EXCLUSIVE: Aurora Cannabis CEO Responds To Big Tobacco Concerns — It's Not That Kind Of Partnership

In September 2024, Aurora Cannabis Inc (NASDAQ:ACB) launched a CBD lozenge in collaboration with Vectura Fertin Pharma (now Aspeya, Inc.), a pharmaceutical firm owned by Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM). The dissolvable product, branded Luo, debuted on Aurora’s medical platform in Canada.

To some observers, it looked like a stealth alignment between cannabis and Big Tobacco. But according to Aurora CEO Miguel Martin, the story is more nuanced.

"Our relationship really is with Vectura Fertin," said Martin, noting the company now goes by the name Aspeya. "It's a broader health and wellness company, and it's really not so much with PMI, even though they have their own connection."

Aurora's strategy, he says, is grounded in medical science, not brand crossovers.

"We have always had a very conservative, pharmaceutically minded approach," Martin told Benzinga. "To be able to partner with someone with [Vectura's] history, and particularly the technology they were bringing to ingestible cannabinoids, was exciting for us."

The companies launched the Luo lozenge in Canada as a physician-authorized product for patients seeking controlled CBD delivery. Aurora handles distribution through its direct-to-patient ecommerce platform. Martin said the partnership has been well-received and could expand in the future.

"This is really about learning and understanding… how that kind of science-based, medical approach is received. And it's been very well received," he said. "Our patients have enjoyed them. Hopefully, there's opportunity for other brand extensions."

Also read: World’s Largest Tobacco Company Is Investing In Medical Cannabis: Here’s What To Know

When asked whether this represented a deeper alignment with legacy industries, Martin was clear:

"Right now, it's about partnering and working with thoughtful, science-based, medically oriented companies," he said.

Aurora has similar relationships with prescribers, wholesalers and pharmaceutical partners across markets like Germany, Australia and the UK.

A Pharma-First Cannabis Strategy

The Luo lozenge deal, combined with Aurora's global medical push and Canada-first manufacturing strategy, fits into a broader vision Martin has reinforced consistently: that cannabis should follow pharmaceutical norms—from delivery methods to regulatory rigor.

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"We're experts in medical cannabis," he said. "That's where all of our profitability comes from. If a partnership helps us improve patient outcomes and deliver consistency, we're open to it."

For now, that means dissolvable CBD lozenges backed by pharma-grade R&D. Whether future deals bring Aurora closer to companies like PMI remains to be seen. But Martin insists the priority is patients, not optics.

"If it wasn't additive or accretive to our financials, we wouldn't do it," he said. "We don't chase headlines—we build around what works."

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