Reynolds parent company is expanding investment in cannabis corporations

The parent company of Reynolds American Inc. is dipping its toes in the cannabis industry. 

British American Tobacco PLC (BAT) has acquired a minority stake in Sanity Group GmbH, a cannabis company based in Berlin, Germany. Sanity Group offers CBD and medical marijuana products and anticipates future growth with the expected legalization of recreational marijuana in Germany.

According to Bloomberg, other Sanity Group investors include rapper Snoop Dogg’s Casa Verde Capital.

BAT executive Kingsley Wheaton says in a news release that the investment reflects the company’s interest in expanding its footprint beyond nicotine.

Last March, BAT announced a collaboration with Canada’s Organigram Holdings Inc., which is a licensed producer of medical and recreational marijuana.

British American Tobacco PLC is the parent company of Winston-Salem-based Reynolds American Inc., the second-largest tobacco company in the U.S.