TV New Zealand reports
Medicinal cannabis company Helius has received its good manufacturing practice (GMP) certification; the first firm to receive a licence to begin production.
Helius Therapeutics chief executive Carmen Doran said the company received its GMP certification on Friday and told 1 NEWS today that’s a “big step in bringing products to the market”.
“We expect that you will see New Zealand-made products in market before Christmas this year.”
Doran said Helius still needs to work with the Medicinal Cannabis Agency and provide information to ensure its products meet New Zealand’s quality standards.
The company’s factory in East Tamaki is the largest medicinal cannabis facility in New Zealand with the capacity to grow 100,000 plants and turn them into medicines – whether that is drops, sprays or capsules.
Doran said medicinal cannabis can help patients who have problems with sleep, anxiety and pain and said there are more than a million New Zealanders who suffer from sleep disorders.
“I think it’s a great way to support quality of life,” she told 1 NEWS.
Asked what she made of the news, the Green Party’s drug law reform spokesperson Chlöe Swarbrick exclaimed “hallelujah”.
Source: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/kiwi-made-cannabis-products-could-hit-shelves-christmas
