A relative of the Hells at a big legal pot seller
November 18, 2021
Thom Bonno
The Sûreté du Québec recently alerted Ottawa to the fact that the SQDC’s largest cannabis supplier has just acquired a business linked to a close friend of the Hells Angels.
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The young Ontario entrepreneur Josh Hill multiplies the poses on the social network Instagram with members in good standing of the Hells Angels, the famous skull logo prominently.
Already a major shareholder of Ontario cannabis producer Redecan, Josh Hill’s family have now been shareholders of Quebec cannabis giant HEXO since the latter bought Redecan for $ 925 million in May 2021.
Hexo is the SQDC's largest cannabis supplier. She sells products like flowering cannabis.
Archive photo, Thom Bonno
Hexo is the SQDC’s largest cannabis supplier. She sells products like flowering cannabis.
HEXO is the preferred supplier of the Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC), which has a monopoly on the sale of the pot in the province.
According to our police sources, the pictures released by Josh Hill are so disturbing that the federal government, which granted HEXO’s cannabis cultivation license, has been made aware of it.
Three members in good standing
Josh Hill (left) is pictured with Hells Dwayne Patrick Smith (center) and Joel Rollin (right). The latter was arrested for extortion and assault in 2012, and sentenced to six months in prison in 2013.
Screenshot from Josh Hill’s Instagram account
Josh Hill (left) is pictured with Hells Dwayne Patrick Smith (center) and Joel Rollin (right). The latter was arrested for extortion and assault in 2012, and sentenced to six months in prison in 2013.
On his internet publications in the last year, some of which have since been withdrawn, Josh Hill notably poses with individuals identified by our police sources as Dwayne Patrick Smith, Joel Rollin and Jason Hall. These are three members in good standing of the Ontario Hells Angels.
On January 25, Josh Hill (right) posed with Jason Hall, a member in good standing of the Hells Angels, and wished him happy birthday.
Screenshot from Josh Hill’s Instagram account
On January 25, Josh Hill (right) posed with Jason Hall, a member in good standing of the Hells Angels, and wished him happy birthday.
Smith was notably arrested and charged in April following an organized crime investigation.
Josh Hill also touched on Redecan’s mega-deal with HEXO on his Instagram account in May 2021, posting a screenshot of an article in the Globe and Mail referring to it.
“Congratulations brother,” wrote one internet user.
“Unreal,” commented another.
On his Instagram account, Josh Hill is surrounded by Peter James Montour (right) and William Montour with the mention
Screenshot from Josh Hill’s Instagram account
On his Instagram account, Josh Hill is surrounded by Peter James Montour (right) and William Montour with the mention “The Rede Gang”. The Montour brothers sit on the board of directors of HEXO.
Two of the current directors of HEXO, Peter James and William Montour, had also been photographed arm in arm with Josh Hill on Instagram, before the transaction.
An office at redecan
In response to a series of written questions relating in particular to the role of Josh Hill at Redecan, the representative of a strategic consulting firm hired by HEXO replied:
“There is no business relationship between HEXO and the person in question, either today or in the past. HEXO operates under the highest standards of legal and regulatory compliance. “
On social media, Josh Hill does not hide his great interest in cannabis.
Screenshot from Josh Hill’s Instagram account
On social media, Josh Hill does not hide his great interest in cannabis.
But we were able to confirm that Josh Hill previously had an office at Redecan. When our Bureau of Investigation contacted the company last week asking if Josh Hill is working there now, a receptionist told us yes. She added that he was not present at the scene at the time.
On a second call the next day, human resources refused to answer.
? The legalization of cannabis was announced in 2018 by the Trudeau government with the aim, in particular, of eradicating the presence of organized crime in the cannabis market.
His “brother” of the Hells
Screenshot from Dwayne Patrick Smith’s Instagram account
In this photo, we can see Josh Hill standing behind the Hells Angel Dwayne Patrick Smith. The photo was shared on Front_line_Affa’s account, owned by Dwayne. AFFA is an acronym of the biker group meaning “Angels Forever; Forever Angels ”.
Dwayne writes “me and my brother” in reference to Josh with the hashtag #loyaltyispriceless (“loyalty has no price” in French).
Dwayne Patrick Smith was arrested in April along with 27 others as part of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Project Kakia and Durham Police targeting organized crime. He was charged in particular with trafficking in property obtained by crime. The case is now before the courts.
HEXO in brief
Founded in 2013 in Gatineau. It was then called Hydropothecary and obtained its medical cannabis license from Health Canada in March 2014.
As a “preferred” supplier to the SQDC, HEXO is the only producer to have won a five-year supply contract with the state-owned company in 2018, ie 45 tonnes.
The firm worked with the state corporation to develop products adapted to the Quebec market. Until mid-October, HEXO managed the storage and distribution of SQDC’s online cannabis purchases.
Redecan in brief
Founded in 2014 in Ontario, it obtained its medical cannabis license in June 2014.
It was founded by Richard Redekop, Peter James and William Montour.
In a January 2021 press release, the company said the Hills are part of the team of owners.
The Hill family in brief
It is established on the Six Nations reserve in Ontario. Josh Hill’s father, Ken, is the wealthy co-founder of Grand River Enterprise (GRE), an Indigenous tobacco company. Ken Hill died last January. His business partner was Jerry Montour, father of Peter James and William Montour (Redecan).
The Hill house is described by the Toronto Star like a 22,000 square foot mansion with a garage worthy of an airplane hangar that houses a collection of luxury cars.
In 2013, Josh, then an aspiring rapper, recorded a single named Blowed with Snoop Dogg, in his father’s recording studio.
A company in difficulty
HEXO is experiencing major financial difficulties, even though it is the largest cannabis company in the country and the largest supplier to the SQDC.
External auditor PwC even expressed “substantial doubt about its ability to continue operating” in a recent report. Last week, HEXO announced the closure of three facilities and the layoff of 155 people.
HEXO’s stock, which was already worth $ 41 in 2019, is trading today at around $ 2, down more than 50% since the start of the year.
On October 18, the company announced the sudden departure of its founder and CEO, Sébastien St-Louis, as part of a “strategic reorganization”.
Bad decisions
According to the Bloomberg BNN TV channel, the departure from St-Louis would also be no stranger to the arrival of Redecan last August.
In September, an investor by the name of Adam Arviv, who previously acted as a special advisor to Redecan, indeed sent a letter to the board of directors denouncing the bad decisions of St. Louis and the poor financial performance of HEXO. .
HEXO’s board of directors then, unanimously according to Bloomberg, voted to remove Mr. St-Louis. The latter nevertheless remains a member of the board of directors.
Ultimately, it was Scott Cooper, the CEO of Truss, the cannabis beverage joint venture created by HEXO and Molson Coors, who inherited the position.
Not pawns
The agreement for the transaction with Redecan also included the arrival of William and Peter James Montour on the board of directors of HEXO. Currently, Peter James sits there and William is a non-voting observer until his election.
These Redecan executives will have a major role in the new business. Under the terms of the transaction disclosed in May 2021, Redecan shareholders were expected to end up with around one-third of HEXO’s shares outstanding.
