b"CANNABIS CHRONICLESA NEW WORLD of BREEDINGSome of the seed sectors most well-known names are popping up in the cannabis realm. Heres why this crop represents new opportunities for these industry stalwarts. Marc ZienkiewiczCHARLES PICK began his career in forage seed in 1990.Canada and Europe, and serves patients and consumers Serving as vice-president turf operations for the Pickseedworldwide.Companies Groupa company co-founded by hisWith recreational cannabis increasingly becoming grandfather and run by his father and unclehismore socially acceptable in Canada and beyond (retired interests quickly grew into the biotech space. He workedCanadian Olympic athlete Perdita Felicien recently called for BASF for 11 years leading their genomics lab DNAfor the plant to be removed from the Games banned sub-LandMarks, eventually spurring him to found his ownstances list, for example), Pick says the story of cannabis biotech consulting firm and then work in one of theis only in its infancy.countrys newest spacescannabis. Three years ago, when Canada was preparing to legal-As senior vice-president science and innovation forize recreational cannabis, questions abounded among Aurora Cannabis, hes now helping lead one of the worldsmarket analysts in regard to access to germplasm and top cannabis companies as it rapidly expands and pre- how the market would shape up as the cannabis econ-pares to mark three years since recreational cannabis wasomy began to evolve. Product shortages were the norm as legalized in Canada. cannabis stores began opening their doors in October of A friend of mine said, You know, your knowledge2018.would really be applicable to the cannabis industry. ItFast-forward to 2020 and Canadian cannabis sales appeals to the ag science background that I have, becausedoubled, according to Brightfield Groups latest Canadian to a certain extent cannabis has been totally untouchedCannabis Market report, which pegged sales at $2.6 bil-by modern agricultural practices. It's almost like discover- lion last year. Furthermore, the Canadian adult-use canna-ing a new species because so many improvements can bebis market grew 118% in 2020, dominated by flower. You made, says Pick.might say cannabis is coming into its own. The irony of him starting his career in forage and ending up in cannabis is not lost on Pick and his family. Breeding BreakthroughsCannabis is nothing I ever expected to work in. MyAurora recently celebrated a portfolio refresh and dad likes to tell people that at least Im still in the grasslaunched three new cultivars.business. Our breeding and genetics program has been a huge Dont let the sense of humour fool you, though. Picksuccess for us. These three cultivars are the first new is serious about cannabis. Aurora is Canadas top medicalgenetics that stood out in a couple of years, as weve cannabis platform in terms of revenue. Its also one of thelargely been running with the same portfolio products for leading international cannabis platforms. Headquarteredthe last three years, Pick says. in Edmonton, it has licensed production facilities acrossWe also have cultivars that that are commercially 14GERMINATION.CASEPTEMBER 2021"