The hypocrisy is the UK exports masses of cannabis and related products globally. Some shares are particularly buoyant
1. Kanabo
Kanabo develops medical treatment products such vaporisers and a range of non-smoking consumption solutions. With a significant focus on research and development, the company is working towards growing its innovative solutions even more.
Founded in 2016, Kanabo became the second medical cannabis company to list on the LSE. After its February 2021 listing, the company secured its first UK distribution agreement. Kanabo has operations in Israel and the UK.
2. Cellular Goods
Cellular Goods recently listed, with the backing of retired soccer star,
David Beckham. Since its inception in 2018, the company has focussed on cannabidiol (CBD) wellness products with benefits that include inflammation reduction, skin protection and pain relief.
Cellular Goods innovatively uses biosynthesis to source active ingredients for its products, which is a quicker and greener alternative to traditional processes.
3. GW Pharmaceuticals
GW Pharmaceuticals is the undisputed leader in the UK medical marijuana space. The firm was founded in 1998 and listed on AIM in 2001, before it left London to join the NASDAQ in 2013.
Over the past decade, GW Pharmaceuticals has developed two of the world’s leading cannabis-based treatments and has grown into a company worth over $6 billion – larger than the main North American cannabis stocks such as
Aurora and
Tilray.
Sativex, a GW Pharmaceuticals product, is a spray containing both CBD and THC that is used primarily to treat certain types of multiple sclerosis (MS). It has been authorised in over 25 countries, including the UK. However, GW Pharmaceuticals does not market the product itself.
For example, in the UK it’s marketed by
Bayer. Its second product, Epidiolex, is used to treat severe forms of epilepsy.
4. Associated British Foods
Associated British Foods (AB Foods) is a diverse company consisting of a variety of agricultural and ingredients businesses, such as sugar and corn, as well as its clothing retail arm, Primark. But it’s less known that the company is also one of the UK’s largest producers of legal cannabis.
It has converted a large amount of capacity in Norfolk to produce CBD-based cannabis rather than tomatoes, which is supplied to GW Pharmaceuticals to make its medical treatments, specifically Epidiolex.
5. Futura Medical
Futura Medical is a research and development business, based in Guilford, that specialises in producing transdermal technologies (essentially gels and creams) that can be used to deliver medicinal treatments through the skin.
It calls its transdermal technology DermaSys, and its lead product helps with erectile dysfunction. In 2019, Futura Medical established a joint venture with CBDerma Technology to explore how its transdermal system could be used to make cannabis-based products for patients. Together, the companies developed the ‘CBD 100’ gel – a patent application was filed for the formulation in August 2020. The companies, in partnership, are now exploring commercial avenues for the product.
6. AfriAg
AfriAg is primarily a logistics firm serving the agriculture industry across the world. In 2017, the company announced that it would be entering the medicinal cannabis market.
The company has since applied for a licence to cultivate and manufacture cannabis in the UK. AfriAg has also acquired 2.68% of Apollon UK, which has a fully licensed subsidiary (Apollon Formularies Jamaica Ltd) that is licensed to cultivate, process, research, develop and sell medical cannabis.
AfriAg is working on acquiring the remaining share capital of the company. It’s also working on satisfying all regulatory requirements for the acquisition.
7. DeepVerge
DeepVerge is a vertically integrated business, meaning that it manages its value and supply chain through ownership of, and collaborations with, its suppliers and distributors. It collaborates with artificial intelligence (AI), clinical research, water technologies, medical device and life science businesses companies to provide technology for comprehensive skin-care, health-care, pharmaceutical and cosmetic product testing.
DeepVerge’s CBD products include pain relief creams and wound dressings with anti-inflammatory and pain relief properties.
8. Zoetic International
Zoetic International, listed on the LSE, transformed itself into a vertically-integrated CBD business, having previously been an oil and gas company named Highlands Natural Resources.
After discovering gas in Kansas, US, the company found it had high purity levels of nitrogen and high concentration of hydrogen – which together have been used to make a fertiliser being used in a pilot project to improve yields at a cannabis growing facility.
The company sells products in the UK, Europe and the US. These include CBD oils, gels, cosmetic products, vapes and chew pouches. Product availability is subject to local regulations.