The Netherlands to increase production of medical cannabis

Will the Netherlands react to Canadian pressure to further open up its medical cannabis production capacity? According to information from MJBizDaily, the country would be likely to increase its production by ending the monopoly of Bedrocan, the historic company producing medical marijuana in the Netherlands, and Europe's leading supplier to date.

The application process should be published «this spring», according to Marijuana Business Daily.

A spokesperson for Bedrocan said the company «supports the Dutch government in demanding the highest possible quality in the production of medicinal cannabis in the interests of patients. And we believe that competition between producers is beneficial for product quality and therefore for patients.»

The Netherlands is currently the world's largest producer of medical cannabis in Europe, with border access to the German market, and around the world, for the time being supplanting Canadian companies, which also export massively to Europe.

However, the opening up of Dutch production is already of interest to Canadian companies. Aurora Cannabis recently purchased industrial sites in the municipality of Wageningen for the cultivation of medical cannabis. The company is now waiting to find out whether it will be authorized to produce it, under the strict conditions imposed by the Dutch Medical Cannabis Board.

The number of licenses to be granted has not yet been announced. However, companies will have to prove their expertise in the standardized cultivation of plants, either in the Netherlands or abroad.