Green light for partial legalization of cannabis - Four 20 pharmaceutical CEOs welcome Federal Council vote

Essen/Paderborn, March 22, 2024 - The decision has been made: The Bundesrat will not refer the Cannabis Act (CanG) to the Mediation Committee. This clears the way for the gradual entry into force of the law on 1 April 2024, meaning the partial legalization of cannabis is imminent. Thomas Schatton and Torsten Greif, founders and CEOs of Four 20 Pharma GmbH (Four 20 Pharma), the leading manufacturer of medicinal cannabis in Europe, welcome the very clear result of the vote in the Bundesrat, as it will now be much easier for doctors to prescribe medicinal cannabis in the near future. And thus also for patients to be able to benefit from the advantages of the medicinal plant and its components as part of a therapy.

After the German Bundestag approved the partial legalization of cannabis on 23 February 2024, the Cannabis Act (CanG) passed the German Bundesrat after a very clear vote today, Friday, 22 March 2024. This clears the way for the law to gradually come into force on April 1, 2024, from which point it will also be much easier for doctors to prescribe medicinal cannabis as part of a therapy. “We expressly welcome today's very clear decision, as doctors have previously faced major hurdles if they wanted to treat their patients with the medicinal plant,” explains Thomas Schatton, founder and CEO of Four 20 Pharma. “Because cannabis will no longer be classified as a narcotic but as a prescription-only medicine from April, prescribing it will be less complicated. We are convinced and will do everything we can to ensure that even more people can benefit from the advantages of cannabis from then on and that the therapeutic option will become even more established,” Schatton continues.

In order to further advance educational work on the efficacy of medicinal cannabis in the treatment of various diseases throughout Germany and to help ensure that cannabis patients receive the best possible care, Four 20 Pharma has founded a patient advisory board with five members with different diseases (including Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis and ADHD).
-To help ensure that cannabis patients receive optimal care, Four 20 Pharma has established a patient advisory board with five members with different clinical pictures (including Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis and ADHD). With this committee, Four 20 Pharma aims to bring suitable solutions to politicians and get them implemented. The company also wants to help break down old stigmas and raise awareness of medicinal cannabis as a therapy for a wide range of medical conditions. In addition, Four 20 Pharma will continue to invest in research into the efficacy of the medicinal plant in order to generate evidence and thus also convince critics of partial legalization of the benefits of the plant in the medium term, especially in the medical use of cannabis.

“We have also made it our mission to ensure that patients are supplied with high-quality medicinal cannabis so that doctors can offer them the best possible treatment options. Accordingly, we are very pleased that the critics of the partial legalization of cannabis were not able to prevail, especially as they used unscientific arguments to stir up public opinion and unsettle people,” explains Torsten Greif. “One thing is certain: The decades-long prohibition policy has not brought any solutions, but above all created new problems. The very clear voting behavior of the federal states in the Bundesrat today shows how great the desire for reform in this area really is. I therefore very much welcome today's decision, as it will bring real relief for many people.”

At the same time, it is important to Thomas Schatton to point out that education about the possible risks of using cannabis will remain crucial in the future: “Just like alcohol or conventional medication, the use of cannabis is not without risk. For example, THC can have negative effects on the brains of children, adolescents and young adults. It is therefore essential, particularly now and especially in the future, to provide comprehensive information about the risks, especially in the area of recreational use,” concludes Schatton.

About Four 20 Pharma GmbH

Founded in 2018 by Thomas Schatton, Torsten Greif, Wilhelm Schoening and Ireneusz Storm in Paderborn, Four 20 Pharma GmbH is already the leading manufacturer of medicinal cannabis in Europe. The company exclusively supplies unirradiated, hand-processed and gently dried flowers in the gold standard. This means that the products far exceed the specified production requirements.

At Four 20 Pharma, the well-being of patients is our top priority. That is why the company has made it its mission to ensure the supply of high-quality medicinal cannabis so that doctors can offer patients the best possible treatment options. In order to live up to this claim, Four 20 Pharma is carrying out massive educational work on the effectiveness of the cannabis plant, which is still associated with traditional stigmas and prejudices.

Four 20 Pharma has grown rapidly in recent years and is now part of Curaleaf Holdings, the world's largest provider of cannabis consumer products with more than 6,000 employees in 21 US states. Curaleaf has owned 55 percent of the Four 20 Pharma shares since September 2022. Thomas Schatton and Torsten Greif are still active today as managing directors (CEO) and are responsible for around 60 employees at the company headquarters in Paderborn. The Paderborn-based company is now active in five European markets: Germany, the UK, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Poland.

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