Written by Ben Stevens and Sarah Sinclair. 

You may learn Half 1 right here. 

Rising demand for medical hashish throughout Europe

Medical hashish demand throughout Europe has seen substantial development, notably following the regulatory adjustments in Germany.

Ukraine’s Well being Minister, Viktor Liashko, visited Germany this yr as a part of his preparations for medical hashish legalisation in his nation. The primary cannabis-based medicines are anticipated to be accessible from subsequent yr.

“We hosted visits from politicians throughout get together strains who needed to find out about hashish’s results, qc for hashish merchandise, and the way we’ve responded to the surging demand with extra workers and our revolutionary automation processes,” Fritsch explains.

In line with Hanna Hlushchenko, Founding father of the Ukrainian Hashish Consulting Group, informed us that this month, the primary medical hashish product was formally registered in Ukraine, coming from Curaleaf in a deal supervised by her group.

“This registration implies that the product is prone to seem available on the market quickly, nevertheless it has not been launched but. The primary cargo is anticipated in both Q1 or Q2 subsequent yr, relying on timelines. Hopefully, this implies sufferers will acquire entry to medical hashish in Ukraine very quickly.”

She went on to notice that 2024 noticed the event of a full regulatory framework for medical hashish in Ukraine, with important curiosity from numerous events who need to domesticate or import hashish into the nation.

“Subsequent yr will probably see the precise opening up of the market, and we’ll see the way it evolves. Ukraine is attracting a number of consideration from worldwide stakeholders, together with producers desperate to convey their merchandise into the Ukrainian market. I count on this course of to speed up within the coming yr.”

Whereas the adoption of wider regulatory frameworks has seemingly stalled in France and Spain, Denmark is ready to undertake its medical hashish pilot program into everlasting laws.

Elsewhere, as of April 2025, an extra 5,000 GPs within the Czech Republic will probably be permitted to prescribe medical hashish, a transfer that’s anticipated to considerably enhance entry and enhance affected person numbers.

Worldwide firms are additionally taking an curiosity available in the market and scaling up manufacturing to satisfy demand, in response to Cannaviga. With firms in Thailand more and more seeking to export merchandise to Europe, Sebastian Sonntagbauer, Head of Buyer Success at Cannavigia highlighted the significance of guaranteeing they’re able to meet stringent European requirements.

“As laws evolve globally, guaranteeing that our purchasers can adapt shortly is essential,” he says. “Our function is to supply ongoing assist to allow them to concentrate on development whereas staying compliant.”

UK to concentrate on high quality assurance and constructing affected person belief 

The UK hashish market has seen continued development all through 2024, however some counsel it may be reaching a ‘vital crossroads’ when it comes to product high quality and compliance.

Matt Clifton, head of communications for Dalgety, warned that contamination points equivalent to mould, partly pushed by a requirement for non-irradiated merchandise, dangers ‘eroding sufferers’ belief’ available in the market.

“This shift towards high quality assurance isn’t nearly affected person care; it’s about rebuilding credibility and belief within the sector,” says Clifton.

“Whereas value pressures might entice short-term shoppers, this method is unsustainable and dangers eroding the trade’s credibility. Firms investing in increased requirements—like these holding GMP licenses—will seize rising market share as discerning sufferers go for security and consistency over affordability.”

After the MHRA moved to stop the usage of pressure names on medical hashish flower merchandise this yr, Clifton additionally expects to see the regulator tightening the controls within the trade over the following 12 months.

“I imagine the MHRA will count on the importer to re-test the merchandise getting into the UK,” he provides. “They already ought to be doing this, however I believe they’ll count on a higher stage of verification, not solely counting on the LPs information.”

In the meantime, Adam Windish, of British Hashish Medical, highlighted that the implementation of e-prescribing, which was permitted by the MHRA this yr, would ‘considerably scale back affected person ready instances, streamline the method, and encourage extra folks within the UK to think about medical hashish as a remedy possibility’.

“Collaboration between healthcare professionals, sufferers, and suppliers is essential,” he says. “By persevering with to concentrate on innovation, training, and accessibility inside the UK market, I’m assured that we’ll see actual development within the trade.”

Rising product developments: extracts, edibles and personalised medicines 

Because the market matures, it’s prone to see a gradual enlargement in product classes, together with extra demand for edibles and extracts and a shift away from flower.

Pastille lozenges and vape cartridges are already accessible within the UK, though flower stays by far essentially the most generally prescribed product kind. Windish is hoping to see extra medical doctors utilising oils and extracts, notably for cannabis-naive sufferers, to supply a “extra balanced and efficient hybrid remedy method.”

In different European markets, Demecan’s previewed its edible product at ExpoPharm earlier this yr, whereas in Luxembourg regulators are planning to limit entry to flower containing excessive ranges of THC, with a view to part this out totally in favour of oils.

Fritsch believes we’ll see a shift to extra personalised hashish medicines over the approaching yr. The corporate is making ready to supply custom-mixed extract concentrations and different types of consumption, equivalent to particular hashish concentrates.

Future analysis will discover the results of medical hashish on particular diagnoses, long-term therapeutic outcomes, healthcare price financial savings, and variations between supply strategies like extracts and capsules. Its analysis workforce additionally highlighted the benefits of glass containers over plastic for hashish storage.

Innovation in manufacturing processes 

The gradual enlargement of product classes may also require extra revolutionary manufacturing processes.

Rebecca Allen-Tapp, Product Supervisor at Paralab Inexperienced, which gives cultivation tools, has seen a rise in firms adopting automation and in-house options which provide “higher flexibility, enabling producers to streamline processes.”.

“Investing in versatile tools positions companies to adapt as market demand continues to develop and diversify,” she says.

“Gear equivalent to automated cartridge and vial fillers, NIR spectroscopy for nutrient monitoring, and qPCR programs for early pathogen detection present important worth, bringing many beforehand outsourced duties in-house.”

With growing issues round irradiation, Allen-Tapp additionally reviews demand for different decontamination strategies, equivalent to cryopasteurization. And as ‘small-batch, craft-style hashish’ carves out a singular area of interest available in the market, there may be excessive demand for tools tailor-made to “smaller manufacturing volumes that ship precision and consistency.”