Dalgety Ltd has entered into a partnership with Curaleaf Laboratories to supply pharmaceutical grade cannabis medicines to the UK cannabis market. The arrangement combines Dalgety’s cultivation operations, which are certified to EU-GMP standards, with Curaleaf Laboratories’ pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution capabilities. According to the companies, this creates a UK-based supply route that does not rely on imported cannabis flowers, as Dalgety cultivates its product in-house. Dalgety claims it was the first company in the UK to grow, manufacture and supply EU-GMP medical cannabis from a single site.

© Curaleaf Laboratories

The growing facility, which is more than 30,000 square feet, is located indoors and uses hydroponic growing methods along with automated lighting, irrigation, humidity and temperature control systems. The company reports that it uses AI-assisted environmental monitoring, which extends the traceability of batches to the final product and compares them to operating standards for air filtration systems. Post-harvest processing is said to follow EU-GMP protocols, including microbial and cannabinoid testing.

The stated goal of this approach is to reduce between-harvest variation in terms of THC and CBD content, terpene profiles, and microbial safety. Dalgety says his cultivation is overseen by staff with experience in horticulture and biochemistry, some of whom have worked on cannabis cultivation projects internationally.

Through a partnership with Curaleaf Laboratories, Dalgety’s UK-grown cannabis is processed and distributed through a UK-based supply chain, rather than imported from overseas. Companies suggest that this arrangement can shorten the time it takes to get products to market compared to importing, and reduce the likelihood of supply disruptions. Because Dalgety and Curaleaf Laboratories are involved in cultivation, manufacturing and distribution, the companies say this oversees the product at every stage, making it clearer for prescribers to see where and how the product was made.

© Curaleaf Laboratories

Dalgety operates to EU-GMP standards and has been subject to regulatory review by the MHRA and the Home Office. Its operations include environmental monitoring, microbial testing, stability testing, controlled drying and curing procedures and quality assurance processes, along with controlled and secure facilities.

The company describes its work as controlled environment farming, hydroponic systems, environmental control technology, and efforts to stabilize cannabis genetics and phenotypes for batch-to-batch consistency.

© Curaleaf Laboratories

Dalgety has also opened its cultivation facilities for visits to healthcare professionals, clinicians, pharmacists, researchers and other industry stakeholders. The company says this is in response to the fact that much of the cannabis historically supplied to UK patients has been grown overseas, which has limited opportunities for UK clinicians to see first-hand the cultivation and quality control processes. These tours aim to provide visitors with information on cultivation standards, EU-GMP compliance procedures, environmental control systems, testing processes and the regulatory framework governing cannabis manufacturing in the UK.

Dalgety and Curaleaf Laboratories describe their partnership as expanding access to UK-grown medical cannabis, improving supply chain reliability and helping to meet sector regulations, placing it in the wider context of growing demand for cannabis-based treatments from UK patients.

“When you’re in the fire service, or in any of the first response industries, or especially in the military, things are going to accumulate over time, and what happens is you see a lot of things, crazy things that at least seem normal.”

By Amanda Watford, Stateline

This year more states have looked beyond traditional counseling and medication to help first responders deal with traumatic stress.

Firefighters, police, and emergency medical personnel routinely experience fatal accidents, violent crimes, and other traumatic events that can leave lasting psychological scars.

“When you’re in the fire service, or the first response industry, or especially the military, things just pile up over time, and what happens is you see a lot of things, crazy things that at least seem normal,” said Jason Cerrano, a retired firefighter and paramedic with more than 20 years of experience in Missouri. Cerrano is now director of research and commercial development at IDEX Fire & Safety.

In Ohio, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law last month a measure that will create the Post-Traumatic Injuries Commission to review requests from first responders to help cover treatment costs.

Maryland took a different approach this year, enacting a law protecting firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics and other rescue workers. employment discrimination for the illegal use of medical marijuana outside of work.

The new law, which will take effect in October, applies to medical cannabis patients who test positive for cannabis metabolites but are impaired while working.

Several other states are exploring emerging therapies.

A new Connecticut law expands a pilot program at Yale University studying psilocybin-assisted therapy Allowing any state resident 18 years of age or older to participate, provided they meet clinical eligibility criteria established by the Yale University Institutional Review Board. Previously, the pilot program was limited to veterans, retired first responders and frontline healthcare workers.

Missouri lawmakers advanced a bill allowing veterans and first responders to receive the psychedelics psilocybin and ibogaine in approved research studies. Under medical supervision for PTSD and other mental health conditions. The legislative session adjourned in May before lawmakers sent a bill to the governor.

This story was first published by Stateline.

Image courtesy of Kristie Gianopulos.