Helius - August newsletter update
After our visit to the GPCME Conference in Rotorua back in June, we continued that connection with prescribers at an important GP meeting in Te Waipounamu. Learning from our Australian cousins is always rewarding as Carmen found during this year’s UIC Symposium. Developing and recognising talent is at the heart of what we do at Helius and this month, young August Von Reiche from our cultivation team deserves our accolades. Regulations are a key part of our industry so we look at that issue on two fronts – changes to our own Medicinal Cannabis Scheme and the spotlight on Medicinal Cannabis as a performance enhancer in sport.
The South Island's biggest GP Conference - GPCME South 2023
When you are New Zealand’s leading producer of medicinal cannabis, representing yourself and the industry at GPCME North and South is essential. Manning our stand among other pharmaceutical companies big and small, it was good to see the increased interest from GPs and nurses around medicinal cannabis. Our representatives at the most recent conference in Christchurch, Bruce Wallace (Chief Quality Officer) and Zak Whiting (from our innovation team), found themselves answering many of the same questions, mostly around how to prescribe and what products were available. Knowledge is growing, but there is definitely an ongoing need for reliable sources of information in this field.
UIC Symposium 2023
Our CEO, Carmen Doran and CFO, Mark Woods, travelled to Brisbane to attend the annual United in Compassion (UIC) Symposium. This is the Australian Medicinal Cannabis Symposium, bringing together patients, doctors, researchers and industry. Their theme is synonymous with what’s happening here in New Zealand – “Harnessing Knowledge, Building Momentum”. With knowledge comes momentum and the learnings Carmen and Mark bring back will only help increase the momentum Helius has in its mission to create better access for people in need of medicinal cannabis treatment.
August Von Reiche recognised in awards
August is one of our Cannabis Cultivation Technicians and was recently a finalist in the hotly contended 2023 New Zealand Young Plant Producer of the Year Competition. Congratulations to August who entered to showcase his commitment to sustainable and equitable cannabis cultivation and to learn from others in the competition to develop his skills as a plant production professional.
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Amended Regulations to the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme
New Zealand’s Medicinal Cannabis Agency has received approval to make a number of changes to the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme. These changes involve amending regulations to better support economic and research opportunities for the medicinal cannabis industry. Though the changes are mainly technical in nature they are designed to streamline compliance requirements without compromising quality of the end product. The regulations will improve opportunities for research and ensure the industry is on a sustainable footing going forward so that New Zealand patients have access to the best available medicinal cannabis treatments.
Is Medicinal Cannabis on the WADA banned list?
With the recent news story about a local professional rugby player receiving a ban after a positive test showed traces of THC in his system after smoking recreational cannabis, we took a look at the regulations around THC and CBD and their legality, or not, in the sporting arena. Though a high concentration of THC is banned during competition only, CBD is not on the banned list. World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) is continuing research into THC’s potential performance enhancing effects as they accept its role is not straightforward.
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