Aphria, a Canadian company and one of the largest cannabis companies in the world, has been issued the first medicinal cannabis producer license in Malta.

The company will now be able to manufacture, pack and test cannabis in its dried flowers form on the island; however, the growing of the medicinal cannabis will occur in Canada. Only the products will be manufactured here.

The issuing of the license has been hailed as a “milestone’ by the government, which legalised medicinal cannabis back in 2018. The island will now begin to prepare to export cannabis products in various international markets.

The license was issued after Aphria completed all the necessary due diligence checks issues by the Medicines Authority as well as Malta Enterprise. These including checks of their facilities back in Malta as well as Canada to ensure they are in accordance with the latest Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).

Parliamentary Secretary for Consumer Affairs Deo Debattista said this “rigorous” licensing took two years to be completed and is of “the highest quality” in the sector.

Energy Minister Miriam Dalli, who previously spoke about the need for more research into medicinal cannabis, praised the news and said the specialised niche would lead to increased economic activity.

Aphria is just the first company to be given the license; several other companies also applied to be evaluated, though over half of them were refused.

Lovin Malta had spoken to Aphria, as well as other leading medicinal cannabis companies, at the Medical Cannabis World Forum 2018. 

Are you excited to see Malta finally begin to produce medicinal cannabis products?