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LATIN AMERICA RESEARCH & ADVISORY
Table of
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INTERVIEW ALVARO TORRES COMPANY PROFILE
News Round @ColCannIn nostromo.com.co
Contents Khiron Life Sciences Cleaver Leaves
FEATURE ARTICLE
Ripe to Reap
Despite a fractious election
campaign and strong differences
between the candidates,
Colombia’s nascent medical
marijuana industry looks set to
boom irrespective of the result.
market holds excellent – and immediate has rejuvenated the Colombian left and Company List by License Distribution
– potential. spooked investors in the country’s oil Approved licenses
In 2015, a statutory law reform expanded and mining sectors. Despite the novelty National Scientific
Company Use Research Exports
access to healthcare to all Colombian and controversial nature of the cannabis
Pharmacielo Holdings* l l l
citizens. The obstacle, unsurprisingly, industry, however, executives remain Cannavida* l l l
is funding and the development confident that it will remain unaffected Ecomedics* l l l
of cheaper marijuana alternatives by the election result. Econnabis* l l
to existing opiate medicines seen “The right-wing is against recreational Cannalivio l l
favourably by the government. Khiron use, but Duque is in favour of new Pideka l l
Life Sciences, an integrated company business and he won’t stop the Khiron Colombia* l l l
Medicamentos de Cannabis (Medcann)* l l
backed by Canadian capital, estimates current process,” says Escobar. “Petro Cannabis Medicinal Colombia l l l
there are 5 million potential patients in is more liberal, there’s no real risk of Cannabis Medical Group l l
Colombia and has focussed its business expropriation and there is the potential Colombian Organics l l
development on educating local upside of recreational legalization. But Med Colombia l l
doctors. At present plants with THC we’re not thinking about that now, we’re Original Natural and Effective l l l
values of under 1% can be sold over the very much focussed on the medicinal
Santa Marta Golden Hemp* l l
Tailormed l l l
counter, while higher values require a market.” Pharmacol Cannabis l l
license from INVIMA, the country’s 4-tier Having passed congress and acquired Green Cannahealth l l l
food and drug licensing agency. the status of law, to repeal or modify the Biominerales Pharma l
“It’s great to have a cost advantage, law would require a concerted political Sativa Nativa l l
but my concern is whether that’s will that simply doesn’t exist. “Colombia Vital Green Products l l
sustainable in the long term,” Alvaro has strong institutions, and the law was
One World Pharma l l
Organic Sativa l l
Torres, Khiron’s CEO told CCI. “I find passed by 95% of congress,” says Torres. Inversiones Colcana l l
Colombia as a domestic market more “The country and the community are l l
Company Profile Nusierra Colombia
interesting because we don’t have supportive of this industry. It creates Biocannabis Life l l
to register patients. If we can make a jobs in the countryside, brings in FDI and Procanmed l
quality product here, it’s good for the – with growing formalisation – will help Colombian Cannabis SAS* l l l
Colombian industry as a whole.” reduce illegal cultivation.”
4Front Colombia l l
ICC International Cannabis Corp l l
Estado Verde l
Easy Run-off Ripe to reap Bionatural Solution l l l
Following the first round of presidential However, as with any industry built Greenfarma l l
elections held in late May, two on the back of regulatory change, Colmed Pharmaceuticals l l
contrasting candidates will face off on Colombia’s marijuana segment faces Wellness Farmacéutica l l l
17 June. The favourite, Ivan Duque, is a a number of future challenges and the
Lasanta l l
Pharma Dream l l
centre-right, pro-market candidate with early entrants have bound together to Cannabis Buen Destino l l
the formidable backing of Alvaro Uribe, form ASOCOLCANNA, the first cannabis Puriverde l l l
who was president from 2002 to 2010. business association. Uncertainties The Green Mile l l
The outsider is Gustavo Petro, the left- remain over the application of a cannabis
wing former mayor of Bogotá whose tax, the export process and intellectual
impressive performance in the campaign property issues. Sourcing domestic
financing, given the novelty and risk of
the sector, is also a pressing concern for
local growers and manufacturers.
Colombia Cannabis Investor was
established to shed light on and
bring clarity to the challenges and
opportunities presented by this new and
exciting market. Through interviews and
research with key government, private
sector and health care professionals our
monthly publication aims to become the
premium source of timely and accurate National Use, Exports
business intelligence for local and National use, scientific research and exports
National use
international investors. Exports
nostromo
LATIN AMERICA RESEARCH & ADVISORY @ColCannIn
© 2018 Colombia Cannabis Investor Newsletter. All Rights Reserved.
nostromo.com.co 3/6
June 2018
No. 001 Junio 2018
INTERVIEW
COMPANY PROFILE
Clever Leaves
Cultivation:
15ha GAPC Compliant; Boyacá
Extraction:
GMP compliant 15m ml cannabis oil per
year capacity
HQ: Bogota
Photo taken from Clever Leaves official webpage.
Even the bold entrepreneurs who bought up the first wave of regulations specifics are still missing and developments are
Colombian cannabis licenses have been taken aback by the still in process”, says Escobar.
explosive growth and international interest in the medical
marijuana sector. Development
Gustavo Escobar, CEO of Clever Leaves, has 13 years prior By March 2018, the firm had built infrastructure to cultivate
experience in the Colombian healthcare sector, advising the first hectare, of 2018’s initial 5 hectares. Clever Leaves
insurance companies, IPSs and laboratories. “The scale of the continues in the gradual process of cultivating with research
opportunities in the medicinal sector is hard to comprehend. and commercialization purposes. The firm plans to produce
Its developing far faster than anyone imagined” he told CCI. cannabis from 100 hectares in the next five years and have
With connections in the regulatory arena, entrepreneurship decided to triple the original planned size of the laboratory.
incubators and some phytotherapeutical labs, Escobar was As other local players have found out, international investors
well placed to enter the marijuana industry in response to were very interested in a toehold in the market. “When we
regulatory changes beginning in 2015. The company’s set out our goal it was to create a minimum-viable product,
partners also had experience in the healthcare sector, and test the market and when the investor realizes the product is
Clever Leaves was able to strike up a partnership with good,then he invests,” says Escobar, “but in these business
Labfarve, a local laboratory specialized in phytotherapeutic models it works the other way around; investors value
medicine. Later, in 2016, following receipt of the license for companies pioneering the licensing processes and building
transformation of cannabis for medical and scientific grounds, initial operational basis with solid and experienced teams.”
Clever Leaves was officially born.
Investment
Research In 2017 the firm signed a deal with NYC based Northern Swan
The company began to investigate the adaptation of different venture capital group, with an investment ticket de inversion
plant varieties with thermic floors and the cannabinoid profile around 15MM U$. Escobar says his firm had received
development of the plant. Finally, they decided to establish anumber of proposals but recognized Northern Swan, a firm
the cultivation operation in Boyacá and the extraction and with significant overseas experience, as “the smart money”
formulation operation near Bogota. since it allows Clever Leaves to become part of a platform of
Since the definition of the initial business model, Clever Leaves companies focused in the cannabis industry at a global level
has focused on high quality products and prime materials that and thanks to the synergies it can bring in the future. Evidence
provide alternative solutions for patients suffering from diverse of the benefits came in March 2018, when Clever Leaves
pathologies and develop the medicinal cannabis market at a signed an agreement with Namaste Technologies to import
local and international level. product to Canada.
“You can’t just plant a large-scale production when
News Round
ed in the Toronto stock exchange, ex- biggest markets
Financial pects to enter the Colombian market in One week after listing in the TSX, Khiron
a strong position and continue its first- Life Sciences Corp. has announced its
PharmaCielo to raise 60 million USD class growth rates, evidenced by its mar- sponsorship of the Cannamexico World
with Private Placement of Subscrip- ket capitalization of 2.68 billion USD on Summit as their first step in entering the
tion Receipts in partnership with the TSX. 11.7 million patient Mexican market. In
AAJ International Cannabis Company the following months, Khiron expects to
PharmaCielo Ltd., the Canadian parent (TSX-V: ICC) expands to European open a Mexican subsidiary, subject to
company of Colombia’s major cannabis markets TSX approval, which will allow the com-
oil producer, appointed a syndicate of After starting works on a 124,000-sq. ft. pany to keep a competitive advantage
agents led by Echelon Wealth Partners greenhouse in a leased land near Bo- even before regulation is fully issued.
Inc., Cormark Securities Inc. and GMP Se- gotá, International Cannabis Company, Khiron has carefully studied the Mexi-
curities L.P. to sell subscription receipts fully licensed cannabis producer in Co- can market in terms of regulations and
of PharmaCielo in a private placement lombia, has recently signed a letter of in- market needs, and CEO Álvaro Torres
basis. The company expects to obtain tent for cannabis exports with CanPhar- has publicly stated the company “sees
gross proceeds of 60 million USD, at a ma, a licensed narcotics importer based an attractive opportunity to transfer the
3.35 USD price per subscription receipt. in Germany. ICC expects this exports wealth of knowledge we have created
agreement for cannabis-based medi- into this new market.”
Aurora Cannabis (TSX: ACB) and cine, as well as their recent acquisition of
MedReleaf Corp. (TSX: LEAF) join 25% of Spanish company Global Group
Licensing
efforts to expand by signing an Ar- Kalapa S.L., will allow them to expand to-
rangement Agreement wards Europe. The company hopes the
Former Canadian competitors Aurora negotiation of THC products to be cul- Khiron (TSX-V: KHRN): the first
Cannabis and MedReleaf Corp. merged minated and signed by the second half cannabis producer in Colombia to
to become a global giant in the canna- of 2018, a challenge that is not stopping receive INVIMA approval for CBD
bis industry. Through the signed Ar- them from growing cross-borders. products
rangement Agreement, Aurora Cannabis After going public on TSX and announc-
bought MedReleaf Corp. for 2.900 mil- Khiron (TSX-V: KHRN): the first fully- ing a Latin American expansion, Khiron
lion USD worth in stocks, an operation licensed company listing in a highly received approval from INVIMA, the lev-
that promises to increase production quoted stock exchange. el 4 WHO drugs and food surveillance
capacity up to 570,000 kg of hemp, as On May 24th, Khiron Life Sciences, one entity, to produce, sale and export can-
well as expand from North America and of the first companies to acquire a full nabidiol (CBD) based products. This
Europe with currently 11 laboratories to cannabis cultivation and production li- approval will not only reassure Khiron’s
Australia and Latin America. cense in Colombia, announced its entry advantageous position in the medicinal
in the Toronto TSX Venture Exchange. cannabis industry, but will also allow
Aphria Inc. (TSX: AHP) seals supply The company expects to promote its them to fulfill their objective of launch-
deal with Colombian pharmaceuti- growth in Colombia and Latin Ameri- ing the first products by the fourth quar-
cal. ca after developing a strategic alliance ter of 2018, in a domestic market with an
Aphria Inc., a Canada-based pharma- with the Colombian Neurological Asso- estimated potential of 530 million USD a
ceutical producer of medicinal cannabis ciation, listing on the Toronto Stock Ex- year. Moreover, Khiron expects INVIMA’s
products, signed an exclusive supply change and acquiring a 7,500-sq. meter approval to have positive effects in for-
and distribution agreement in May with land ready for commercial cultivation. eign markets, given it has the same level
Colcanna SAS, a Colombian licensed WHO status as USA’s FDA and Canadian
trader for cannabis medicine. Via this Khiron (TSX-V: KHRN) begins Latin CFIA and Health Canada.
agreement, Aphria Inc., currently list- American expansion in one of the