New Zealand eases prescription requirement for cannabis-based medicine Sativex

Doctors in New Zealand no longer require Ministry of Health approval to prescribe Sativex, according to a new notice published in the country’s official Gazette – a move that could facilitate access to the pharmaceutical-grade, cannabis-based product.

Epidiolex, Sativex maker GW Pharma reports Q1 revenue, loss improvement

United Kingdom-based GW Pharmaceuticals showed revenue of $39.2 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, compared with $3 million in the same period a year ago.

Cannabinoid-based medicine Epidiolex approved for sale in Canada

Canada’s federal health regulator has approved Jazz Pharmaceuticals Canada’s cannabinoid-based medicine Epidiolex as an adjunctive therapy for certain rare and severe forms of epilepsy, allowing the company to bring to market a clinically tested drug with global sales that dwarf those of the nation’s entire medical cannabis industry

UK committee calls for wider access to ‘unlicensed’ medical cannabis

The United Kingdom’s Home Affairs Committee is recommending the government widen access to unlicensed cannabis-based products for medical use via the National Health Service before the end of the current Parliament.

Germany’s cannabis insurance payouts hit 51 million euros in first quarter

Insurance reimbursements for medical cannabinoid products in Germany continued to grow in the first quarter of 2023, showing that Europe’s largest economy continues to see a gradual expansion of its cannabis industry – now one of the largest in the world.

Japan urged to consider medical cannabinoid imports 

A panel set up by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is recommending that the nation’s lawmakers carve out a legal pathway to import scientifically proven medical cannabinoids, similar to the approach South Korea took about four years ago.

Why Canadian cannabis retailer ShinyBud is buying pharmacies

Ontario, Canada, cannabis store chain ShinyBud is expanding its retail portfolio with a plan to acquire independent pharmacies and aspirations to synergize those pharmacies with its adult-use stores.

Study of a standardized THC product may lead to medical use

Other than a few FDA-approved cannabinoid-based medications such as Sativex, Marinol and Epidiolex, cannabis products meant for medical use are recreational marijuana products that might lack rigorous safety, dosing, and efficacy studies essential for medical drugs.

Denmark medical cannabis sales post a positive quarter thanks to Epidiolex

Sales of medical marijuana in Denmark posted healthy gains in the third quarter of 2020, coinciding with the launch of GW Pharmaceuticals’ cannabis drug Epidiolex.

Insurance-covered medical cannabis reimbursements decline again in Germany

Public health insurance reimbursements for cannabis in Germany have fallen for the second straight quarter.

First prescriptions of high-THC products imminent in Peru

Khiron Life Sciences – a Toronto-based company with its main operations in Colombia – announced Thursday that it completed the first export from Colombia of high-THC medical cannabis products.

Brazil postpones evaluation of CBD formulation for medical coverage

A government evaluation to include a specific CBD formulation in Brazil’s Public Health System (SUS) has been postponed.