Cansativa GmbH to Import Latin American Medical Cannabis for Initial Testing

Frankfurt, Germany (April 24, 2019) - PRESS RELEASE - Cansativa GmbH, a German cannabis distribution and wholesaler, has become the first European company to import Latin American medical cannabis samples for initial testing. The samples will be provided by Clever Leaves, a vertically integrated licensed producer of medical cannabis in Colombia, and Fotmer Life Sciences, a licensed medical cannabis producer in Uruguay.

“The importation of medical cannabis paves the way and brings us one step closer to commercializing medical cannabis in Germany. It also highlights our extensive reach and ability to import medical cannabis products from countries other than the Netherlands and Canada,” said Benedikt Sons, co-founder and joint managing director of Cansativa.

“Cansativa continues to prove itself as an innovative leader in the European cannabis market. We are confident this partnership will greatly improve the global supply chain and result in a steady, high quality supply of medical cannabis and lower prices for German patients. We expect Latin America to become a global leader in cannabis cultivation; having access to the robust German medical market will accelerate this growth,” said Kyle Detwiler, CEO of Northern Swan Holdings, which recently committed to investing up to €7 million in Cansativa.

Several different flower and extract products will be imported from South America which will then be tested by independent German laboratories for a number of properties, including but not limited to: microbiology, dry loss, assay, pesticides, heavy metal, aflatoxin and ochratoxin. Following the approval of German and European standards for medical products, Clever Leaves and Fotmer will work to demonstrate their ability to cultivate high quality pharmaceutical grade cannabis for future European commercialization.

“Clever Leaves is producing pharmaceutical grade cannabis and extracts that clearly demonstrate that the Colombian market can meet international standards and produce high quality medical cannabis. We are able to develop scientific innovations that will define the global cannabis market,” said Andrés Fajardo, CEO of Clever Leaves.

Sons concluded, “We identified Clever Leaves and Fotmer as the two most qualified and compelling producers of medical cannabis in Latin America. Not only do they have a deep understanding of the science and ability to cultivate pharmaceutical-grade cannabis, they have the technical capabilities to process product that complies with the high-quality standards necessary to enter the European market."