The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that B.C. pot producer Tilray Inc. debuted Thursday on the Nasdaq Stock Market at $17 (U.S.) and its shares jumped more than 30 per cent on the day to close at $22.39 (U.S.). The Globe's Christina Pellegrini quotes Tilray chief executive officer Brendan Kennedy as saying: "It's validation for us as a company and for the sector as a whole. We think it signifies a shift in perceptions and a step to further institutionalize the sector." Mr. Kennedy said that Tilray's marketing efforts ahead of its IPO meant he has spent 100 hours in the air during the past month, travelling to meetings with potential investors in New York, Toronto, Edmonton, Denver, Boston, Baltimore, Chicago, San Francisco, London, Frankfurt and Hong Kong. Public cannabis companies raised about $3.6-billion in the first six months of the year, according to a research report by Canaccord Genuity. "This industry is changing with velocity unlike anything I've ever seen," Mr. Kennedy said. The biggest players have used their cash positions and inflated share prices to boost their businesses, expanding their production at home and abroad and buying up companies across the supply chain.