In a market which some would argue is not sufficiently meeting the needs of patients, European cannabis producer AltoVerde aims to bring quality and transparency to the sector.
Questionable quality, inconsistent supply and a lack of detailed product information. The team at AltoVerde has identified some of the key issues facing medical cannabis patients in Europe as the market continues to grow.
Not only that, but addressing these issues has become a fundamental part of the multifaceted company’s business plan moving forward.
As the team continues to establish a network of cannabis cultivation sites across Europe, AltoVerde aims to be ahead of the game when it comes to product innovation and developing trusted, quality products that meet patients’ expectations.
When the time is right, these products will hit the UK market proudly carrying the ‘AltoVerde Assured’ stamp, but not a moment sooner.
“I’m not here to criticise the rest of the market, but there is room for improvement,” AltoVerde co-founder and CEO, Mitesh Makwana, tells Cannabis Health.
“Labelling and clarity of information is just one issue. We want to be transparent throughout our whole process. In our view, a producer should be able to provide a traceable history of its production process, right through to the end product.”
He adds: “We’ve got nothing to hide, we would never let a sub-par product into the market for people to say they are not happy with it. If it’s not good enough, it’s not getting the stamp on it.”
What makes AltoVerde different?
The core AltoVerde team has decades of experience in the legacy market.
Makwana has been cultivating since the early 2000s, having established one of the UK’s leading seed banks Dr Krippling, while his co-founder, vice-chairman and CEO Bryan Willis is the owner of Seedmadness.
AltoVerde’s Spanish cannabis expert, Daniel Bourguet, is the founder of Seeds Of Africa Seedbank, with heirloom and landrace genetics, and extraction experience, and Jeff Winterbourne, AltoVerde’s horticultural advisor, established the first cannabis seed bank within the UK in 1998.
AltoVerde co-founder and CEO, Mitesh Makwana
It’s this legacy experience which is to thank for the team’s steadfast commitment to the end user, says Makwana.
“We come from the legacy market and from a background of passion for the cannabis plant. The legacy industry has been at the helm of the plant’s progress as the genetics evolve to what they are today,” he explains.
“Problems such as anxiety, chronic pain, sleep disorders, PTSD, are having a huge impact on society and the NHS. We know that cannabis can be of huge benefit for a number of conditions but at the moment the way products are being prescribed in the UK, it’s not surprising there’s not a big uptake from the 1.4 million potential patients that the industry should be targeting.”
The team also has a panel of advisors made up of some of the biggest names in the UK cannabis industry, including Professor Mike Barnes, the chair of the Cannabis Industry Council and Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society, who was the first doctor to prescribe medical cannabis legally in the UK.
Hannah Deacon, whose campaign helped change the law in 2018, is also an advisor bringing her expertise as a patient carer and executive director of Maple Tree Consultants to the table.
Meanwhile Dr Callie Seaman, a leading cannabis scientist with over 20 years of experience in the hydroponic industry and a director of medical cannabis patient advocacy organisation, Medcan Support, is on hand to steer them in the right direction.
“We’ve been thinking about our business plan for four years, but this isn’t something we can do all by ourselves, we want to have the best brains working on it with us,” says Makwana.
“These are the people who have been fighting the fight. They’re well known and they’re well-versed in all of the challenges facing the UK sector right now, so their input is invaluable.”
So, how will they do it?
AltoVerde plans to grow cannabis through a mix of indoor, greenhouse and organic cultivation at five sites throughout Europe. Three of these currently have a cultivation licence in place and are poised to start work, while a further two are in the process of gaining certifications.
AltoVerde has five cultivation sites across Europe.
All medical cannabis products at the sites will be developed under the guidance of the team following the ‘AltoVerde Process’ – but Makwana is reluctant to give any more details away when it comes to his trade ‘secrets’.
“We’ve got a lot of novel ideas but ultimately we know what patients want and what they expect and we work back from that. There are different ways of doing things which will make things better for patients, but also prescribers,” he says.
He also points out that their ethos is not just focused on the end product, but on promoting health and wellness throughout the whole process.
“Our whole chain is focused on putting patients first and producing quality products, right from the genetics that we choose to use, to the way the site is designed to make sure we are efficient,” says Makwana.
Robert Wright, AltoVerde’s Chief People Officer, adds: “Not just in terms of money, but also in ensuring that our staff are happy. We want our facilities to be healthy sites that produce healthy products, that ethos will only carry into the end product and to the patients.
“The passion, expertise, experience and commitment of the Alto Verde Executive team is outstanding and ensures the creation of a market leading, customer-focused business.”
Educating patients, medical professionals, governments and industry on the benefits and safety of cannabis products is also a priority for AltoVerde.
The company is expecting its first medical cannabis products to be ready by late 2023 with a desire to take part in clinical trials and contribute to building the evidence-base for more widespread prescribing in a number of different conditions.
One of the newest members on board, John Padellaro, Chief Operations Officer, who brings his years of experience in the US market, says it was this commitment that drew him to the AltoVerde model.
“One of the things that I found really impressive about AltoVerde was the patient focus,” he said.
“The ability and privilege to participate in clinical trials is something that is not an option in the US. The medical perspective has been completely washed out with the desire for recreational access. We’re rushing so quickly into over-the-counter sales that we’re losing sight of the patients that really need it.”
John will be drawing on his experience, initially as a cultivator, and latterly as a consultant, advisor, and partner to numerous companies and governments, to help AltoVerde come up with innovative solutions to some of the key issues facing medical cannabis patients across Europe.
“In the European market, we often see irradiated or treated products being consumed,” he continued.
“We want to find natural and organic solutions, so the individual doesn’t end up with anything residual in their products.”
John added: “The team at AltoVerde really understands the key issues of commercial cannabis in Europe and is working to mitigate any sort of risk to the end-user by bringing a high quality, clean product to the market.”
AltoVerde has provided financial support into the production and distribution of this article. AltoVerde has also had editorial input into the content of the article and has reviewed it for medical accuracy.
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