Aurora Cannabis Announces the Completion of a Multimillion Dollar Investment and Renaming of B.C. Manufacturing Facility

Rhea-AI Summary

Aurora Cannabis has completed a $3 million investment in its Pemberton, British Columbia manufacturing facility, now renamed to Aurora Alpine. The multi-year upgrades have significantly improved the facility's performance, combining proprietary genetics with advanced engineering to optimize cultivation conditions.

Key achievements include:

• Doubled yield and potency, reaching 33.7% record levels
• GACP certification enabling international exports
• Enhanced operational efficiency and cultivation precision

The facility, formerly known as Whistler Medical Marijuana Company, was licensed in 2019. Located overlooking Mount Currie in the Pemberton Valley, the renamed Aurora Alpine reflects the company's commitment to excellence in cannabis production. The improvements strengthen Aurora's position as a global leader in medical cannabis, particularly in international markets through its premium product exports.

Positive

• $3M facility investment completed in Pemberton BC manufacturing site
• Doubled yield and achieved record 33.7% potency
• GACP certification enables international medical cannabis exports
• Integration of proprietary genetics and cultivation technology enhances operational efficiency

Negative

• None.

Insights

Cannabis Industry Expert

Aurora's $3M facility upgrade doubled yields and potency to 33.7%, enhancing export capabilities while maintaining operational excellence strategy.

Aurora Cannabis's $3 million multi-year investment in their Pemberton facility (now Aurora Alpine) demonstrates the company's ongoing commitment to operational efficiency in the competitive cannabis sector. The reported doubling of both yield and potency represents a significant cultivation achievement, with the 33.7% potency level standing as notably high for commercial cannabis production.

The GACP certification is particularly valuable as it unlocks international medical cannabis export capabilities, aligning with Aurora's strategic positioning as a global medical cannabis company rather than focusing primarily on recreational markets. Medical cannabis typically commands higher margins and faces less price compression than recreational products.

From a cultivation perspective, achieving substantial yield improvements while simultaneously increasing potency is technically challenging, as these metrics often trade off against each other. This suggests meaningful advancements in Aurora's proprietary genetics and cultivation methodologies.

The relatively modest investment amount indicates Aurora is pursuing targeted operational enhancements rather than capital-intensive expansion - a prudent approach given the industry's history of overbuilding capacity. This focus on extracting greater efficiency from existing assets rather than expansion aligns with broader industry trends toward sustainable profitability.

Financial Analyst

The facility improvements represent Aurora's disciplined capital allocation strategy, with a focused $3 million multi-year investment delivering substantial operational enhancements. The doubled yield effectively increases production capacity without expanding the facility's footprint, potentially improving unit economics and gross margins.

While the press release doesn't quantify the financial impact, the operational improvements address key profitability drivers in cannabis production:

• Increased yield reduces per-gram production costs
• Higher potency products typically command premium pricing
• International medical export capabilities access higher-margin markets

The relatively modest investment amount reflects Aurora's shift from its previous aggressive expansion strategy to a more disciplined approach focused on operational excellence and sustainable profitability. This alignment with their broader strategic focus on medical cannabis markets is notable, as these segments typically feature more stable pricing and higher margins than recreational markets.

The international export capability enabled by GACP certification provides potential revenue diversification beyond the competitive Canadian market. For context, Aurora has been working to improve its financial position after a challenging period, and these incremental operational improvements, while modest individually, collectively contribute to that effort through enhanced production economics.

NASDAQ | TSX: ACB

Company's Long-Standing Investment in Operational Excellence Continues with Industry Leading Upgrades and Renaming the Facility to Aurora Alpine

EDMONTON, AB, April 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NASDAQ: ACB) (TSX: ACB), the Canadian-based leading global medical cannabis company, announces the completion of a multi-year investment of $3 million in improvements to its manufacturing facility in Pemberton, British Columbia. These upgrades are a combination of Aurora's proprietary high-performing genetics and state-of-the-art engineering design which have resulted in optimal cultivation conditions, expanded output, and superior product quality. The site has been renamed to Aurora Alpine – a testament to the site reaching its highest potential and to reflect the facility overlooking Mount Currie in the Pemberton Valley.

"Over the last three years, the investments we've made into this facility have resulted in doubling the yield and potency, reaching a record 33.7%," says Alex Miller, Executive Vice President of Operations and Supply Chain at Aurora. "The name Aurora Alpine reflects our commitment to achieving the highest degree of excellence at a site that's driven by industry leading genetic technology, and backed by a world-class team that make it all possible."

The former Whistler Medical Marijuana Company site was licensed in 2019 and was built on a legacy of producing award-winning cannabis. The GACP certified facility enables Aurora to expand its global reach by exporting premium medical cannabis produced from the Aurora Alpine site internationally.

Aurora continues to advance the frontiers of operational excellence through the integration of cutting-edge cultivation technologies and proprietary genetics. These advancements have not only increased manufacturing capabilities, but have also set new industry standards for operational efficiency and cultivation precision. These continuous improvements are what solidifies Aurora as a global leader that continues to shape the future of the cannabis industry.

About Aurora Cannabis Inc.

Aurora is opening the world to cannabis, serving both the medical and consumer markets across Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, Aurora is a pioneer in global cannabis, dedicated to helping people improve their lives. The Company's adult-use brand portfolio includes Drift, San Rafael '71, Daily Special, Tasty's, Being and Greybeard. Medical cannabis brands include MedReleaf, CanniMed, Aurora and Whistler Medical Marijuana Co., as well as international brands, Pedanios, IndiMed and CraftPlant. Aurora also has a controlling interest in Bevo Farms Ltd., North America's leading supplier of propagated agricultural plants. Driven by science and innovation, and with a focus on high-quality cannabis products, Aurora's brands continue to break through as industry leaders in the medical, wellness and adult recreational markets wherever they are launched. Learn more at www.auroramj.com and follow us on X and LinkedIn.

Aurora's common shares trade on the NASDAQ and TSX under the symbol "ACB".

Contact

For Media: Michelle Lefler | VP, Communications & PR | media@auroramj.com

For Investors: ICR, Inc. | aurora@icrinc.com

Forward Looking Information

This news release includes statements containing certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements made in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company's improvements at its facility located in Pemberton, BC and the anticipated benefits, including expanded capacity, superior growing practices, optimal cultivating conditions, and the ability for Aurora to expand its global reach by exporting premium medical cannabis produced from that facility internationally, as well as statements regarding the Company's commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence.

These forward-looking statements are only predictions. Forward looking information or statements contained in this news release have been developed based on assumptions management considers to be reasonable. Material factors or assumptions involved in developing forward-looking statements include, without limitation, publicly available information from governmental sources as well as from market research and industry analysis and on assumptions based on data and knowledge of this industry which the Company believes to be reasonable. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances could cause actual events, results, level of activity, performance, prospects, opportunities or achievements to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, the ability to retain key personnel, the ability to continue investing in infrastructure to support growth, the ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms, the continued quality of our products, customer experience and retention, the development of third party government and non-government consumer sales channels, management's estimates of consumer demand in Canada and in jurisdictions where the Company exports, expectations of future results and expenses, the risk of successful integration of acquired business and operations (with respect to the Transaction and more generally with respect to future acquisitions), management's estimation that SG&A will grow only in proportion of revenue growth, the ability to expand and maintain distribution capabilities, the impact of competition, the general impact of financial market conditions, the yield from cannabis growing operations, product demand, changes in prices of required commodities, competition, and the possibility for changes in laws, rules, and regulations in the industry, epidemics, pandemics or other public health crises and other risks, uncertainties and factors set out under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual information from dated June 20, 2024 (the "AIF") and filed with Canadian securities regulators available on the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com and filed with and available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. The Company cautions that the list of risks, uncertainties and other factors described in the AIF is not exhaustive and other factors could also adversely affect its results. Readers are urged to consider the risks, uncertainties and assumptions carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such information. The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities law. 

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SOURCE Aurora Cannabis Inc.

FAQ

How much did Aurora Cannabis (ACB) invest in its BC facility upgrade in 2025?

Aurora Cannabis invested $3 million in improvements to its Pemberton, British Columbia facility, now renamed Aurora Alpine.

What improvements did Aurora Cannabis achieve at its Alpine facility in Pemberton?

The facility improvements doubled yield and potency, reaching a record 33.7% potency, through proprietary genetics and state-of-the-art engineering design.

Why did Aurora Cannabis rename its BC facility to Aurora Alpine?

The facility was renamed Aurora Alpine to reflect reaching its highest potential and its location overlooking Mount Currie in the Pemberton Valley.

How will Aurora Alpine facility impact ACB's international business?

The GACP certified Aurora Alpine facility enables Aurora to expand globally by exporting premium medical cannabis to international markets.

What was Aurora Alpine facility called before the 2025 rebranding?

The facility was formerly known as the Whistler Medical Marijuana Company site, which was licensed in 2019.