British American Tobacco (BAT) has said cannabis will play a role in its future as it moves to reduce the health impact of its products, reports the BBC.

BAT is actively trying to break away from selling traditional cigarettes and as part of this plan has already taken a stake in Organigram, a Canadian medical cannabis maker. Additionally, the company has signed a deal to research a new range of adult cannabis products with focus on cannabidiol (CBD), reports the BBC.
More than a third of BAT’s revenue in the UK already comes from its vaping brands like Vuse, Velo and glo, which has led to a rise in new customers from 13.5 million to 16.1 million. BAT’s chief marketing officer, Kingsley Wheaton sees cannabis related products as part of this new future approach.
"As we think about our portfolio for the future, certainly beyond nicotine products are interesting for us as another wave of future growth," he said. "I think [CBD vaping] is part of the future, but the present challenge is reduced harm in tobacco and nicotine alternatives, encouraging people to switch."