Medical cannabis in ‘australia’ and its ties to ‘israel’
The landscape
In 2016, the ‘australian’ government legalised access to cannabis for medicinal use, allowing organisations to grow cannabis for the purpose of research, product development, and sale. After a slow initial uptake, policies were streamlined across all states in 2018, to make the process of accessing medical cannabis easier for patients. Recreational use was legalised in the ACT in 2020, but remains illegal in all other states. Growing cannabis for personal use is also illegal in all states except ACT.
Medical cannabis is used for its medicinal effects in treating a broad range of issues — from chronic pain, epilepsy, arthritis, and other forms of physical pain, to mental health issues like anxiety, depression, insomnia, and others. It is ingested via oils, pills, edibles, or dried flower, depending on the prescribed treatment.
To access medical cannabis, individuals can see their regular GP who can apply for the Special Access Scheme. Alternatively, you can visit an Authorised Prescriber. Authorised Prescribers include specialised clinics, where an individual will usually be screened first to confirm they are a suitable candidate for medical cannabis use, before visiting with a doctor who will prescribe a treatment plan. Some Authorised Prescribers also have digital platforms for ordering medicine and arranging delivery of the prescription.
At the moment, there are a broad range of prescribers — from individual doctors to large clinics — and at least 50 companies growing and supplying locally. Unless the company is listed on the stock exchange, as is the case for many of those working in research and development, transparency in ownership and supply chains is difficult to ascertain.
Australia is a relatively new player in an incredibly and increasingly lucrative global market. Data from 2021 suggests that by the end of this year, the global cannabis market will be worth over AU $80 billion. It is projected to reach over US $444 billion by 2030. The industry is growing rapidly, and local demand has been steadily increasing over the last two years — so much so that local production is not enough to cover demand.
The occupation entity of ‘israel’ is considered to be at the global forefront for research and innovation. THC was first isolated by settler-researchers in Jerusalem in 1964, where medical cannabis has been legal since the 1990s. Recreational use of cannibis in the occupation entity is illegal but enforcement is lax for settlers, unlike the high cost it has for Palestinians. Export of cannabis was legalised in 2017.
“Unless the company is listed on the stock exchange, as is the case for many of those working in research and development, transparency in ownership and supply chains is difficult to ascertain. ”
Check your weed!
Two years ago, I did a deep dive into Authorised Prescribers, looking for the cheapest/fastest/best value option for treatment. I came across a company, was screened by a nurse, then assessed by a doctor and provided a prescription. When my medicine came in the post a week later, I was horrified to see ‘Made in Israel’ on the packaging. I called the prescriber, explained my issues, and asked for alternatives. This led to two discoveries. Firstly, that the default company they were prescribing was Cannatrek and that the default pharmacy for delivery was Chemist Warehouse. This is often the case for many authorised prescribers.
For the past few months, I, with the generous support of Bonnie [at]geddit.here, have been looking into medical cannabis companies operating in ‘australia’ with confirmed ties to ‘israel’. Our medical treatment should not be funding the murder of our siblings in Palestine. Our wellbeing cannot, should not, will not be at the expense of someone’s life. The spreadsheet we currently have is not complete — as mentioned, transparency is elusive, particularly for smaller companies. But, I’m sharing this information here and now, to contribute to conversations about the power of collective pressure on companies who continue to uphold and support genocide, ethnic cleansing, dispossession, apartheid, land theft and destruction, and gross human rights violations.
If you currently use medical cannabis, please check with your Authorised Prescriber on the origin of your product. You can also check the packaging or google the name of the product, however there is a lack of transparency in the industry, which allows for products to be sold without their origin listed. We must exercise our right and responsibility as consumers to demand transparency and ethical practices within supply chains. I’ve done just that, by contacting my Authorised Prescriber and letting them know that I will not support companies that import from and support israel, and importantly, by withholding my money from companies that do so.
“Our medical treatment should not be funding the murder of our siblings in Palestine. Our wellbeing cannot, should not, will not be at the expense of someone’s life.”
Cannatrek & Chemist Warehouse
We have reviewed 45 companies operating in ‘australia’. Some of these are authorised prescribers (for example, Alternaleaf, Dr Canna, Dispensed); others are growers/suppliers (for example, Cannatrek, Cann Group, Little Green Pharma); others, still, are pharmaceutical companies, focused on research and development (for example AFT Pharmaceuticals, Arovella Therapeutics, Cann Global). From this initial review, a handful of companies have ties with ‘israel’, mostly via research and development partnerships. However, at least two are importing medicinal products from ‘israel’, and only one on a large scale.
From publicly available information, we have flagged Cannatrek as a company that currently imports from ‘israel’. Cannatrek is ‘a licensed grower and supplier’, founded in 2016 by Tommy Huppert. In November 2023, Cannatrek was listed as the second fastest growing company in the AFR’s Fast 100, after having doubled its revenue in the previous year.
In 2021, Cannatrek signed a deal with ‘israeli’ company Seach Medical Group, to make large imports of israeli cannabis to australia. According to media reports, the initial import of two tons was considered by Mr Huppert to be the start of an ongoing partnership: He is quoted in numerous articles saying ‘...the first shipment gave us confidence in the company. It also led to the signing of the framework agreement on a significant scale, which I believe will be the beginning of further agreements in the future.’ (Cannabiz)
In 2021, Cannatrek also signed an agreement with Chemist Warehouse, for the exclusive supply of over-the-counter CBD products. When this deal was signed, Chemist Warehouse was already dispensing Cannatrek’s THC-based products. The new agreement granted Chemist Warehouse equity in Cannatrek, both upfront and in future, based on targets. (On a side-note, other investors in Cannatrek include Gandel Invest, with ties to the Gandel family.) Chemist Warehouse is owned by Jack Gance, who, like Tommy Huppert, has close ties to ‘israel’. In 2019, Jack Gance announced the intention of expanding Chemist Warehouse into ‘israel’, with successive media reports from 2022 confirming that, according to the ‘israeli’ Ministry of Economy and Industry, they are continuing to explore this avenue. 🔥
Sources:
https://www.cannaus.com.au/companies/
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/medicinal-cannabis
https://www.mtpconnect.org.au/images/MTPC_Australian%20Medicinal%20Cannabis%20Industry.pdf
https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/cannabis-marijuana-market-100219
https://theintercept.com/2022/10/30/israel-palestine-weed-cannabis/
https://www.cannabiz.com.au/cannatrek-inks-deal-with-israeli-producer-seach-medical-group/
https://www.cannabiz.com.au/cannatrek-signs-exclusive-supply-and-equity-deal-with-chemist-warehouse/
