset into an equity interest in an agricultural technology business.
2021
U.S. exchange listing transferStrategyBackground
Aurora maintained a U.S. public-market presence after its NYSE listing period.
Action taken
The company transferred its U.S. listing from the New York Stock Exchange to Nasdaq while retaining ticker ACB.
Aftermath
Aurora continued to trade publicly in the United States on Nasdaq.
2020
CEO transitionOtherBackground
Aurora was under pressure from weak sector economics, falling share value, and the need to reduce expenses.
Action taken
Co-founder Terry Booth resigned as CEO and Executive Chairman Michael Singer became interim CEO.
Aftermath
The leadership transition accompanied a broader period of restructuring and asset rationalization.
2019
Capacity and cost rationalizationStrategyBackground
Canadian adult-use sales were constrained by limited retail access, excess inventory, high prices, and competition from the illicit market.
Action taken
Aurora paused Nordic 2 and Aurora Sun, suspended production at selected facilities, reduced capital spending, and reviewed properties and operating expenses.
Aftermath
The company stated that the project pauses would save approximately C$190 million, while the restructuring reflected a retreat from its earlier capacity-expansion strategy.
Expected savings from project decisions. Approximately C$190 million (2019)
2019
Cannabis 2.0 edible launchProduct launchBackground
Canadian regulations expanded the legal adult-use market to include edibles and other derivative formats.
Action taken
Aurora launched gummies, chocolates, baked goods, and mints.
Aftermath
Aurora diversified its product mix beyond dried flower and oils.
2018
Merger with MedReleafM&ABackground
Aurora pursued MedReleaf to increase cultivation scale and strengthen its international distribution network during the cannabis-sector expansion of 2018.
Action taken
The companies agreed to a stock-based merger, completed in July 2018.
Aftermath
The combined company reported substantially greater potential production capacity and distribution relationships in several international markets.
Transaction value. Approximately C$3.2 billion (Announced in May 2018; closed in July 2018)
2017
Hostile bid for CanniMed TherapeuticsM&ABackground
Aurora sought to expand its Canadian medical-cannabis business by acquiring CanniMed. CanniMed initially resisted and pursued an alternative transaction with Newstrike Resources.
Action taken
Aurora launched an all-stock offer and later negotiated an approximately C$1.1 billion transaction.
Aftermath
The acquisition closed in 2018 and increased Aurora's Canadian patient base and operating scale.
Transaction value. Approximately C$1.1 billion (Announced and completed in 2018)
Recent events
Curaleaf launches US$260 million takeover bid for Aurora Cannabis[3]
Reported:
U.S.-based cannabis firm Curaleaf Holdings launched a takeover bid for Canadian producer Aurora Cannabis valuing it at about US$260 million, offering 0.3463 Curaleaf shares and 75 cents in cash per Aurora share, a total consideration of US$4 per share, open until December 1 subject to regulatory approvals and support from more than half of Aurora's independent shareholders.
Aurora Cannabis completes balance-sheet restructuring[4]
Reported:
Aurora Cannabis announced that it had completed its balance-sheet restructuring by repaying in full, without penalty, approximately $89 million under its credit facility, including accrued interest.
Aurora appoints Miguel Martin as CEO[5]
Reported:
Aurora announced that Miguel Martin had been appointed Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Michael Singer stepped down from his interim CEO role and remained Executive Chairman.
Aurora Nordic CEO appointed president of European organization[6]
Reported:
Aurora Cannabis appointed Mads Ulrik Peterson, then CEO of Aurora Nordic, president of its European organization, effective immediately. He will oversee a new growth strategy.
Aurora Cannabis completes acquisition of Reliva[7]
Reported:
Aurora Cannabis announced that it had completed its acquisition of Reliva for approximately US$40 million in Aurora common shares, with a potential earn-out of up to US$45 million subject to financial targets over the next two years.
Aurora announces agreement to acquire Reliva[8]
Reported:
Aurora Cannabis announced an agreement to acquire all of Reliva’s issued and outstanding membership interests. Under the agreement, Reliva would receive approximately USD $40 million in Aurora common shares, and the transaction was expected to close in June 2020, subject to conditions.
Aurora Cannabis CEO Terry Booth steps down[9]
Reported:
Aurora Cannabis CEO and founder Terry Booth stepped down and announced his retirement on Thursday, while remaining with the company as a strategic advisor.
Weekdays and relative dates follow the original report; their exact calendar dates have not been verified.
Aurora Cannabis announces 500 job cuts[10]
Reported:
Aurora Cannabis said it was eliminating 500 full-time roles, including 25% of corporate positions, and cutting spending in several areas.
Aurora Cannabis CEO steps down as interim successor takes over[10]
Reported:
Aurora Cannabis CEO Terry Booth was stepping down, and executive chairman Michael Singer was to take over as interim CEO while the board searched for a full-time replacement.
Aurora receives German approvals for medical cannabis sales[11]
Reported:
Aurora announced that it had received all necessary approvals from local regulators in Germany to sell its medical cannabis products, following a temporary suspension of sales of certain products in December 2019.
Showing the 10 most recent.
Sources16 sources
- 1Aurora Cannabisen.wikipedia.org
- 2Aurora Cannabis official websiteauroramj.com
- 3Curaleaf对Aurora Cannabis发起2.6亿美元收购要约bnnbloomberg.ca
- 4Aurora Cannabis完成资产负债表重组investingnews.com
- 5Aurora任命Miguel Martin为首席执行官prnewswire.com
- 6Aurora Nordic首席执行官获任欧洲组织总裁globalnews.ca
- 7Aurora Cannabis完成对Reliva的收购prnewswire.com
- 8Aurora宣布收购Reliva的协议dailyhive.com
- 9Aurora Cannabis首席执行官Terry Booth离任cheddar.com
- 10Aurora Cannabis宣布裁减500个岗位businessinsider.com
- 11Aurora获得德国医用大麻产品销售所需审批investingnews.com
- 12Aurora Cannabis宣布将在West Edmonton Mall开设旗舰店newcannabisventures.com
- 13Aurora Cannabis opens 11,000-sq-ft retail store in West Edmonton Mall | Daily Hive | Growdailyhive.com
- 14Aurora Cannabis Opens Experiential Flagship Store in North America's Largest Mallprnewswire.com
- 15Aurora Opens Flagship Store in North America’s Largest Mallfinance.yahoo.com
- 16Watch: Aurora Cannabis opens Canada's biggest cannabis shop at West Edmonton Malledmontonjournal.com
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