Waseem Alzaher: Cannabis Clinic CEO on David Seymour's push to bolster medicinal cannabis production and exports in NZ

Other countries are using our medicinal cannabis products more than we are.  

ACT leader David Seymour says he's looking at further improvements to speed up processing for exports of the plant, which he believes could one day rival the wine industry.  

He is open to improving regulation domestically as well. 

Cannabis Clinic CEO Waseem Alzaher told Ryan Bridge there's are a lot of companies growing the plant locally. 

He says that product is being sent offshore, in forms people can't get in New Zealand. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
David Seymour thinks the medicinal cannabis industry could be an
untapped gold mine export levels similar to our wine industry.
In twenty twenty four we sent over a ton of
locally grown cannabis for our overseas, which is more than
double the year before that. Dr Jassim elves A here
is with US Cannabis Clinics CEO.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Good morning Modern Ryon, thanks for having me.

Speaker 1 (00:21):
Good to have you on the show. So what's holding
us back from growing this even further?

Speaker 2 (00:27):
What's holding us back here is not being able to
use the products that are grown in New Zealand locally, Ryan,
We've got a lot of cannabis companies growing cannabis here
locally extracting it. That product is being sent offshore to Australia,
UK and other places in forms that we can't even
get here in New Zealand. And as prescribers here in

(00:49):
the country, we're faced with this dilemma where we have
the product in our own backyard, but we can't prescribe
it because of regulatory hurdles that Kiwis can't meet, these
Conese can't meet, which is incredibly disappointing because.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
It's a high threshold for a pharmaceutical grade, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (01:06):
That's the problem, Yeah, exactly, And I think the regulations
here in New Zealand are out of line with where
we are internationally. So I've had people with Kiwi products
from Australia fly over to New Zealand and show me
their medicines. And we've got thirty plus doctors here who
wants to prescribe cannabis but are restricted. They can't prescribe

(01:28):
that product. And it's locally grown here in our own backyard.
And so it's really a calling for us from the
regulatory point of view to keep up with what people
actually need here in New Zealand.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
Who are you prescribing it too? And how many people
are using it in New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
At the moment, there's about one hundred and twenty two
hundred and fifty thousand people in New Zealand have been
prescribed cannabis. And honestly, right, it's all walks of life.
It's you know, you name it, anxiety, sleeping issues, younger people,
middle age, older, anybody who was looking to improve the

(02:09):
quality of life. Where As a condition that hasn't been
improved with conventional treatment comes to us seeking alternatives, and
we live in a day and age where there's so
many chronic conditions and so many people suffering that people
are looking for natural options, something plant based, something that
has worked for thousands of years in human history and
now is accessible via doctors. So it makes sense. And

(02:32):
we do have products. I mean, we are prescribing here
in New Zealand. We've got about sixty products that are available,
but it's growing very slowly. And I think although it
is growing that it has been a success bringing medicinal
cannabis to New Zealand, there's so much more. We could
be doing, so much more in terms of bringing these
Kiwi products in the hands of patients. Something ours down

(02:54):
at Puro and Blenheim just a month back and we
were standing in the middle of these fields of cannabis
that's been grown outdoors, just beautiful plants, all being sported
overseas because they are not able to create the product
there requirements.

Speaker 1 (03:11):
Can't pass the red box. Appreciate your time this morning.
Dr Vassim Alzahir Cannabis connects CEO.

Speaker 2 (03:18):
For more from early edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live
to news talks. It'd be from five am weekdays, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.