The Daily Hit is a recap of the top financial news stories for February 9, 2023.

On the Site

Canopy Slashes 800 From Payroll After Revenues Slide

Canopy Growth Corp. (TSX: WEED) (Nasdaq: CGC) reported slumping revenues on Thursday and signaled a new cost-savings era that includes cutbacks on cultivation and 800 layoffs. The stock fell more than 8% in early trading on the news to lately sell at $2.52, a big drop from its year high of $9.61. Read more here.

Aurora Cannabis Revenue Boosted by Strong Euro

Aurora Cannabis Inc. (Nasdaq: ACB) (TSX: ACB) achieved positive adjusted EBITDA and reduced its debt even though it still recorded a net loss in its latest quarterly earnings. Aurora attributed the rising revenue to “growth across all cannabis business segments” as well as a full-quarter contribution of C$6.6 million from Bevo Farms. Read more here.

How Much Adult-Use Cannabis Has New York Sold? Who Knows?

While many other states quickly release sales figures for new cannabis markets, New York has been conspicuously silent. Inquiries to the New York Office of Cannabis Management and the existing stores regarding sales figures have been met with silence. Read more here.

Ayr Wellness to Exit Arizona, Expand to Ohio

Ayr Wellness Inc. (CSE: AYR.A) (OTCQX: AYRWF) is exiting Arizona and turning its attention to Ohio. The multistate cannabis operator signed a definitive agreement to sell its Arizona assets, Blue Camo LLC, to AZ Goat LLC. Read more here.

Cannabis Dispensary Deals Show How Prices Are Falling

The value of a cannabis dispensary just isn’t what it used to be. Six months ago, Planet 13 (OTC: PLNHF), a Las Vegas-based marijuana company, announced it would pull the trigger on its option to buy out its social-equity partner in an Illinois cannabis dispensary in a $2.9 million transaction. By the time the deal closed yesterday, the value had dropped by $1 million because of the steep downdraft in the stocks of cannabis companies. Read more here.

In Other News

Pineapple Express Cannabis Co.

Minaro Corp. (OTC Pink: MNAO) (the “Company”), a publicly traded company, announced the execution of a share exchange, the change of its name to Pineapple Express Cannabis Company, and an application to change the company’s current ticker symbol. Read more here.

Halo Collective

Halo Collective Inc. (NEO: HALO) (OTCQB: HCANF) expanded the company’s cannabis genetics and strain portfolio within its Oregon operations. With the expansion, Halo Collective now offers a wide range of unique and rare strains, sourced from some of the top growers and breeders in the state. Read more here.

BioHarvest Sciences

BioHarvest Sciences Inc. (CSE: BHSC) (OTCQB: CNVCF) reported sales orders of $6.1 million in 2022 , representing a 160% increase over 2021. Fourth-quarter sales orders of $2.7 million were more than triple the sales orders from the same quarter in 2021. Read more here.

The post Daily Hit: February 9, 2023 appeared first on Green Market Report.

A Ukrainian living in the U.S. has reportedly hacked a major drug market on the Russian dark web, diverting some of its crypto proceeds. The man says he donated the digital cash stolen from the illicit website to an organization delivering humanitarian aid across his war-torn homeland.

Wisconsin Resident With Ukrainian Roots Hacks Russian Dark Web Market Solaris

Ukrainian-born cyber intelligence expert Alex Holden, who left Kyiv as a teenager in the 1980s and now lives in Mequon, Wisconsin, claims he has hacked into Solaris, one of Russia’s largest online drug markets, Forbes informs in a report.

Supported by his team at Hold Security, he was able to get hold of some of the bitcoin sent to dealers and the darknet site’s owners. The cryptocurrency, worth over $25,000, was later transferred to Enjoying Life, a charitable foundation based in the Ukrainian capital.

Without revealing exactly how he did it, Holden explained he took control of much of the internet infrastructure behind Solaris, including some administrator accounts, obtained the website’s source code and a database of its users and drop off locations for drug deliveries.

For a while, the Ukrainian and his colleagues also gained access to the “master wallet” of the marketplace. It was used by buyers and dealers to deposit and withdraw funds and operated as the platform’s crypto exchange, the article details.

Given the rapid turnover, the wallet rarely had more than 3 BTC at a time. Holden managed to appropriate 1.6 BTC and send it to Enjoying Life. Hold Security donated another $8,000 to the charity, which provides assistance to people affected by the war in Ukraine.

Solaris Linked to ‘Patriotic’ Russian Hacking Collective Killnet

The darknet market Solaris is suspected of having connections to the hacking crew Killnet, which after Moscow launched its invasion in late February became one of Russia’s “patriotic” hacker groups vowing to target Ukrainians and their supporters.

Killnet has also conducted a number of attacks in the U.S., including on airport and state government websites as well as the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. It reportedly hit the Eurovision song contest, the Estonian government and Italy’s National Health Institute.

The group was also blamed for attacking Rutor, the main rival of Solaris, which became Russia’s leading underground drugs market after Hydra was shut down this past spring. According to U.S. cybersecurity firm Zerofox, Solaris was paying Killnet for DDoS services.

Besides the battlefield, Russia and Ukraine have also clashed in the online space, with the government in Kyiv recruiting experts for its own cyberforce. The special unit was tasked to identify and prevent Russian attacks but also hack back.

Hits such as those on Russia’s largest bank, Sber, and the Moscow Stock Exchange have been attributed to the Ukrainian IT army. Social media accounts associated with the hacktivist collective Anonymous took responsibility for many other attacks.

What do you think about Alex Holden’s attack on the Russian darknet market Solaris? Let us know in the comments section below.