Holland as an active template for the development of the potential of the medical cannabis market
Given the fact that the Dutch medical cannabis market is the most mature in Europe , it can be assumed with great certainty that its growth dynamics will be repeated in all EU countries , including Ukraine . Those. while in the Netherlands with a population of 17 million people about 50 thousand prescriptions were issued at the peak of the market , it can be said that on average 0.3 percent of the country's citizens need prescription use of medical hemp .
On the pages of the profile electronic publication of Ukrainian hemp breeders, our colleagues from the Hemp Consulting information and analytical platform have already analyzed the medical hemp markets in Germany , Italy , Denmark , as well as other economically developed countries . At the request of the editorial board , Hemp Consulting experts who prepared the “ Analysis of the potential of the medical cannabis market on the European continent ” give a brief description of one of the most developed hemp markets in Europe .
The main European exporters of cannabis leaves and inflorescences are the Netherlands and the UK , so it makes sense to examine in more detail the most mature European market in order to understand the development prospects of the entire European market and determine the trends that are inherent in individual EU countries , including Ukraine .
Brief description of the hemp market in Holland
• The most mature European market for medical cannabis , which can be an indicator of how the markets of other countries will develop ;
• Considering exclusively the sales of cannabis leaves and inflorescences , as well as CBD oil , the Netherlands has long been one of the three leaders in terms of the volume of this market . For example, in 2018, around 550 kg of “ green mass ” was sold inside the Netherlands , which at a retail price of about € 3.4 million .;
• In the Netherlands, a program on the use of cannabis for medical purposes began more than 15 years ago under the supervision of a specially created for this state structure - the Office of Medical Cannabis (Office of Medical Cannabis, OMC) . Currently, Bedrocan is the only supplier (monopolist) for OMC;
• in 2018 alone, the country exported more than two tons of hemp - one of the largest exporters of legal psychoactive hemp in Europe (the English GW Pharmaceuticals is a competitor in this market );
• OMC has formal agreements with several countries to export significant volumes of medical cannabis , such as Italy and Germany . In 2019, exports to Germany amounted to 1,500 kilograms, and to Italy more than 700 kg;
• The countries with which agreements for the supply of medical cannabis are concluded are Denmark , Finland , Poland , Sweden , Great Britain , Australia , Israel , Norway , Northern Macedonia, Switzerland .
Dutch Medical Cannabis Exporters (kilograms of flowers)
Holland Medical Cannabis Market Size
In 2018, Dutch patients bought about 550 kilograms of hemp according to 49,500 recipes (data for unprocessed flowers and CBD oil ). With a retail price of € 6.15 per gram, the total market value in 2018 was around € 3.4 million. Contrary to a number of reports predicting an exponential increase in the number of patients using medical cannabis, the Netherlands can serve as a real example of how European markets (including including Ukrainian ) will really develop . In particular, up to 2017, the number of patients using the therapeutic properties of hemp annually grew exponentially, but in 2018 the market was “saturated” and the growth in the number of prescriptions not only did not slow down and practically stopped, but decreased.
In 2017, the medical cannabis market in the Netherlands peaked, with Dutch patients receiving 53,300 prescriptions. A decrease in the number of prescriptions related to the use of medical hemp as a therapeutic agent occurred after a negative attitude to the medical properties of the psychoactive hemp used as a therapeutic agent was expressed by employees of the National Institute of Health (Zorginstituut Nederland), supported by representatives of the Dutch Association of General Practitioners (Nederlands Huisartsen Genootschap). Specialists of both of the above structures concluded that there are no prerequisites in the country in which legal psychoactive hemp can be considered an appropriate treatment, mainly due to the lack of full-scale clinical studies and data obtained on their basis . It was decided to redirect some patients to alternative methods of treatment. This decision led to the fact that a number of medical insurance companies withdrew medical hemp from the standard list in their policies .
Given the fact that the Dutch medical cannabis market is the most mature in Europe , it can be assumed with great certainty that its growth dynamics will be repeated in all EU countries , including Ukraine . Those. while in the Netherlands with a population of 17 million people about 50 thousand prescriptions were issued at the peak of the market , it can be said that on average 0.3 percent of the country's citizens need prescription use of medical hemp .
Commentary experts of the Association "Ukrainian industrial hemp"
Acting as invited experts at specialized round tables “ Use of cannabinoids in the treatment of severe / chronic diseases ”, “ Nutrition and hemp ”, as well as “ Cannabinoid therapy ” conducted within the framework of “ Hemp University ”, experts of the Hemp Consulting information and analytical platform using all European countries as an example countries , patients who use medical cannabis retsepturno clearly demonstrate that the number of citizens of those countries in need of this kind of therapy is not more than 0.3% of the population Trani . Based on the foregoing, it is not difficult to calculate the number of patients in our country in need of using cannabis leaves and inflorescences with prescription medical properties and, accordingly, the potential market size . The key to the Ukrainian market is the fact that, unlike the countries of Europe, in our pharmacies can be sold the leaves and inflorescences of technical hemp of a therapeutic orientation with huge therapeutic potential , while not bearing any social danger - i.e. this " green mass " can be sold without a prescription and not only through pharmacy chains.