Canada Is Beating the U.S. in Cannabis and Nobody Noticed ft. James Yamanaka

Organigram CEO James Yamanaka joins The Dime to break down one of the most important cannabis growth stories happening right now: the connection between BAT, Organigram, Sanity Group, Canada, and Germany’s rapidly expanding medical cannabis market. James shares how BAT originally viewed Organigram as a long-term cannabis investment, why moving from global tobacco into cannabis changed his view of the industry, and what surprised him most after stepping inside Organigram as CEO. We also discuss why cannabis companies need to move beyond chasing revenue and market share at all costs. James explains why Organigram is focused on profitable growth, SKU simplification, stronger data, better supply chain execution, and building a cannabis portfolio that can scale across Canada and Europe. A major focus of the conversation is Organigram’s acquisition of Sanity Group and why Germany could become one of the most important cannabis markets in the world. James explains how Sanity gives Organigram a distribution network, medical cannabis brands, European market access, and a major growth engine outside Canada. In this episode, we discuss: ● BAT’s long-term cannabis strategy and why Organigram became a key investment ● Why James Yamanaka moved from BAT to become CEO of Organigram ● How Organigram is thinking about Canada, Germany, and European cannabis growth ● Why Germany’s medical cannabis market could nearly double ● The Sanity Group acquisition and what it means for Organigram’s global strategy ● Why cannabis companies need to simplify SKUs and stop chasing every trend ● How vape innovation can create growth or destroy profitability ● Why data matters, but does not tell the full story ● How Canadian cannabis can become a major global export industry ● What the cannabis industry still needs to prove to investors Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Organigram and BAT's Involvement 05:24 Shifting Perspectives: From BAT to Organigram 09:08 Understanding the Complexity of the Cannabis Market 13:12 Balancing Listening and Leadership 17:24 Data-Driven Decision Making in Cannabis 21:18 Strategic SKU Management and Market Forecasting 24:17 Leveraging BAT's Expertise in Cannabis 30:04 The Strategic Importance of the Sanity Deal 39:57 Navigating Regulatory Challenges in the Cannabis Industry Guest Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-yamanaka-aaa32a/ https://www.organigram.ca/ Our Links: Bryan Fields on Twitter The Dime on Twitter Extraction Teams: Want to cut costs and get more out of every run? Unlock hidden revenue by extracting more from the same input—with Newton Insights. At Eighth Revolution (8th Rev), we provide services from capital to cannabinoid and everything in between in the cannabinoid industry. The Dime is a top 5% most shared global podcast The Dime is a top 10 Cannabis Podcast The Dime has a New Website. Shhhh its not finished. 🎥 YouTube: The Dime 📸 Instagram: The Dime https://www.newton-insights.com/