What's Your Why?

Dr Callie Seaman, a leading UK plant scientist and co-chair of the Cannabis Industry Council, joins Hannah Deacon and Professor Mike Barnes for the latest episode of the What’s Your Why podcast.Callie is a formulation chemist with over 20 years experience in the hydroponic industry. Whilst completing her degree in biomedical sciences she worked for GlaxoSmithKline within the drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics department, before going on to complete a PhD in fertiliser chemistry and setting up a liquid fertiliser manufacturing company.Now an established professional in the field of medicinal cannabis, working with cultivation facilities across the globe, Callie recently set up Sunnyside Consultancy, helping new businesses navigate the cannabis space.As she shares in this episode, Callie sees this as much more than a job or a career, but her life’s ‘mission’, the seeds of which were first planted when she was diagnosed with epilepsy over 20 years ago. A quick thank you to our sponsors:This episode What’s Your Why podcast is sponsored by Curaleaf Laboratories.Curaleaf Laboratories are the UK-leading experts in the manufacture and distribution of EU-GMP medical cannabis as part of Curaleaf International, the biggest cannabis company in the world. In 2019, Rokshaw joined the Curaleaf International group and because of this, in August 2020, became the first manufacturer of full spectrum medical cannabis in the UK. We aligned with the Curaleaf mission, to provide wider access and unlock the potential of medical cannabis to those who need it. With over a decade of experience in unlicensed medicines (Specials), Curaleaf have invested heavily in our state-of-the-art UK manufacturing facility, making us perfectly positioned with our international vertically integrated supply chain to deliver cannabis-based medicinal products (CBPM’s) of the highest quality for specialists to prescribe to their patients. Curaleaf’s wealth of medical cannabis experience, combined with a network of supply and distribution partnerships throughout Europe and the UK, mean that it is uniquely positioned to meet the rapidly growing demand for cost-effective, consistent, premium quality medical cannabis products in the UK.Find out more at curaleaflaboratories.co.uk 

This month, Hannah and Mike speak to Pierre van Weperen, CEO of Grow Pharma, a joint venture between GROW Group and IPS Pharma in the UK.Pierre joined GROW Group in 2019, with more than 30 years experience in the pharmaceutical industry, which took him from his home in the Netherlands, to Germany, France and eventually the UK, where he has called home since 2007.Starting out as a medical rep in the 1990s, Pierre has held senior sales, marketing and leadership roles in a number of top 10 global pharmaceutical companies. Before joining GROW, he managed commercial services for Ashfield Healthcare (the UK’s largest pharmaceutical outsourcing provider) which where he started working with medical cannabis in early 2019. In this candid interview, Pierre speaks openly about how his personal struggles have given a sense of optimism and a drive to improve things in everything he does, whether that’s for his own loved ones or patients more generally. That is also why he is chairman of the board of the Dutch MS patient association.He speaks about how this inspires GROW’s focus on the patients who can benefit from medical cannabis and the work by his team to drive awareness, lobby for regulatory changes, and source the best products and innovations for patients and prescribers. A quick thank you to our sponsors:This episode What’s Your Why podcast is sponsored by Curaleaf Laboratories.Curaleaf Laboratories are the UK-leading experts in the manufacture and distribution of EU-GMP medical cannabis as part of Curaleaf International, the biggest cannabis company in the world. In 2019, Rokshaw joined the Curaleaf International group and because of this, in August 2020, became the first manufacturer of full spectrum medical cannabis in the UK. We aligned with the Curaleaf mission, to provide wider access and unlock the potential of medical cannabis to those who need it. With over a decade of experience in unlicensed medicines (Specials), Curaleaf have invested heavily in our state-of-the-art UK manufacturing facility, making us perfectly positioned with our international vertically integrated supply chain to deliver cannabis-based medicinal products (CBPM’s) of the highest quality for specialists to prescribe to their patients. Curaleaf’s wealth of medical cannabis experience, combined with a network of supply and distribution partnerships throughout Europe and the UK, mean that it is uniquely positioned to meet the rapidly growing demand for cost-effective, consistent, premium quality medical cannabis products in the UK.Find out more at curaleaflaboratories.co.uk 

Tom Cross is one of the leading barristers at the UK Junior Bar. Specialising in a wide range of matters mostly in the field of public and human rights law, he can usually be found challenging or defending the government or a public body in cases which have the potential to really make an impact with the general public.In this episode, Tom, who recently became a trustee of Medcan Family Foundation, sits down with Hannah and Mike to share some fascinating insights into how public law works. They discuss potential legal options for families who are still being denied access to cannabis medicines on the NHS, similarities with the Post Office Horizon scandal which has gripped the nation of late, and how to better engage politicians as a General Election looms on the horizon. If you enjoyed this episode we highly recommend you subscribe so you will be the first to know when the next one lands—and we’d love it if you could leave us a rating or review! This episode of the What’s Your Why podcast is sponsored by Curaleaf Laboratories.Curaleaf Laboratories are the UK-leading experts in the manufacture and distribution of EU-GMP medical cannabis as part of Curaleaf International, the biggest cannabis company in the world. In 2019, Rokshaw joined the Curaleaf International group and because of this, in August 2020, became the first manufacturer of full spectrum medical cannabis in the UK. We aligned with the Curaleaf mission, to provide wider access and unlock the potential of medical cannabis to those who need it. With over a decade of experience in unlicensed medicines (Specials), Curaleaf have invested heavily in our state-of-the-art UK manufacturing facility, making us perfectly positioned with our international vertically integrated supply chain to deliver cannabis-based medicinal products (CBPM’s) of the highest quality for specialists to prescribe to their patients. Curaleaf’s wealth of medical cannabis experience, combined with a network of supply and distribution partnerships throughout Europe and the UK, mean that it is uniquely positioned to meet the rapidly growing demand for cost-effective, consistent, premium quality medical cannabis products in the UK. Find out more at curaleaflaboratories.co.uk 

In our first episode of 2024, Hannah Deacon and Professor Mike Barnes spoke to Melissa about her life before cannabis, from growing up in Australia to a high-flying career in the mining industry (much of which was spent being the only woman in the room). Melissa founded Ananda Developments after reading an article about cannabis on the off-chance. At its UK manufacturing facility, the company is focused on developing cannabinoid medicines for the treatment of complex, chronic inflammatory pain conditions. It recently reached a huge milestone and secured regulatory approval and NHS funding to conduct clinical trials in chemotherapy-induced neuropathy (CIPN) and endometriosis. Melissa shares the many ways she “reinvented” herself throughout her career, from selling sports memorabilia to negotiating “exhilarating” underground mining deals in South Africa and being asked to make the tea in a boardroom full of men. Now she is fully committed to helping establish a robust medical cannabis industry in the UK and enabling patients to have consistent access to high-quality medicines.

After studying a Masters in Health Psychology at the University of Bath, where she developed an interest in drug policy, Katya Kowalski went straight into the cannabis space, securing an internship with Volteface, an advocacy and communications organisation, that seeks to reduce the harm drugs pose to individuals and society, through evidence-based policy reform.Now Volteface's head of operations, she chats to Hannah and Mike about her journey so far and shares her thoughts on the future of medical and recreational access in the UK.

Emma Matthew's son Louis was 13-years-old when he had his first seizure. He was later diagnosed with a rare genetic condition which causes severe, treatment-resistant epilepsy. As Emma explains in more detail in this episode, Louis was prescribed dozens of different antiepileptic drugs, all of which failed to control his seizures, some of them even exacerbating them. In 2017 Emma and her family moved to Holland so that Louis could access legal medicinal cannabis treatment. Now 19, Louis has been seizure free for over two years and is excelling in a Fine Art degree. But since the family moved back to London in 2022, Louis has been refused a prescription for medical cannabis through the NHS, leaving the future of his access to what has been a life-changing treatment, uncertain. Emma shares their heartbreaking story with the podcast to highlight the challenges they - and so many other patients - have faced in accessing Medical Cannabis in the UK, despite it being legal to prescribe since 2018. Join medical cannabis industry experts and co-founders of Maple Tree Consultants, Hannah Deacon and Professor Mike Barnes, as they sit down with leading voices from the sector to explore how they found themselves in the world of medicinal cannabis and why it matters to them. What’s Your Why looks beyond commercial forecasts to make space for open and honest conversations with the people at the heart of this emerging and ever-evolving industry.