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Will Switzerland Soon Start Exporting Cannabis Into Germany and the EU?

Written by ICBC Staff on . Posted in Business, international cannabis business conference zurich, Politics.

With the news that both the first German bid has concluded and that Macedonia seems poised to import cannabis into the European Union, there has been increased interest in who can import cannabis into Germany, if not the EU and beyond.

Could Switzerland become a major source of cannabinoid medications in Europe? The International Cannabis Business Conference in Zurich will have the latest on these rapid developments across the European continent as experts converge to discuss the latest and network to help move the industry forward.

To fully know the answer about Swiss imports, we must unravel the myriad of rules, regulations and trade agreements that entangle governmental entities across global borders. According to the European Medicines Agency, Mutual Recognition of Good Manufacturing Process (GMP) agreements now exist with Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland and of course the United States.

MRAs allow EU authorities and their counterparts to rely on each other’s GMP inspection system, share information on inspections and quality defects and waive batch testing of products that are imported.

In essence, MRAs are trade agreements that try to set equivalency standards between countries designed to facilitate the trade in pharmaceuticals across borders.

The European Commission is responsible for the negotiation of MRAS with countries on behalf of the EU. The European Medications Agency (EMA) is responsible for operational activities once the MRAs are in place.

And obviously, as cannabis enters the legal pharmaceutical space, this is fair game.

It is also clear that the discussions on the cannabis front, including the long delay in the German bid and the first tender lawsuit were caught up in larger international discussions about not only CETA (the trade agreement between the EU and Canada that was being negotiated during this process), but other geopolitical issues as well.

For instance, the ban of Israeli cannabis exports extended until Christmas of 2018 thanks to political posturing between the United States and Israel. The first market (of course) that the Israelis plan to target is Germany, followed closely, by the United States.

It is also no accident that just as the German bid news is concluding, Canadian cannabis giant Canopy Growth has just announced major inroads into American cannabis production.

The German government has admitted that it cannot grow enough cannabis fast enough and is opening its borders to imports; will Switzerland become an exporter of cannabis, particularly medicinal cannabis, into Germany and the rest of the EU?

The answer is a pretty easy yes.

Switzerland is not technically part of the EU, even though it sits in the middle of the European continent. The country also has multiple trade agreements with the EU. It is also part of a smaller, regional trade agreement between so-called DACH countries (Germany, Switzerland and Austria).

Expect Swiss innovators to look to the German market as a logical export destination, with the benefit of not only being right next-door, but also speaking the same language. Switzerland’s cannabis history has flown under the radar for a while, but the future is looking bright for the Swiss industry, if the government steps up to seize the opportunities before it.

For an in-depth understanding of the strategic nature of the Swiss pharmaceutical market in relation to the larger European medical cannabis discussion, be sure to attend the International Cannabis Business Conference’s first event in Zurich on May 15-16. Discounted, early bird tickets are on sale through April 24th, so hurry to secure your spot and save!

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German Cultivation Bids Reverberate Across the Global Cannabis Industry

Written by ICBC Staff on . Posted in Berlin, Business, international cannabis business conference zurich.

The day after the third annual International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin, as the crew packed up and headed on to Zurich, news about the German cultivation bid surfaced in the domestic media. Namely, that three bid finalists (Aurora, Aphria and Demecan, a start-up founded with Wayland) had been selected. This is unofficial “news” as not only does the bid process itself face a pending lawsuit that is headed to court in Germany this week, but insiders on the ground in Germany will also not be surprised to see more legal action challenging this decision. So far, BfArM, the federal agency managing the bid has yet to make an official announcement.

Regardless, even the “unofficial” news is a sign that the German market is starting to gain not only traction but formal shape (starting with established pricing).

In the meantime, International Cannabis Business Conference Berlin saw producers from all over the world descend on a cannabis industry gathering that has already earned its stripes if not its rightful moniker as the “Cannes of Cannabis.” Dealmakers came together in Berlin from Australia, Israel, Canada, many countries in Latin America and several from the African continent to sell to Europe and an opening market. As one Australian producer said “there was more demand here than we could possibly fill.”

In fact, several weeks before the International Cannabis Business Conference, signs were already afoot that the market is opening for international competition from all over the world – not just Canada and Holland, as has been the case up until now. Frankfurt based Farmeko announced a 50 tonne, four-year import deal from Macedonia via Poland in mid March.

The biggest news about the bid, however, is not that it seems to be at least resolving for this first round but that other opportunities are opening in its wake – and not only in Germany but across the continent.

Greece is fully engaging the licensing process, it is very likely that Poland may start down the cultivation path soon and the UK and Ireland are all moving questions at this point.

Switzerland, of course, represents another unique wrinkle in all of this and may prove yet to be the market leader in Europe on the recreational front for several reasons – namely it is not an EU member but part of the economic framework of the region.

The combination, however, clearly of all of these fragmented puzzle pieces moving forward, surrounding the activity around the German bid is absolutely one of the strongest catalysts for the entire conversation. Not to mention a conference now in its third year that brings all the movers and shakers together in one place.

This spring, in other words, is a critical building year for the industry across the continent and the International Cannabis Business Conference is right in the middle of the conversation.

It is not too late to book your tickets for the International Cannabis Business Conference’s first year in Zurich, a megaconference team-up with CannaTrade! Early-bird prices end on April 24th.