Waseem Alzaher: Cannabis Clinic CEO on the changes to medicinal cannabis licenses

An industry expert is welcoming changes to medicinal cannabis licences, but wants the industry given a greater push. 

Cannabis flower exports increased from 49 kilograms in 2021 to more than 2300 last year. 

Medsafe is now exploring changes to its regime, potentially allowing more permanent licenses. 

Cannabis Clinic CEO Waseem Alzaher told Ryan Bridge New Zealand holds itself to a particularly high standard, applying pharmaceutical standards seen nowhere else in the world. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
David Siema was pushing to turn New Zealand into a
cannabis export powerhouse. He wants to cutle the time it
takes for businesses to get an export license from over
twenty two days in twenty twenty two to just over
six days so far this year. Doctor wassim Elsa here
is with US Cannabis Cnnects CEO. Good morning, good morning.
Right the time it takes to get an export license?

(00:21):
Is that the big barrier here? Or is it about?
Are there other issues?

Speaker 2 (00:26):
There are other issues, but it's a step in the
right direction. Helping our companies, quepit companies get export permits
and export medicinal cannabis faster is definitely a win. But
it still comes down to the root cause of the problem,
which is the fact that here in New Zealand we're
applying standards, pharmaceutical standards to our medicines, to medicinal cannabis

(00:49):
that is above and beyond what other countries around the
globe apply. And so we still are disadvantaging our industry
here by holding ourselves to a much higher standard than
other countries.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
Yes, that's the big problem, isn't it. Because if you
want to sell your stuff here in New Zealand, You've
basically got to send it off shore to get it
processed and bring it back.

Speaker 2 (01:09):
Don't you exactly here that happens, and it's happening right now.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
See that seems dumb to me. Why don't they change that?

Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yeah, it's a good point. It's also to do with
the size of the economy. I mean, to set up
some of these distinct facilities, You're talking about millions of
dollars of investment to set up, and it becomes economically
not viable. I mean, you look at the country. We've
had several companies start, We've had most of them go under.
The last one Helius, which has gone under. That really

(01:43):
leaves in New Zealand with only one remaining manufacturing processing facility.
Everybody else is you know, hasn't been successful.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
Appreciate your time. Doctor was seem Elsa here with US
Cannabis Connects CEO. For more from Early edition with Ryan Bridge,
listen live to news talks. It'd be from five am weekdays,
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