A medicinal cannabis company says illogical legislation has stopped it from supplying products for New Zealand patients, and it is exporting its East Coast strains around the world instead.
The Government’s Medicinal Cannabis Scheme came into effect in April 2020, after the failed national cannabis referendum, making it easier for patients to access medicinal cannabis - but products still come at a high cost for patients, as prescriptions are not subsidized by Pharmac.
Ruatōria-based growing operation Rua Bioscience has pivoted since it started in 2017, moving away from the local market and signing supply and distribution deals with customers in Germany, Australia, Poland, and the Czech Republic.
The company’s cannabis cultivation consultant, Porourangi Tawhiwhirangi, said it was sad the current regulations made it so hard for growers and producers to supply the local medicinal cannabis market, most of which is imported.
Read more at nzherald.co.nz