In an interview with Business Insider, Aurora CEO Miguel Martin predicts the emergence of a "Monsanto of cannabis." Monsanto, which was acquired by Bayer in 2018, attracted controversy for its sale of genetically altered seeds and selling pesticides to protect those crops.  

"The reference to the agriculture giant, which was acquired by Bayer in 2018, "means companies that want to dominate the emerging industry will need to create cannabis strains with specific genetic profiles that give users the desired taste, smell, and psychoactive effects — and be sure that the product can be replicated consistently across different markets."

• Analysts say these types of predictable products will command higher prices and demand.
• However, we've been hearing about predictable products (not necessarily produced through genetic modification) for quite some time. And it's not clear they're anywhere close to market. 
• Canadian player Aurora is the world's second largest pot company by market cap.

Also in Business Insider, PornHub is reportedly in talks to be acquired by a group led by Canadian cannabis entrepreneur Chuck Rifici.

In 2015, former Bacardi executive George Scorsis was intrigued by cannabis but realized that from a branding perspective, the industry had a long way to go. Nonetheless, he accepted a position as president of Mettrum, one of Canada's first major cannabis companies.

Now leading his third cannabis company, WeedMD, Scorsis is a bit of a contrarian: While companies on both sides of the border chase recreational users, he continues to focus on the medical side of the business. It’s a strategy that has served him well. So far, Scorsis has led two medical-oriented companies to nine figure acquisitions.

Read the WeedWeek Spotlight.

**Sponsored content**

The craze for non-fungible tokens has reached the cannabis space. 

In Forbes, Chris Roberts and Javier Hasse separately look into how the craze for blockchain-enabled non-fungible tokens (NFTs) has reached the cannabiz, though it's not clear why anyone would pay $61.02 for a "bag" of digital weed, called "Lava Coin," except that in this case it comes with real weed.  

Happenings:

• MSO Green Thumb Industries has taken heat for withdrawing from an Illinois trade group, with critics saying the move raises questions about the company's commitment to equity. GTI didn't respond to a request for comment.
  Grown In
• Global bank Credit Suisse is backing away from a service it offered to trade and hold pot stocks with U.S. operations, a sign that banks may not be getting more comfortable with the industry.
  Reuters 
• The New York Times says New York's weed "land grab" is on. (The paper also visited an Arizona Mormon community that's home to a big pot farm.)
• Pot shops are hiring staff and overhauling their operations in expectation of more post-pandemic foot traffic.
  MJBiz
• Mars Wrigley, parent company of Skittles, is suing the makers of cannabis-infused "Skittles" for trademark infringement.
  Chicago Sun-Times
• It's not clear whether Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) will sign a MED bill passed by the state legislature.
  Marijuana Moment
• Canadian player Cronos Group reported a 26% drop in sequential revenue.
• 420MSP put together a list of leading cannatech influencers.
• Columbia University professor Carl Hart, discussed the case for legalizing hard drugs, including heroin.
  The New Yorker
• Podcast Erased explains how hemp bricks could mitigate climate change and save the world.
• Marijuana Venture finds Highway Vodka, "Houston's premier hemp vodka distillery."