Medical cannabis growers still waiting for harvest of profits

Data from Te Whatu Ora shows since medicinal cannabis was legalised in 2020, prescriptions have grown from about a thousand a month to over 8000 a month.

In December 2020 there were 1118 prescriptions, and in June this year there were 8217.

Southern Medicinal has converted the old Mataura paper mill into a medicinal cannabis and hemp growing, testing and processing facility.

But founder Greg Marshall said they could not actually sell anything yet.

"We peaked operating and growing at nine different sites, right now we are operating three, the reason we put sites into hibernation is because the rules in New Zealand are very difficult to navigate.

"Even though there's massive growth in demand, we can't access the market until the rules are changed."

Marshall said at the moment the requirement is that from the moment the cannabis plant is cut down, everything that happens has to happen inside a pharmaceutical process, something that is not required in other countries.

Continue reading.

Photo by Ryan Lange on Unsplash

Source: