A British company has been granted a licence to grow cannabis for medical testing.
The Home Office has awarded Sativa Cultivation and Extraction (SCE) a Controlled Drug licence for cannabis cultivation, production, possession and supply.
The licence allows Sativa to grow cannabis with a high THC content.
SCE is a wholly owned subsidiary of southwest-based Sativa Group Plc, the CBD wellness and medicinal cannabis group.
Sativa has announced the licence will allow it to start a scientific partnership agreement with King’s College London to research the impact of cannabinoids on inflammation and respiratory conditions.
The process is strictly controlled to standard operating procedures approved by the UK Home Office, including all handling, transportation to the university, and the disposal of residual waste and by-products.
Dr Nick Horniman, Sativa’s Director of Regulatory Affairs, said: “This high-THC cultivation license complements our low-THC Industrial Hemp licence, held in the name of Geremy Thomas, Founder and Deputy Chairman of Sativa, that was granted in April 2018, and we continue to work with the regulators to broaden the suite of licences as the Group expands its operations.”
Henry Lees-Buckley, Chief Executive Officer of Sativa, said: “We are delighted to receive this licence, responding to calls from regulators, government and healthcare providers for further research and development into the efficacy of medicinal cannabis.
“We are committed to operating at these high standards and to partner with Kings College London, to help establish a clinical pathway for patients to access medicinal cannabis.”
Patients can be prescribed medicinal cannabis by specialist doctors in the UK as of November 2018.
It is the first time UK medical experts have had the option to legally issue prescriptions for cannabis-based medicines if they think it could help their patient.
Before the ruling, almost all cannabis-based medicinal products were judged to have no therapeutic value.
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