What's Your Why?

We’re delighted to kick off a brand new season of the What’s Your Why podcast, with a brand new sponsor, Botanical Pharmacy, and a line-up of amazing guests ready to share why medical cannabis matters to them.Our first guest is Ricardo Geada, director of Lawrence Stephens Solicitors in the UK, heading up its Regulatory Solutions department.  Ricardo is an English Lawyer, with 17-years legal experience and now a renowned legal expert in cannabis regulation. He has assisted Medicinal Cannabis and CBD Wellness companies through regulation mazes across the UK, EU, US and Asia, on aspects of unlicensed medicines; vaping products (e-cigarettes and e-liquids); cosmetics; and food supplements. His expertise in this space means is regularly invited to speak at events to discuss the ever growing global cannabis market, and he currently sits on the executive committee of the UK’s Cannabis Industry Council. In this episode, Ricardo chats to Hannah and Mike about how he came to specialise in cannabis law (despite his lack of personal experience!), improving patient access and the importance of trying to change the narrative through education. ---A quick mention about the sponsors of this seasons podcast.At Botanical Health Dispensary, we care about you and your prescription.Botanical Health is an independent medical cannabis pharmacy who are dedicated to helping patients by facilitating a medical cannabis dispensing experience that different to anything else available. To us you're a person first – never just a number or yet another prescription. We know what its like to be waiting for your prescription or be unsure about the process and were here to help. Every patient really matters to us and we take full responsibility for ensuring your happy, well informed and feel you can rely on us.If you would like support to use our service please contact us on email www.botanicalhealthdispensery.co.uk

The final episode of this season of What’s Your Why is a special one, as Hannah and Mike sat down with our sponsors, Curaleaf Laboratories.Brothers Jonathan and Richard Hodgson co-founded Rokshaw Laboratories in 2012 and  have been at the forefront of the emerging medical cannabis Industry since it was first legalised as a medicine in 2018.  In 2019, Rokshaw joined the Curaleaf International group—the world’s largest cannabis company— where Jonathan is now International Managing Director for the UK and Nordics and Richard is UK Operations Director. As a result of this, in August 2020, Rokshaw became the first company to manufacture medical cannabis in the UK and another of its UK operations, Sapphire Medical Cannabis Clinic (now Curaleaf Clinic) was the first CQC Registered Medical Cannabis Clinic.Having been in the healthcare sector since 1999 across a number of leading companies Jonathan and Richard have a clear number one position in this rapidly growing sector and have aligned with the Curaleaf mission, to provide wider access and unlock the potential of medical cannabis to those who need it.In this episode they share some behind the scenes insights into the early days of starting the company, the challenges they faced (and continue to face) in the sector, and the realities of running a family business. 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 

In a new episode of What’s Your Why, James Smith, co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer of 4C Labs, a Canadian Cannabis company operating in Guernsey and the UK, sits down with Hannah and Mike to share what brought him to the sector. After studying Political Science at Bishops University, James had a number of careers before cannabis, including as a chef, filmmaker and in real estate sales and development.He made the decision to leave his stable career in real estate after seeing the benefits that medical cannabis was having for his nephew —and the wider family— after he was diagnosed with a neurological disorder.4C Labs was founded over six years ago with the intent of creating a high quality and well priced medical cannabis supply chain for the UK and other international markets.Focused on patients and their satisfaction, James and the team employ a very rigorous and empirical method to sourcing and pricing products that they believe will exceed patient expectations.James is also the Chair of the Cannabis Industry Council Prescription Cannabis Sub committee and spends much of his time promoting cannabis as medicine and advocating for greater awareness and increased points of access in the UK.Despite the challenges he has faced working in the sector, James maintains a positive perspective on the future growth of the industry and the general awareness of cannabis as a medicine that can improve people's quality of life.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 4C Labs was founded over six years ago with the intent of creating a high quality and well priced medical cannabis supply chain for the UK and other international markets. Focused on patients and their satisfaction, James and the team employ a very rigorous and empirical method to sourcing and pricing products that they believe will exceed patient expectations.James is also the Chair of the Cannabis Industry Council Prescription Cannabis Sub committee and spends much of his time promoting cannabis as medicine and advocating for greater awareness and increased points of access in the UK.

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 

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.