5 Mar 2022

Nigel Slaughter: are we missing the boat on medicinal cannabis?

From Saturday Morning, 8:39 am on 5 March 2022
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Photo: BJ Photography

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer looks poised to enter the medicinal cannabis arena with a US$6.7 billion agreement to purchase Arena Pharmaceuticals, a biotech company with a pipeline dedicated to cannabinoid-type therapeutics. 

In New Zealand, we seem to be lagging in exploring the possibilities of the medicinal cannabis market. A report from NZ Drug Foundation found many people are still accessing medicinal cannabis through the black market, as it can be hard to get a prescription and cost is a prohibiting factor.

Nigel Slaughter says we should be looking at improving accessibility, as well as the different types of therapeutic products that can be made. Slaughter is the Chief Exploration Officer for Ligar, which developed world-first extraction technology for cannabinoids. He also sits on the board for the NZ Medical Cannabis Council.

Indoor Marijuana bud under lights. This image shows the warm lights needed to cultivate marijuana.

Photo: Eric Limon/ 1234RF