One of North America’s biggest cannabis companies has welcomed the news Denmark will extends its medical use programme.
The Danish parliament is expected to approve a deal in the autumn to keep the programme going beyond its planned expiration at the end of 2021.
As well as extending powers granted to doctors to prescribe medical cannabis, the new law will also make permanent legal rights for companies looking to cultivate inside the country.
The latter part of the proposal is hugely significant for the industry, allowing them to set up operations in the country rather than rely on importing from neighbouring jurisdictions.
A broad majority of Denmark’s political parties have backed the move, led by the largest party on the Folketing, the Social Democrats.
While the country’s largest opposition party – Venstre – opposed the move, the policy also gained support from the country’s populist right-wing party, the Danish People’s Party.
Marianne Hundtofte Nielsen, vice president of Aurora Europe, said: “Aurora is very pleased that the Danish medical cannabis pilot program has been extended for four more years.
“In its fourth year of the initial pilot program, we believe the patient benefit has been realise. It is Aurora’s commitment to provide consistent, high quality pharmaceutical-grade products.
“The permanent authorisation for licensed producers of the production and the export of medical cannabis in Denmark, independent of the pilot program, is an important milestone recognising this young industry.”
It’s yet another sign that North American cannabis companies are poised to take advantage of Europe’s potentially lucrative cannabis market.
Canadian company Zyus yesterday announced they’d join Tilray in targeting the Portuguese market and it comes a week after Bedrocan founder Boris Jordan said the European market ‘is starting to reflect what the US looked like in 2015’.
As is the practice for North American cannabis giants, Aurora got into Denmark early. Nielsen said: “In January 2018, Aurora was one of the first companies to invest in Denmark – at the beginning as a joint venture – today as fully owned subsidiary of Aurora Cannabis Inc.
“In November 2020, we successfully delivered the first Danish produced supply of EU Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certified medical cannabis to the German market.
“With more than 9,200 m2 production space and an output of maximum 10,000 kg of pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis per year, Aurora Nordic is well positioned to service the Danish, the European and international markets.
“Aurora Nordic is working closely with the local regulatory authority (Danish Medicines Agency) to offer a number of treatment options, such as extracts and dried flowers, to Danish physicians and patients, as part of the cannabis pilot program.”
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