by Eva Short, 17th March 2021, via Business Post Ireland.
An Irish firm representing “blue chip” and “international” medicinal cannabis companies has lobbied government ministers and officials in a bid to establish Ireland as an “export centre” for Europe.
Green Leaf Agri,
An Irish firm representing “blue chip” and “international” medicinal cannabis companies has lobbied government ministers and officials in a bid to establish Ireland as an “export centre” for Europe.
Green Leaf Agri,
an Irish advisory company set up in October 2018 by Michael Power and Thomas Lynch, held in-person and virtual meetings with the Department of Health and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment advocating for legislation to allow for the cultivation and export of
medicinal cannabis in Ireland.
Despite achieving considerable access to politicians and officials, the company said it believed the government was being too slow to “follow through” on what it said was an economic opportunity.
Green Leaf hired Vulcan Consulting, a firm set up
Despite achieving considerable access to politicians and officials, the company said it believed the government was being too slow to “follow through” on what it said was an economic opportunity.
Green Leaf hired Vulcan Consulting, a firm set up
by former Fine Gael politicians Lucinda Creighton and Paul Bradford, as part of its lobbying campaign. The government was lobbied in person, via video link, by phone and by email between September 2019 and December 2020, according to the lobbying register.
Those lobbied included Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Leo Varadkar, Frank Feighan, the Minister of State for Public Health, Mary Butler, the Minister of State for Mental Health, and Deirdre Gillane, chief of staff at the Department
of the Taoiseach.
Green Leaf Agri also lobbied the Health Products Regulatory Authority and the IDA about the possibility of establishing a medicinal cannabis industry in Ireland.
There is no legislative framework in place to allow for the cultivation of cannabis in Ireland
Green Leaf Agri also lobbied the Health Products Regulatory Authority and the IDA about the possibility of establishing a medicinal cannabis industry in Ireland.
There is no legislative framework in place to allow for the cultivation of cannabis in Ireland
for general medical purposes, and no licences have been issued for this activity.
Certain patients for whom “conventional” treatment for illnesses has failed may gain access to medicinal cannabis products, but they must apply for a licence to do so through the Department
Certain patients for whom “conventional” treatment for illnesses has failed may gain access to medicinal cannabis products, but they must apply for a licence to do so through the Department
of Health. Only certain cannabis-based products are approved for use under the Medical Cannabis Access Programme, none of which are manufactured in Ireland.
Various EU member states, including Germany, Denmark, Portugal, Spain, Greece and Malta, have already enacted legislation
Various EU member states, including Germany, Denmark, Portugal, Spain, Greece and Malta, have already enacted legislation
to allow for the cultivation of medicinal cannabis and have issued licences for producers to begin doing so.
Michael Power, a chartered accountant and director at Green Leaf, told the Business Post that he would not name the individual firms the company represents and said he
Michael Power, a chartered accountant and director at Green Leaf, told the Business Post that he would not name the individual firms the company represents and said he
was bound by non-disclosure agreements to keep these firms’ identities confidential.
Power set up Green Leaf after identifying medicinal cannabis as “a very strong emerging space with growth opportunity” that can “bring significant inward investment and significant job
Power set up Green Leaf after identifying medicinal cannabis as “a very strong emerging space with growth opportunity” that can “bring significant inward investment and significant job
opportunities to Ireland”.
He said Green Leaf was not “advocating” for the indications for the use of medicinal cannabis to be broadened in Ireland. He also stressed that Green Leaf would not advocate for the implementation of cannabis for recreational consumption, and said that
He said Green Leaf was not “advocating” for the indications for the use of medicinal cannabis to be broadened in Ireland. He also stressed that Green Leaf would not advocate for the implementation of cannabis for recreational consumption, and said that
medicinal cannabis was not a “backdoor” through which recreational cannabis could be brought in.
He said government ministers were broadly “supportive” of implementing medicinal cannabis legislation, but added that some senior officials occasionally “confused medicinal cannabis
He said government ministers were broadly “supportive” of implementing medicinal cannabis legislation, but added that some senior officials occasionally “confused medicinal cannabis
and recreational cannabis” during meetings.
“We would not support or advocate for recreational cannabis. We want a product that we can manufacture and have dispensed from pharmacies with a prescription from your doctor,” he said.
Paul Bradford, chairman of Vulcan Consulting,
“We would not support or advocate for recreational cannabis. We want a product that we can manufacture and have dispensed from pharmacies with a prescription from your doctor,” he said.
Paul Bradford, chairman of Vulcan Consulting,
said there had been a “warm political response” at senior levels of government to the prospect of cultivating medicinal cannabis in Ireland and exporting it into Europe.
“There was no door slammed in our face and nobody thought this was a bad idea,” he said, adding that
“There was no door slammed in our face and nobody thought this was a bad idea,” he said, adding that
Green Leaf was given “a very fair hearing”.
Creigthon, a Business Post Columnist, and Bradford, her husband, co-founded Vulcan Consulting in 2016. The consultancy worked with Green Leaf up until January 2021. Both Creighton and Bradford are former Fine Gael TDs while Bradford
Creigthon, a Business Post Columnist, and Bradford, her husband, co-founded Vulcan Consulting in 2016. The consultancy worked with Green Leaf up until January 2021. Both Creighton and Bradford are former Fine Gael TDs while Bradford
also served as a senator and Creigton is a former Minister for European Affairs . They were expelled from the Fine Gael parliamentary party in 2013 when they defied the party whip to vote against the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act.
Power said Green Leaf wanted to
Power said Green Leaf wanted to
ensure Ireland does not “repeat the mistakes” made by other jurisdictions, such as Canada and Germany, that have already implemented medicinal cannabis frameworks.
“We recognise that in other markets this legislation has been haphazard . . . the legislation [implemented in other
“We recognise that in other markets this legislation has been haphazard . . . the legislation [implemented in other
countries] was full of holes.”
He said that in other jurisdictions, where medicinal cannabis licences are easier to obtain, some consider them as an “investment opportunity” and apply for them with a view to later selling them on.
In meetings with the Irish government,
He said that in other jurisdictions, where medicinal cannabis licences are easier to obtain, some consider them as an “investment opportunity” and apply for them with a view to later selling them on.
In meetings with the Irish government,
Green Leaf appealed to senior officials to “introduce a very robust and strong legislation” to prevent “suitcase carriers coming in getting licences and jamming up the system for the real players”, Power said.
Green Leaf made various recommendations for the criteria that anyone
Green Leaf made various recommendations for the criteria that anyone
looking to apply for a medicinal cannabis licence in Ireland should have to satisfy, such as requiring licensees to “build out” a facility; that those facilities be above a certain square metre size; and that the facilities must meet “GMP pharma grade standards” and be
“pharma-grade facilities”.
Those looking for a medicinal cannabis licence would also have to have certain staff ratios at their facilities and would have to meet certain security requirements, Green Leaf recommended. Power said this would likely cost “millions of dollars” for
Those looking for a medicinal cannabis licence would also have to have certain staff ratios at their facilities and would have to meet certain security requirements, Green Leaf recommended. Power said this would likely cost “millions of dollars” for
stakeholders to put in place and would mean that cultivation would be in the exclusive domain of firms that already have a “significant market cap”.
Power said he felt “frustration and anger at the approach of the Irish government” due to its lack of “follow-through” on
Power said he felt “frustration and anger at the approach of the Irish government” due to its lack of “follow-through” on
expressed support.
“By the time legislation is introduced in Ireland, the market will have moved on and Ireland will not be an exporter, it will be an importer. [The government] did not seem to view this with any real urgency, didn’t seem to have any forward thinking.”
“By the time legislation is introduced in Ireland, the market will have moved on and Ireland will not be an exporter, it will be an importer. [The government] did not seem to view this with any real urgency, didn’t seem to have any forward thinking.”
Power said that the medicinal cannabis industry was “moving on” and that achieving a sufficient legislative framework was a “moving target” for the Irish government.
“Unfortunately the Irish government’s mindset is not in the place it should be,” Power said.
ARTICLE END.
Wow.
“Unfortunately the Irish government’s mindset is not in the place it should be,” Power said.
ARTICLE END.
Wow.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
