New legislation introduced in the US last week seeks to create a clear legal pathway for hemp-derived cannabidiol and other hemp extracts, while also assuring quality. The status of cannabidiol is still a bit of a no-man's land in the USA while the FDA tussles with developing regulations. Last month,...
Lincoln University New Zealand based Greenlab's Australian subsidiary has inked a deal with local medical cannabis distributor Cannvalate. Greenlab, founded in 2019, carries out research and development and will be scaling up to a commercial indoor cultivation facility to manufacture novel products. The initial research focus of Greenlab's program is optimizing...
Jazz Pharmaceuticals is to acquire cannabinoid medicine manufacturer GW Pharmaceuticals for a whopping sum. Founded in 1998, GW Pharmaceuticals manufactures CBD-based Epidiolex, which is marketed under the name Epidyolex in the EU and Australia. Epidiolex was the first CBD medicine approved by the USA's FDA. Epidyolex has been approved in...
From coal to cannabis - times are certainly changing in the Western Australian town of Collie. Situated around 200 kilometres south of Perth, Collie has been Western Australia's most important coal mining town since the 1880's. But as Australia moves away from burning the problematic black rock, the future of...
Canada-headquartered Tilray has announced Portugal's national healthcare regulator has provided authorisation for the company to sell its medical cannabis products in that country. Legislation was signed into law in 2018 to allow for medicinal use of cannabis in Portugal, which was to be acquired through pharmacies. But according to Tilray...
Yesterday marked a big regulatory step forward in Australia for the availability of cannabidiol without a prescription, but where can you buy it? Find out what's happening. In December last year, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) published its final decision on down-scheduling certain CBD preparations to Pharmacist Only Medicines (Schedule...
A study observing the impact of medical cannabis on prescribed opioid usage in chronic pain patients has revealed interesting results. The US opioid epidemic claimed 47,600 lives in 2017 and it's estimated 10.3 million people were misusing opioids in 2018 - a staggering 3.7% of the US population. It's thought medical...
A New Zealand project will delve into ways to turn hemp seed waste into high value products for local consumption and export. Hemp seed is a superfood that is truly deserving of the label - it's high in protein, vitamins and minerals, fibre and beneficial fatty acids, but low in...
A survey in Germany has found more than half of patients with Parkinson's disease who use medical cannabis have self-reported beneficial clinical effects. Analysis of more than 1,300 patient questionnaires revealed over 8% of patients with PD reported using cannabis products and 54% of those reported a beneficial clinical effect. More...
France's Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) has chosen companies that will supply the country's free medical cannabis pilot program. In October last year, the French government announced it will be providing up to 3,000 patients with free medical cannabis products - and it won't be...