British medical cannabis patients will be able to access UK-made vape products for the first time.
One of the original providers of CBD and medical cannabis in the US, Columbia Care, has become the first company to formulate cannabis vape products in the UK.
The vaporizers and compatible cartridges come under the company’s flagship medical brand, Ceed, which launched in April 2021. The products are licensed and approved by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Home Office.
Cannabinoid Insight understands that IPS Pharma will distribute the new products to eligible patients nationwide. In April 2021, Integro Medical Clinics in London were among the private establishments offering Ceed products.
The four new formulations contain two different THC:CBD ratios, each with terpene profile options to either uplift or calm.
Making the announcement in December, a spokesperson for Columbia Care said:
“Vaporizers offer patients a discreet and easy-to-use method which US-based patients have included in their daily lives. When compared with flower, often used for its fast-acting effects, it particularly appeals to cannabis-naïve patients and those with limited dexterity or motor function.”
Chief Scientific Officer, Rosemary Mazanet, MD, PhD, believes the fast onset of cannabinoids when vaped will appeal to doctors who have reported difficulties with prescribing flower to some patients.
“We are delighted to be able to bring this important line of products to the UK market. UK clinicians practising with cannabis have been telling us that they find cannabis flower difficult to dose, but they recognise the need for fast-onset options for patients experiencing breakthrough pain.
“The vaporizers also have the advantage of being discreet and easy-to-use which will help many patients who are either cannabis-naïve or who want to continue with their regular daily activities, such as going to work, without the fear of being judged.”
Columbia Care is one of the largest and most experienced cultivators, manufacturers and providers of cannabis-derived products in the world.
With licenses in 18 US jurisdictions and the EU, the company operates 131 facilities including 99 dispensaries and 32 cultivation and manufacturing facilities.
The company currently caters to medical cannabis markets in the UK and Germany, and earlier this year launched a CBD product line for the UK’s consumer wellness market.
