Canopy Growth eliminates 44 positions in Smiths Falls as part of restructuring

Staff work in a marijuana grow room that can be viewed by at the new visitors centre at Canopy Growths Tweed facility in Smiths Falls, Ont. on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA — Forty-four employees at Canopy Growth’s headquarters in Smiths Falls have been laid off as part of a restructuring at the cannabis company.

The layoffs come one month before Canopy Growth CEO David Klein says he will unveil a “new vision for the organization.”

The cannabis company confirms to CTV News Ottawa that 44 employees in Smiths Falls were terminated as part of 200 positions eliminated in Canada, the United States and United Kingdom.  Ten other employees in Smiths Falls were offered other employment. Canopy Growth employs 1,551 employees in Smiths Falls.

The layoffs follow two separate announcements on March 4 and April 16 to shutdown cultivation facilities in Canada, Colombia and New York.

Canopy Growth says the decision to eliminate 200 positions on Wednesday was part of the business review that it announced back in mid-February.

“Although difficult, the decisions that have been made over the last few months are to allow Canopy Growth to remain focused on the areas where we are winning and ensure that we are delivering the highest quality products to our consumers in every market we operate,” said Klein in a statement to CTV News Ottawa.

“For a long time Canopy has prioritized doing things first, but going forward we’ll be focused on doing things the best in the markets and in the product formats that show the greatest promise.”

Klein says Canopy Growth will announce more information about the “new vision of the organization” following the quarterly earnings call on May 29.