New Zealand has First Home-Grown Cannabis Vapes

In New Zealand, two new medicinal cannabis products have been verified as meeting the quality standard for legal sale. This follows Helius, a week earlier, being the first New Zealand company to receive GMP certification to produce THC extracts and manufacture medicines containing THC.

“We are very pleased to bring more NZ grown, NZ made medicinal cannabis products to Kiwi patients,” says Carmen Doran, chief executive of Helius Therapeutics. The launch of two new medicines into the New Zealand market makes a total of four new medicines from Helius in 2022. It brings Helius’ portfolio of products to six, according to an email sent to Vapor Voice.

“In mid-December we were able to announce GACP certification, and since then we’ve also obtained GMP certification for four more processes at our East Auckland site. Such progress is testament to the culture of teamwork Helius is building,” she says.

Helius is New Zealand’s only company to have GMP certification for extraction and manufacture of CBD and THC medicines. What’s more, it is now one of two companies (the other being Nubu Pharma) who have six products verified as meeting the minimum quality standard in New Zealand.

The latest products will be exported in 2023 to Helius customers in Europe.

“The THC containing products have had considerable interest internationally, with GMP manufactured products gaining a lot of attention globally as the medical markets continue to grow. We have seen particular interest in balanced, full spectrum medicinal cannabis formulations,” says Doran.

With the launch of these products, New Zealand patients now have access to NZ made products across the spectrum of oral solutions. No longer do they have to rely on imported products which have had supply delays throughout 2022 and can be priced considerably higher.