Viola Brands launched in Canada through a partnership with Avicanna Inc., a Canadian biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Toronto.
Avicanna is responsible for managing overall commercialization of all Viola products in Canada through its manufacturing, distribution, and sales infrastructure, according to a company statement. Viola products are currently available on Medical Cannabis by Shoppers, an digital platform and subsidiary of Shoppers Drug Mart Inc.
Michigan-based Viola, founded in 2011 by 16-year NBA veteran Al Harrington, currently has a licensed footprint in five states, in addition to its production expansion to Canada.
"We're excited to launch in Canada with our partner, Avicanna, who shares our vision to increase representation and promote equity within the cannabis industry," said Harrington, co-founder and CEO of Viola, in a press release. "And look forward to having Viola's premium products available at Medical Cannabis by Shoppers."
Viola products currently available through Medical Cannabis by Shoppers include THC and CBD products, including cartridges, concentrates, and disposable vaporizers.
"Today, Canada's incredible diversity is not well represented by existing brands and through this multi-layered partnership with Viola, we seek to fill that gap, bring some much-needed minority representation, and extend Al's vision to Canadian consumers," said Aras Azadian, CEO of Avicanna, in the release. "Additionally, having Viola's premium products launched in Canada through our distribution agreement with Medical Cannabis by Shoppers Drug Mart will be a huge win for Canadians as the products will be available nationwide immediately."
