3 cannabis genetics companies to merge

Cannabis seed producers Barney’s Farm Genetics, I Love Growing Marijuana (ILGM) and Sensi Seeds are merging under a deal that will close in early 2025.

Derry Brett, founder of Barney’s Farm Genetics, will lead the newly formed group as CEO, although “each company will retain its own CEO and management,” a spokesperson for the companies told MJBizDaily.

The spokesperson declined to disclose any financial details involved in the deal.

“This is more than a business merger – it’s a game changer, uniting our reputation for prestige genetics with Sensi’s vast library of heritage seed(s) and ILGM’s loyal customer base of home-growing enthusiasts,” Brett said in a prepared statement.

“Once combined, we’ll be able to offer growers the most unique, elevated and sought-after cannabis genetics on the market.”

Brands will remain distinct

While the three operators will be merged under the same company, the brands will remain distinct, a spokesperson told MJBizDaily, adding that the new business will be based in the United States.

“There are currently no plans to alter the existing employee structures,” the spokesperson said.

Barney’s Farm and Sensi Seeds currently are headquartered in Amsterdam. ILGM is based in Modesto, California.

Ernst Rustenhoven, chief executive of ILGM, noted the sense of community and collaboration shared by the cannabis genetics community.

“The global community of cannabis growers are the true beneficiaries of this unique collaboration,” Rustenhoven said in a statement.

“By partnering with two prestigious heritage brands like Barney’s Farm Genetics and Sensi Seeds, we’re unlocking a new level of potential that will enrich and expand our catalog of world-class genetics.”

Genetics activation at MJBizCon

Barney’s Farm and Sensi Seeds are exhibiting this week at MJBizCon in the Las Vegas Convention Center as part of The Vault powered by Voice of the Plant, a section of the trade show floor where operators are curated by Victorine Deych and Mario Guzman, creator of the Gelato cannabis strain.

Speaking with MJBizDaily ahead of MJBizCon, Deych and Guzman said they hoped to gather a collection of international thought leaders to connect the community and push cannabis culture forward.

“Some of these people have been doing it for 40 years, like Sensi Seeds, one of the companies that is going to come and show a ton of support for this,” Guzman said.

“All of our global friends come and … talk about what genetics are great, and what we are planting for the following year.”

Plans to go public

Once the merger has gone through, Brett plans to take the combined company public on a U.S. stock exchange “in mid-2025,” the release noted.

A spokesperson told MJBizDaily the company would announce “at a later date” on which exchange the combined company plans to list.

While plant-touching businesses are forbidden from listing on major U.S. stock exchanges because marijuana is illegal at the federal level, cannabis seeds are low in THC, meaning they are not subject to some of the same regulations that create impediments to business, such as bans on interstate commerce.