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Medical cannabis: How one British group is empowering patients to enter the billion-dollar industry

Summary:

Grow Lab Organics (GLO), a British medical cannabis company based in the Isle of Man, is selling up to 25% of its equity to patients in the UK to give them a say in the production and availability of a drug they struggle to get reliably and affordably. The company is looking for investors among patients in the UK who have medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis, who are finding it difficult to legally source high-quality cannabis that can relieve their symptoms. GLO has partnered with Carly Barton, who was the first person to obtain a prescription for cannabis in the UK, to set up a certification scheme for users called Cancard. GLO has already raised £4m from investors, some of whom are celebrities and wealthy patients who use cannabis to treat disease.

Additional Piece:

Medical cannabis has become a hot topic in recent years as patients use it to obtain natural relief from their symptoms for various medical conditions. The legalization of cannabis for medical use in the UK in 2018 was a significant step for many people suffering from chronic pain to finally get access to the drugs that may help them without breaking the law. However, the availability of medical cannabis is still limited, with many patients finding it prohibitively expensive or poor quality. This is why GLO’s move is so significant.

GLO’s decision to open up its equity to patients in the UK gives them the power to have a say in the production and availability of the drug. Patients who are already suffering from medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis have firsthand knowledge of the effects of the drug and how it can help alleviate their symptoms. By allowing them to invest in the company’s stock, it is not only providing them with a chance to reduce their costs but also empowering them to have a voice in the production process.

The partnership between GLO and Carly Barton, founder of Cancard, is also an important step. The certification scheme provides registered patients who consume cannabis for medical reasons with an identity card recognized by the police. This enables them to avoid arrest for growing cannabis themselves or buying it from street vendors. Giving priority access to GLO stock to Cancard members also ensures that those who need the drug the most will benefit from its production.

As the medical cannabis market continues to grow, GLO’s decision to open up its equity to patients in the UK sets an example for other companies to consider. Patients are the focus of the medical cannabis movement, and giving them a hand in the production and availability of the drug will only help to improve its quality and accessibility. It is an important step towards breaking down the barriers that restrict patients’ access to medical cannabis, which may prove to be a game-changer in the industry.

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A British medical cannabis company based in the Isle of Man is selling up to 25% of its equity to patients in the UK, giving them influence in the production and availability of a drug they struggle to get it reliably and affordably.

Grow Lab Organics last year became the first company to obtain a license to grow and export cannabis from the Isle of Man, which has its own government but is part of a customs union in the UK.

The firm is looking for investors among people in the UK who have medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis and are finding it difficult to legally source high-quality cannabis that can relieve their symptoms.

“Having patients engaged with the company means they make fewer mistakes, produce the products they want, and have a more dynamic feedback loop,” said Alex Fray, GLO’s chief executive officer. “It’s potentially very powerful and will allow us to quickly capture market share.”

GLO has partnered with Carly Barton, the first person to obtain a prescription for cannabis in the UK who has set up a certification scheme for users, called Cancard.

A YouGov survey estimates that there are 1.8 million people in the UK who obtain cannabis products illicitly © Shutterstock

Barton says many patients find legal access to the drug prohibitively expensive and the quality of the products offered unreliable. “We’re going to introduce a lot of benefits for people who have invested to dramatically reduce their costs,” she said.

Although there are many companies in the UK with import licenses for medical cannabis, only a handful are licensed to grow the plant and use its banned psychoactive compound – THC – or legalized compounds known as cannabinoids. Most of these companies are limited to R&D use.

GLO overcame commercial production hurdles by securing a grow and export license with the Isle of Man. Now it hopes that with patient acceptance it can shake up the way the UK market works.

Cancard provides an identity card to registered patients who consume cannabis for medical reasons recognized by the police. This allows them to avoid arrest for growing cannabis themselves or buying it from street vendors.

The group’s 75,000 members were given priority access to GLO stock ahead of a public fundraiser next week. GLO has already raised £4m from investors, some of them celebrities and wealthy patients who use cannabis to treat disease.

Alex Fray, CEO of GLO: “Having patients involved in the business means making fewer mistakes”

A YouGov survey estimated last October that there were 1.8 million people in the UK obtaining cannabis products illicitly to alleviate chronic physical and mental health conditions. The NHS only prescribes the drug in very limited circumstances, so most people who gain access legally do so at private clinics.

The drug was legalized for medical use in the UK in 2018 for a number of conditions, including fibromyalgia, after parents of children with severe epilepsy touted its benefits.

Fray says GLO will provide patients, many of whom he hopes will become shareholders, with transparency about how the plant is grown and what strains are used. They will also have a voice through Barton, who sits on the company’s board and regularly polls Cancard members.

“It’s important to patients how the plant is grown,” Fray said.

He didn’t expect Britain to ease the use of cannabis, as Canada and some US states have done. But he said that even in its current restricted form, the drug market still hasn’t had a “breakthrough moment.”

“The supply chain has been very fragile. But I see the transition accelerating,” she said.


https://www.ft.com/content/61c20d65-7c18-47c1-a027-1f64ffe6fd4a
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