Three months after Malta became the first country in the EU to federally legalize recreational cannabis use and remove all penalties for possession, Medcann World Forum places the spotlight on Malta again, its medical cannabis legislation and business-friendly environment, and highlights why the country is quickly becoming the leader in the European medical cannabis field through Plant Medicine Week.

Taking place from April 5-8, 2022 the event will recognize and advance plant medicine’s potential to change society’s approach to mental and physical health.

Local businesses and governments are opening doors to international regulatory experts and global business leaders in medical cannabis and psychedelics.

The multi-faceted event will focus on six main pillars: medical, legislation, business, regulatory, education, and research.

The event will bring together some of the most distinguished industry experts and will be chaired by Materia’s Founder, Deepak Anand. Guest speakers will include:

Kurt Farrugia, CEO of Malta Enterprise who will be providing an introduction to Malta and its government.

Sita Schubert, Founder and General Secretary of EUMCA. Schubert will be explaining the progress made by EUMCA so far and the plans for the future.

Tristan Gervais, Head of Chrystal Capital Advisory. Tristan will be exploring the European and international cannabis markets.

Cannabis R&D Panel

This fascinating panel will be hosted by Dr. Orna Dreazen, Vice Chairman of the Israeli public drug company, Nextage Therapeutics. Dr. Dreazen is also the founder and CEO of Nextage’s parent company, Nextar Chempharma. Dr. Dreazen’s credentials include a Ph.D in Biochemistry gained from the Weizmann Institute of Science and postdoctoral studies at the University of California in Los Angeles. Dr. Dreazen is considered to be a leader in the field of biochemistry.

Tuesday, April 5

• Malta – Why Malta? The incentives and schemes available to attract foreign investment to our island. This session is designed to educate attendees about this stunning country and everything that it has to offer.
• European Legislation – What is cannabis and what are countries’ obligations to control it? What is the opposition to cannabis? The panel examines the links and disparities between the content of the laws and their guidelines on the one hand and the actual implementation of the laws on the other. Have changes in law affected cannabis use and how much public support for legal change exists?
• Entry into Germany – Who’s who and what are the barriers to entry?
• Investment and Raising Finance – What do investors look for when analyzing cannabis investment opportunities?

Wednesday, April 6

• Regulatory – How are the current regulatory regimes for medical cannabis, capital raising, and investment options for enterprises and investors operating in this sector?
• R&D – What innovative cannabinoid research projects across several species are generating the evidence needed to improve healthcare?
• Medical – Evaluation and development of novel cannabinoid therapies and latest clinical outcomes-based research and the use of Real World Evidence (RWE) in cannabinoid drug development.
• Analysis of Cannabis – Latest technological advances in Cannabis testing and analysis.
• Education – How to remove the lack of education among healthcare professionals?

Through a mix of case-studies, panels, Q&A sessions, and exhibitions, attendees will gain a diverse and inspiring perspective of the latest advances from the medical cannabis and psychedelics industries. Expert guest speakers will be presenting throughout the day and will be exploring what can often be a complex and emotive topic.

The local authorities fully support this sector and would like to open up into more segments, such as R&D and make Malta a centre of excellence in this regard.

At this prestigious event, attendees will celebrate this historic moment for Malta and what it means for the country’s economy and growth. While Malta is the first EU country to legalize cannabis, it was preceded by a number of countries and cities including Amsterdam, Canada, and the USA (in some states).