Aurora Cannabis increases its stake in CanniMed Therapeutics to 2.3 per cent

Cannabis seedlings are shown at the new Aurora Cannabis facility, Friday, November 24, 2017 in Montreal. (THE CANADIAN PRESS / Ryan Remiorz)

VANCOUVER - Aurora Cannabis Inc. says it has purchased 116,000 common shares of CanniMed Therapeutics Inc., increasing its equity stake in the company to about 2.3 per cent.

Last Friday, Vancouver-headquartered Aurora announced it had purchased 450,000 common shares of CanniMed, equivalent to about 1.8 per cent of the company.

Aurora has said it's allowed to buy up to about five per cent of the Saskatoon-headquartered CanniMed's stock on the open market. This is its second purchase.

An acrimonious takeover battle between the two marijuana companies was in the regulatory spotlight earlier in December at a joint hearing involving the Saskatchewan and Ontario securities commissions.

Both companies have said they are pleased with a regulatory ruling dated Dec. 22 that gives each of them some of what they were seeking.

Any securities issued by CanniMed as a defence against a hostile takeover by Aurora will be cease-traded, the Ontario Securities Commission said. Aurora, for its part, will be required to amend its takeover bid circular and related press releases to include certain information that could affect CanniMed's shareholders when they decide to accept or reject an offer.