This week we’re joined by Tejinder Virk, European President of Khiron Life Sciences, a vertically integrated medical cannabis company with operations across Latin America, Europe and North America. 

Join us as we look into Khiron’s operations within Colombia, alongside the increasingly progressive cannabis landscape in South America. 

→ View full show notes and summary here: https://www.canverse.global/shownotes/episode-84-with-tejinder-virk-european-president-of-khiron-life-sciences

About Tejinder
Tejinder is a proven leader with over 15 years of executive-level experience in the capital markets and cannabis industries. Tejinder previously served as Managing Director, Europe, for Canopy Growth Corporation, where he was responsible for driving the multinational expansion of Canopy’s European operations. He was also formerly Managing Director of Global Equity Products for BMO Capital Markets, a role which saw him developing and managing major client relationships across EMEA.

Quotables
Europe is a ‘frontier’ market for cannabis 02:45

Resources
Join Tejinder on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tejinder-virk-52403769/?originalSubdomain=uk

Follow Khiron Life Sciences Corp. on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/khiron-life-sciences-corp/

Khiron Life Sciences Corp.’sWebsite: https://www.khiron.ca/

This week we’re joined by Peter Vogel, CEO of Leafwire - the world’s latest cannabis and hemp business network and online platform, dubbed ‘the LinkedIn of cannabis’.

Join us as we take a look into Leafwire’s unique value proposition, features, and plans for the future. Peter also shares his observations on how Covid-19 has impacted the cannabis industry, and what's trending on the Leafwire platform.

→ View full show notes and summary here: https://www.canverse.global/shownotes/episode-83-cannabis-business-networking-with-peter-vogel-ceo-of-leafwire

Quotables

It’s really hard right now to raise money for companies that are not already established... people don’t want to put money into something until it’s already shown it has legs, it has customers and is profitable. 19:51

Resources

Join Peter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petervogel1

Follow Leafwire on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/leafwire

Leafwire Website: https://www.leafwire.com/

This week we’re joined by Aras Azadian, CEO of Avicanna - Canadian bio-pharmaceutical company focused on the research, development and commercialisation of plant-derived cannabinoid-based products. 

Join us as we take a look into Avicanna’s business operations, including their vertical integration strategy,  research and development processes, and their newest product developments. 

→ View full show notes and summary here: https://www.canverse.global/shownotes/episode-82-rampd-developments-with-aras-azadian-ceo-of-avicanna

About Aras

Utilising his extensive senior management experience in both financial and biotechnology sectors, Aras co-founded Avicanna with the vision of establishing a biopharmaceutical company with a strict focus on medical and pharmaceutical applications of cannabinoids. His expertise in corporate development coupled with his executive experience in the oncology industry have been integral to Avicanna’s thought leadership pertaining to R&D and clinical development. Since 2016 Aras has successfully led a team of executives, scientists and medical professionals across several countries with the vision of vertical integration and a strong company focus on quality controls, scientific vigor and competitive advantages. Aras holds a Bachelor of Economics degree from York University and an International Masters in Management degree from EADA Business School in Barcelona, Spain.

Quotables

We’ve taken a very serious approach since the beginning 23:41

Resources

Join Aras on LinkedIn:https://ca.linkedin.com/in/aras-azadian-44630330

Follow Avicanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avicanna/

Avicanna Website: https://www.avicanna.com/

How important is patient data to show the efficacy of medical cannabis?

This week we’re joined by Prof. David Nutt and David Badcock - from Drug Science - the UK’s leading independent scientific body on drugs.

This week, we explore Drug Science’s newest observational study - Project Twenty21. We explore its aims to change the way medical cannabis is perceived and prescribed in the UK, it’s operations, and the challenges of data collection on such a large project.

Learn more about Project Twenty21 here: https://drugscience.org.uk/twenty21-is-now-live/

→ View full show notes and summary here: https://www.canverse.global/shownotes/episode-81-drug-science-and-project-twenty21-with-prof-david-nutt-chair-of-the-scientific-committee-and-david-badcock-ceo-of-drug-science

About David Badcock

David Badcock is the Chief Executive Officer of Drug Science, the leading independent scientific body on drugs in the UK, working to provide clear, evidence-based information without political or commercial interference. Previously David held strategic positions in the substance misuse treatment sector for over 15 years. During this time, he has met and worked with thousands of individuals who have turned their lives around to lead healthy, successful lives free from the burden of drug addiction. He was previously the Chief Executive Officer of Mainliners, a national drug treatment organisation focusing on harm reduction and blood borne viruses.  David has been a committee member for the Cambridge Ethnic Community Forum, Chair of The Alliance (supporting people who receive prescribed medication for drug dependency), and Scientific Committee member for the influential London Joint Working Group for Substance Misuse and Hepatitis C. David specialises in creating unique partnerships with organisations and companies who share a joint vision to help the most marginalised and vulnerable members of our communities.

About Professor David Nutt

Professor David Nutt is the Edmond J. Safra Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology in the Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London. He has published over 400 original research papers, 8 government reports on drugs and 31 books, including one for the general public, Drugs: without the hot air, winning the Transmission Prize in 2014. He was formerly the President of the European Brain Council and is the founding Chair of DrugScience. Professor Nutt broadcasts widely to the general public both on radio and television. In 2010, The Times Eureka science magazine voted him one of the 100 most important figures in British Science

Quotables

In reality, medicine is about trying things out in patients 24:58

Doctors are scared of doing anything they haven’t been taught to do… there is nothing in medical school curriculum about medical cannabis 10:52

The problem with medical cannabis in the UK… is getting doctors to accept it does work 13:00

Resources

Drug Science Website: https://drugscience.org.uk/

Drug Science Wikipedia Page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DrugScience

Follow Drug Science on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/drugscience-ltd

Follow Drug Science on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Drug_Science?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Follow Prof. David Nutt on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProfDavidNutt

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Where did modern cannabis research start?

This week we’re honoured and privileged to be joined by the legendary Professor Raphael Mechoulam - heading up the Medical Chemistry department at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Dubbed ‘the godfather of cannabis research', Prof. Mechoulam has been a pioneer in the field, and over many decades has had a major influence on our understanding of the cannabis plant with his groundbreaking research and discoveries. 

In this very special episode of The Cannabis Conversation, we explore the history of cannabis research, alongside taking a detailed look at the function and physiology of the endocannabinoid system.

→ View full show notes and summary here: https://www.canverse.global/shownotes/episode-80-interviewing-the-godfather-of-cannabis-research-prof-raphael-mechoulam

About Prof. Mechoulam
Dr. Raphael Mechoulam is an award-winning Israeli organic chemist who has been studying the cannabis plant for over 50 years. Dr. Mechoulam is best known for discovering the Endocannabinoid System and first isolating the two primary compounds, CBD and THC. He is a professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel and has published over 350 scientific articles, primarily focused on the chemistry and pharmacology of Cannabinoids. His work has awarded him with many honors and awards, including the Israel Prize (2000), NIDA Discovery Award (2011) and many others.


Resources

Prof. Raphael Mechoulam’s Wikipedia Page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphael_Mechoulam

‘Dr Raphael Mechoulam and his revolutionary cannabis research’ - Article by Medical Cannabis Network:
https://www.healtheuropa.eu/dr-raphael-mechoulam-revolutionary-cannabis-research/93049/

‘Cannabinoid pharmacology: the first 66 years’ paper by Roger G Pertwee: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1760722/

What is CBN?

This week we’re joined by Alan Ridgeway, Co-Founder and CEO at FloraWorks - a Canadian hemp refinement laboratory offering specialised cannabinoid formulations.

Together, we explore one of the 'minor' cannabinoids - CBN. We take a look at its incredible therapeutic properties, mechanism of action, and its potential as a market disruptor.

→ View full show notes and summary here: https://www.canverse.global/shownotes/episode-79-investigating-cbn-with-alan-ridgeway-co-founder-and-ceo-at-floraworks

About Alan

Alan Ridgeway PhD MBA – Dr. Ridgeway is co-founder, CEO, and Board Member of FloraWorks Holdings Inc. He has extensive capital markets experience covering the cannabis and healthcare sectors for the past 14 years as a top ranked equity research analyst most recently at Sprott Capital Partners and before that at Scotiabank, Paradigm Capital, and RBC Capital Markets. Prior to entering the finance industry, Dr. Ridgeway held a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School where he performed cancer research. He holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Western University, an MBA from Queen’s University and is a CFA® Charterholder.


Resources

Join Alan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-ridgeway-phd-mba-cfa-b9700311/ 

FloraWorks Website: https://flora-works.com/

What Is CBN (Cannabinol) & What Are the Benefits of This Cannabinoid? By Leafly: https://www.leafly.com/news/science-tech/what-is-cbn-and-what-are-the-benefits-of-this-cannabinoid

This week we’re joined by Leah Fletcher, CEO and Founder of Arbutus Health Group - Irish GMP ready Pharmaceutical Group focusing on research and development.

Together, we explore the benefits and applications of using cannabis topically, looking into how cosmetics are formulated, regulatory concerns, and the future use of CBD within cosmetics.

About Leah

Leah is the founder of Arbutus Innovation Centre (AIC), a fully-serviced for-profit incubator and business centre located in Athlone, Ireland.  It houses a community of entrepreneurs working with industry-changing technologies. Leveraging experience in education, policy, corporate governance and the start-up world, Leah and her team established the AIC to meet increasing market demand for plant-based innovation. The AIC services established corporations as well as high potential biotech projects, agtech, plant-based innovation and green-tech solutions with global ambitions. 

Resources

Join Leah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-fletcher

Arbutus’s Website: https://arbutus.ie/

This week we’re joined by Benedikt and Jakob Sons, Co-founders of Cansativa - German GMP and GDP certified cannabis and pharmaceutical wholesalers.  

Together, we take a detailed look into the current medical cannabis regulations in Germany, including the differences between federal and state governance, cannabis’ status as both a medical product and narcotic, and we share some thoughts on how this sector should be regulated going forward.

→ View full show notes and summary here: https://www.cannabis-conversation.com/blogs/episode77

Cansativa provides independent market access and extensive warehousing and distribution capacities. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Moerfelden-Walldorf, Germany, Cansativa is a GMP and GDP certified pharmaceutical company licensed for manufacturing, import and trade in pharmaceuticals as well as trade in controlled substances. Cansativa is committed to the goal of professionalizing the medical cannabis market, eliminating stigmatization surrounding it, and reducing prices for patients. Since the very beginning, Cansativa has operated its own distribution and fulfillment center, and as one of the “first movers” in the industry, it has become one of the largest importers and distributors of medical cannabis in Germany. The company supplies pharmacies and pharmaceutical wholesalers throughout Germany. With the newly obtained manufacturing authorization for both its sites, Cansativa strengthens the supply security of medical cannabis on the German market.

Join Benedikt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johann-benedikt-sons-762a28103/

Join Jakob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakob-sons-795087133/

Cansativa Website: https://www.cansativa.de/

Medical cannabis distribution in Germany article from MJBiz: https://mjbizdaily.com/video-inside-look-at-medical-cannabis-distribution-in-germany/

Why is standardisation so important for medical cannabis?

This week we’re joined by Oliver Zugel, CEO and Founder of Foliumed - international producers of pharmaceutical grade cannabis, operating between Colombia and Germany.

Together, we explore standardisation of cannabis as a medical product, including Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), the challenges of standardising flower, and the market trend towards using extracts within medical applications.

→ View full show notes and summary here: https://www.cannabis-conversation.com/blogs/episode76

About Oliver

Oliver Zugel is the founder and CEO of Foliumed, a medical cannabis producer with operations  in Germany and Colombia. Foliumed focuses on non-smokable, pharmaceutical product forms which permit precise dosing. Its ingredients are sourced from its organic farm in the Colombian highlands, and processed in a German EU-GMP certified facility. 

Quotables
People overestimate the current size of the medical market outside of North America 04:15
Standardisation is an absolute must in all circumstances 08:42

Resources

Join on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliverzugel/
Foliumed Website: www.foliumed.com

This week we’re joined by Tyler Robson, CEO at The Valens Company - biotech company and global leaders in the end-to-end production of cannabinoid-based products.

Together, we discuss the newest wave of cannabis legalisation and innovation in Canada - Cannabis 2.0. We explore novel extraction techniques, the power of extracts and derivatives, the newest products on the market, and opportunities for the future. 

→ View full show notes and summary here: https://www.cannabis-conversation.com/blogs/episode75


About Tyler

Tyler Robson was appointed CEO of The Valens Company in May 2017 after previously serving as Chief Operating Officer for several years. He attended the University of Saskatchewan, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts & Sciences degree specializing in biology, before returning to Kelowna to pursue his passion for the cannabis industry by focusing on research and development, plant innovation, and life sciences. Tyler has significantly scaled operations and increased profitability at The Valens Company since taking on the role of CEO, leading to the Company’s ability to capture market share and lead the industry as a major player in the supply chain of leading Canadian and international brands.

Quotables

We believe in consistent dosing and consumer experiences 03:10

I have a really hard time believing [cannabis] flower [can be used for] medical [applications]. When you look at inhalation, it’s definitely not the cleanest way of ingestion and it’s inconsistent 04:35

Resources

Join Tyler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-robso

The Valens Company Website: https://thevalenscompany.com/

Cannabis 2.0 report  by Deloitte: https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/ca/Documents/c-and-ip/ca-en-consumer-nurturing-new-growth-en-aoda-may31.pdf

Please take a moment to review us on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/cannabis-conversation-european-perspective-on-emerging/id1454098889