Aurora Cannabis Inc. says a pair of AI‑generated articles that surfaced online this week—one alleging a $215 million takeover of a New Zealand marijuana producer—are entirely false.
The stories appeared Wednesday on financial news site Investing.com but were removed by Thursday afternoon after the Edmonton‑based company flagged the inaccuracies. “Neither of these stories are true in any way. This is entirely false information,” Aurora vice‑president of communications and public relations Michelle Lefler said in an email, noting the company is pursuing the appropriate steps.
The first article claimed Aurora had signed a cash‑and‑stock agreement to acquire MedLeaf Therapeutics and cited supposed filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission while quoting chief executive Miguel Martin. A second piece pointed to a strategic partnership with German distributor MediPharm GmbH to expand Aurora’s medical‑cannabis reach across Europe.
Aurora rebutted the claims in a press release, stating, “The company has not entered into any such agreement, has had no discussions with MedLeaf Therapeutics … and has not made any statement or filed any information pertaining to any such transaction.”
Investors initially reacted to the confusion and other market pressures: the company’s Toronto‑listed shares slid more than 20% Wednesday before paring losses, and closed Thursday down 4.4% on the day.
Investing.com attributed the erroneous content to a technical issue and confirmed it was removed once notified. Aurora, which recently reported higher quarterly revenue and a narrower loss, emphasized that any legitimate corporate developments will continue to be disclosed through its established regulatory channels.
