Looking back to Look ahead
We’re now edging well over the halfway mark of a year that already feels like several years have been packed into the first half. Every week we have witnessed new milestones across the business, and slow and steady progress has been made.?Learning and growing. It’s proof that life indeed is a game of inches, staying focused, moving forward, one inch at a time.
It was Winston Churchill who said the farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see. This is a relatively young industry here in Australia and its evolution is at a tipping point. We are moving ahead. We are watching our purpose in action as witness a new era in medicine, where plant-based therapy is being defined as a mainstream treatment and positively welcomed and embraced as a high-value health solution by the community. ?
The future is green, and we are proudly playing a part in ensuring sustainable outcomes as clean and renewable energy defines our medical supply chain, being created right here in regional Australia, at our facility near Shepparton.
Thank you for sharing the journey so far - we’re just beginning in many ways. We know we are part of a new frontier that continues to challenge societal norms and that takes courage.
That's why your support is of immense value.?
I wanted to share a few highlights of 2022’s halfway mark - not to look back, but to guide new paths forward. It's Cannatrek's vision board for past, present, and future achievements!?
Thank you and I hope you'll find these curated highlights as inspirational as we do.
Cannatrek in 2022.
The medicinal cannabis market in Australia continues its significant growth. Industry analyst Cannabiz reports the number of Australian pharmacies dispensing medicinal cannabis products has doubled in the past two years, from just over 1,000 to more than 2,000, while the number of doctors prescribing medicinal cannabis products has grown from 700 to nearly 2,000.?
The number of patients accessing products has grown more than seven-fold during that period, from 4,000 to 30,000. Other analysts say the number of users in Australia is closer to 100,000.
Cannatrek currently has its products dispensed by 1,000 pharmacies (up from 700 in November 2021) and prescribed by 650 doctors (up from 400 in November 2021).?
Cannatrek has onboarded close to 40% of the 1,300 Authorised Prescribers in Australia.?
Queensland production and contract growers.
Our Queensland facility is increasing its annual production. This year we launched three dried herbal cannabis/flower products from the facility (Yamba, Kakadu, and Jasmin), which have proven popular with patients. Importantly, we have developed several new genetics for future products in our R&D laboratory at our facility in Queensland.?
Cannatrek’s contract growers – which use Cannatrek’s plant genetics – are providing us with consistent, high-quality products, allowing us to potentially double our production capacity for 2022.
Opening of Shepparton facility, April 2022.
On 14 April 2022, Cannatrek officially opened its medicinal cannabis growing facility in the Victorian regional city of Shepparton. Launching the project, the Victorian Minister for Regional Development Mary-Anne Thomas was joined by media, office-bearers from the city of Shepparton, and Cannatrek staff.
Cannatrek received a grant from the Victorian State Government under the Regional Jobs Fund, for a three-year period. Minister Thomas said, “This project will contribute to our country’s cutting-edge medicinal cannabis industry while growing jobs right here in regional Victoria. We are supporting local medicinal cannabis production, which will provide treatments to thousands of patients across Australia.”
Click the link below to read the full article:?
Progress on site has been pleasing. The Shepparton outdoor grow facility is close to completion, while work is well underway on the indoor grow and post-harvest facilities.
More than 70 jobs will be created in the initial phase of construction, with up to 400 local jobs created upon completion of all phases. Many of those will be local jobs.
New offices, more staff
The two years of COVID made life difficult for our staff, most of whom worked from home for many months. More than 20 of our Melbourne-based staff are enjoying working from our offices in North Caulfield and the numbers continue to grow.
Cannatrek currently employs close to 100 staff, based largely in Victoria and Queensland. We have added many new faces to the Cannatrek team including filling the important roles of sales, customer operations, communications, marketing, and human resources.?
Happy Anniversary!
On May 9 we celebrated our five-year anniversary as a company – as staff and family came together to mark the occasion. We documented this exciting day by compiling it into a presentation. It’s still hard to comprehend that we have reached the 5-year mark. It feels like yesterday there were only three of us in the office with whiteboards and lofty dreams!
United in Compassion Symposium
A few weeks after our five-year anniversary, I was fortunate enough to be able to invite the entire Cannatrek team to attend one of the industry highlights so far this year, the United in Compassion national medicinal cannabis symposium.
Speakers were invited from around the globe to present, inform and engage with the growing Australian industry. Education sessions were held for doctors and nurses over the course of three days and the industry-specific program held several panels (Cannatrek also presented) where fascinating discussions took place.
The Sunshine Coast didn’t disappoint – even through torrential rain, many sunny moments were had! (as you’ll see below in the presentation!)?
The full presentation:?
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Community Engagement?
In recent weeks, Cannatrek has been increasing its efforts in community engagement in response to public demand, with the Head of Communications and Community Outreach Helen Kapalos speaking to communities in regional Victoria. As the invited guest speaker of the Kyabram Garden centre on June 23, Helen spoke to a packed crowd, who called for more sessions like this one. This is an important part of what we do at Cannatrek and you’ll see in the second half of this year, a special announcement on how we plan to formalise these efforts.
https://www.countrynews.com.au/news/medicinal-cannabis-campaigner-in-kyabram-2/
A note about our partnerships
We value our partnerships with all stakeholders and were very pleased to see Chemist Warehouse undertake a range of interviews across TV, radio, and print with our Comms and Community specialist Helen Kapalos leading discussions in which medicinal cannabis advocacy and education took centre stage.
The House of Wellness
Roll With The Punches Podcast
2022 United In Compassion Australian Medicinal Cannabis Symposium?
Country News
Cannabiz
This year we also signed A Memorandum of Understanding with Yurringa (https://www.yurringa.com.au/) – an organisation established to address the inequality and disadvantage faced by many indigenous people – that will see Cannatrek adopt an inclusive approach toward employment and community outreach at the Shepparton facility.
A new market leader?
As the medicinal cannabis market expands, and as patients and doctors become more sophisticated about what products they want, it is important for Cannatrek to be able to meet those changing demands.?
We continue to broaden our product range – largely for the relief of chronic pain and mental health/anxiety – as well as the methods for delivering those products, including nasal sprays, inhalers, creams, and patches.
Cannatrek is cementing its position as a leader in the provision of medicinal cannabis products in Australia. In a story last month about the growth of the medicinal cannabis industry in Australia, Cannabiz noted that Cannatrek accounted for 25% of the market.
Most importantly we are moving forward as a values-led company, patient-centric and focused on our mission to keep providing affordable and accessible healthcare to thousands of Australians.
This is just the beginning of a very rewarding journey so far.
With gratitude,
Tommy Huppert ?
Founder & CEO, Cannatrek?
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5 个月Tommy, thanks for sharing!
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2 年Congrats to you and the team!
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