Prior to ICBC Berlin Alex Miller from Aurora discusses global supply chains for medical cannabis, compliance and quality challenges. And explains which European markets are of interest.
krautinvest.de: Alex, medical cannabis is a global business, today. What is more effective: To scale production in Canada and ship products around the globe or to build local facilities?
Alex Miller: As Canada was the first market to open for legalized medical cultivation over 10 years ago, it has a competitive advantage for supply of high-quality cannabis globally. Canada offers the opportunity to grow at large scale, export to most countries under various standards (GMP or otherwise), and take advantage of highly skilled labour and lower energy costs. For Aurora, our hybrid supply model allows us to combine EU-GMP manufacturing in Canada with local cultivation at our Aurora Leuna facility in Germany, to deliver a global supply chain.
krautinvest.de: Compliance is another major challenge.
Alex Miller: For the optimal supply solution, we also work with partners to contract grow select cultivars and we source various products from third-parties for a cost-effective solution to offering a robust portfolio of products. This model provides flexibility and supply resilience, allowing us to respond to patient demand without compromising on quality or compliance. Importantly, local manufacturing strengthens supply reliability and ensures we remain closely aligned with regulators and healthcare systems.
Disclaimer: This article was created as part of a media partnership with the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC). No investment recommendation. With the code KRAUTINVEST25, our readers receive a 25% discount (link to tickets).
krautinvest.de: In Germany production still has not grown significantly in contrast to imports. Why?
Alex Miller: Germany’s medical cannabis market has developed at a different place, as regulations evolve. Imports from well-established markets like Canada have been part of the supply solution for consistent supply while the industry forms domestically. Operating costs in Germany are higher and building compliant, EU‑GMP manufacturing capacity locally takes time and significant operational discipline, which limits the number of operators able to do so. For Aurora – we invested early in expanding local production at our Leuna facility, porting our experience and expertise from Canada to produce high-quality cannabis at a competitive cost. Over time, local manufacturing strengthens supply resilience and complements imports, rather than replacing them outright.
krautinvest.de: Repeatedly we hear complaints about GMP-Washing causing quality problems. In general, what are the main challenges in global medical cannabis supply chains in terms of quality?
Alex Miller: At Aurora, we focus on combining our deep cultivation expertise with rigorous operational excellence based on science, engineering and foundations from other regulated industries. Producing high quality cannabis requires great genetics, sound infrastructure, robust processes and a team that is passionate about cannabis. GMP certification validates that our processes are standardized, documented and carefully monitored. Quality issues often arise for others when standards are treated as a checkbox rather than embedded into operations. We view our EU‑GMP manufacturing as a competitive advantage that not only enriches our product quality, but supports patient safety, trust and confidence from healthcare providers.
krautinvest.de: Demand for medical cannabis highly depends on regional regulation causing volatility. How does this affect long-term planning?
Alex Miller: Regulatory variability for medical cannabis means long‑term planning must prioritize flexibility and discipline over rapid expansion. We designed our global operations to deliver predictable outcomes in unpredictable regulatory environments. Our hybrid supply model allows us to scale deliberately, align production with demand, and avoid overbuilding capacity and inventory. The experience we’ve gained in operating across multiple regulated markets for over a decade also helps reduce both regulatory and supply‑chain risk.
krautinvest.de: For which European markets do you expect a growing demand for medical or adult-use cannabis in the near and mid-term future?
Alex Miller: Aurora is built to meet the rigorous regulatory and compliance standards of the medical cannabis market. There are significant long-term growth opportunities in Europe – particularly markets with established healthcare frameworks. Germany continues to play a central role as a growth engine for medical cannabis in Europe, while other European markets like Poland, the UK and Spain are evolving at different speeds. Growth won’t be linear, but the direction is clear as regulations become more structured and focused on quality and patient safety.
Alex Miller
Alex, EVP Operations & Supply Chain, Aurora Cannabis, leads Aurora’s global operations and supply chain functions. He has a track record of successfully transforming complex manufacturing and supply chain organizations to improve the company’s overall performance with an unwavering commitment to safety, quality, and team development. He has more than 25 years of experience leading manufacturing, engineering, and supply chain teams in global consumer packaged goods and pharmaceutical companies. For Alex, joining Aurora is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be a part of an emerging industry where Canada is a global leader.
Disclaimer: This article was created as part of a media partnership with the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC). No investment recommendation. With the code KRAUTINVEST25, our readers receive a 25% discount (link to tickets).