Sydney, Australia (CU)_ According to reports, the Health Ministry of New Zealand has authorized three Australian medical cannabis dried flower products for local use. Australian Natural Therapeutics Group (ANTG) claims to be the first firm in New Zealand to be legally permitted to sell dried flowers, which will be distributed through NUBU Pharmaceuticals in New Zealand. In May 2021, ANTG announced a cooperation with NUBU Pharmaceuticals.
Matt Cantelo, CEO of ANTG, expressed delight over the approval. He said, “It’s a historic moment in medicine for both countries, with our verifications meaning New Zealand patients can finally visit their GP to request alternatives for conditions such as chronic pain and many more”.
According to ANTG, the three authorized flower products are Eve (CBD), Rocky and Mariposa (THC/CBD); however, the items were not yet included in New Zealand’s Medsafe database at the time of publication. The goods have been authorized by NUBU as tea preparations. According to the previous announcement in 2019, Eve has been added to the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG).
ANTG was established in 2015 and now owns a slew of licenses in Australia, including those for research, cultivation and manufacture, import and export, and hemp production. It holds Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP), and Australian Made, Australian Grown certifications.
Mr. Cantelo spoke about the quality of the products. He said, “We’ve cultivated products that have adhered to the required medicinal standard, including in quality and purity – even more so than other countries like Canada, which are leaders in cultivation of medicinal cannabis. The high benchmarks in Australia for growing and producing medicinal cannabis has set us up as the best in the world.”
While New Zealand’s Medicinal Cannabis Scheme officially began on 1 April 2020 with the introduction of Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Regulations 2019, it has taken a long time for the approved products to reach the market as companies attempt to navigate various bottlenecks and copious red tape. The ANTG product approvals do not necessarily mean the floodgates are about to open, but NZ customers should soon have more options. This might include medications developed by New Zealand firms such as Helius Therapeutics and Puro.
