Cannabis deals in Europe will help pot giant Aphria build up a war chest ahead of an expected frenzy of mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. High-margin medical cannabis agreements in Europe represent critical waypoints on Aphria’s road to conquer the U.S., bolstering the company’s balance sheet and putting it on firm footing with European regulators, said Irwin Simon. As in the U.S., legal recreational cannabis remains on the horizon in Europe, where a combined population of more than 500 million in the U.K. and European Union makes it a lucrative proposition. Aphria is set to complete its merger with Tilray this quarter, creating the world’s largest cannabis company by revenue.