Glass Pharms has secured £22.5m in funding to build the world’s first carbon-negative cannabis cultivation facility in the South of England. It has also received the first UK commercial licence to supply High-THC flower to UK pharmacies and clinics.
UK-based cannabis cultivator Glass Pharms has secured the funding that will facilitate the construction of the 2.5 hectare greenhouse facility powered by an anaerobic digestion plant.
It has also secured the first UK commercial licence granted by the Home Office to supply high-THC cannabis flower to lawful third parties, such as pharmaceutical companies.
This will be tackling a major problem for cannabis patients in the UK – as all medical cannabis in the country is currently being imported from places such as Israel and Australia.
The new development will allow the company to grow medical cannabis to the correct regulatory standards for onward supply to UK pharmacies and clinics.
Glass Pharms CEO, James Duckenfield, commented: “We will underpin a secure supply chain of medical cannabis to UK patients without them having to compromise on freshness or quality, whilst at the same time making a real contribution towards the UK’s Net Zero targets.”
The agreement for the provision of up to £22.5m in financing is the largest dedicated infrastructure investment in the UK medical cannabis industry to date.
The anaerobic digestion plant that will power the facility will do so by turning food waste into electricity, with waste hot water from the plant being used for both heating and cooling in the greenhouse.
The facility will be accredited to verify its status as carbon neutral – however, the company says that it will more than likely exceed these requirements.
Growing to the tolerances required by the pharmaceutical sector for medical cannabis flower is difficult in traditional greenhouses – typically the preserve of energy inefficient indoor facilities. The new Glass Pharms facility plans to achieve these standards by using a range of methods.
These will include utilising Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based environmental management systems to monitor and control a range of growing variables to ensure optimal stability.
Duckenfield said: “The result will be a replicable end-product, no matter the season, meaning that UK medical cannabis patients will benefit from a fresh product that meets their requirements for consistency and quality with predictable supply.
“We look forward to being able to supply our customers in 2022.”
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