Business View Magazine September 2018

362 363 achieve with indoor cultivation.” BVM: On Oct. 17, 2018, marijuana will become legal in Canada.What are your thoughts on medi- cal vs. recreational cannabis? Welbourn: “I believe the future of the canna- bis industry is in extractions, specifically on the medical side. I strongly believe there are a wide variety of conditions that can be treated with specific ratios of different cannabinoids isolated from the cannabis plant. And I think Canada is a great example of how to do it the right way by first introducing and developing a strong medical framework before permitting use on a recreation- al basis. “People talk a lot about the commoditization of this industry. I tend to think about dried cannabis flower in comparison to wine. You can’t commod- itize fine wine, but you can commoditize grapes. Through extractions, we’re creating the isolated compounds – cannabinoids – that can be used for various types of applications.Whether it be a pre- ventative medicine to reduce the chances of late stage dementia, or addressing an anxiety issue, or loss of appetite from chemotherapy. The potential applications are incredibly wide-ranging. “To make sure we have that ability, we will not only be cultivating the cannabis plants at our fa- cility, we will be creating the secondary products such as cannabis oils, concentrates, and isolates there as well. This way we can be confident we are using the highest quality cannabis to create the highest quality secondary products. “If you look at Colorado or California, studies show that smokable concentrates or extracts and edibles make up over 50 percent of the mar- MAPLE LEAF GREENWORLD INC. ket. These are also the fastest growing market segments in recreationally legalized states in the U.S., and we feel that’s probably an accurate reflection of the future demand of the consumer base here in Canada. “More importantly, people are starting to real- ize that cannabis has tremendous medical and health benefits.We, as humans, have an endo- cannabinoid system that helps our nervous sys- tem communicate with the rest of our body. This information is just recently starting to be taught in medical schools.We produce cannabinoids in our body when we’re born; as we age, we lose the ability to produce them, so we need to sup- plement our diet with CBD and many other can- nabinoids that exist in the cannabis plant. There are massive benefits in treatment, prevention, and lifestyle aspects, and we’re excited about working with different groups to help people understand that it goes far beyond simply getting intoxicated. Cannabis and cannabis derived products can real- ly make a healthy difference in your daily life.” BVM: What role does marketing play? Welbourn: “Marketing is a huge component and, along with education, are some of the big- gest challenges in this industry. This is a new product with so many nuances and a whole new nomenclature for the entry level consumer to catch up on and learn the right questions to ask. This industry will be driven by brands, similar to what we see in the alcohol sector. “As producers, we are fairly limited in the scope of what we can actually say about the benefits of our products, and the same goes for retailers. In Canada, the restrictions on what information can be disseminated by whom and from where are such that there are potential barriers for con-