Author: hashtshish

Canadian medical cannabis producer Materia won European Union certification for its Malta facility to produce and export cannabis flower across the continent, allowing product supply in Germany, one of the largest cannabis markets in the world, report Reuters.*

Several countries across the globe have been legalizing or relaxing laws on recreational use of cannabis, but Europe has remained a difficult market due to strict regulatory requirements, slowing growth.*

Most European countries require the ‘European Union Good Manufacturing Practices’ (EU GMP) certification for companies to import and export cannabis goods.*

Despite Malta being a hub due to its government’s progressive view on the sector, Materia’s facility is only the third in the country to get the coveted certificate.*

For Materia, Germany has been its immediate focus. It also has a production and distribution network spanning Germany, Malta, Denmark and the United Kingdom among others.*

“The reality is Germany is larger as a market today than all other European markets combined… For us, Germany is markets one, two and three,” Nick Pateras, managing director, Europe, said.*

Medicinal marijuana prescriptions have been broadly available in Germany since 2017, but all supplies to date have been imported.*

“Becoming EU GMP certified in Malta represents our most significant milestone since we embarked on this project,” Chief Executive Deepak Anand said.*

The company, founded in 2018 by pharmaceutical and industry veterans, said it took over two years to develop its facility and prepare it for inspection by the government authorities. It also intends to apply for a licence amendment to process cannabis extracts shortly.*

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The Swiss lender was among a handful of banks that had been willing to buy and sell marijuana-related stocks for clients in the United States and hold those shares as a custodian, report Reuters.*

The Swiss lender was among a handful of banks that had been willing to buy and sell marijuana-related stocks for clients in the United States and hold those shares as a custodian.*

Credit Suisse declined to comment.*

Cannabis remains illegal under U.S. federal law, even though many states have legalized its use. This represents a legal risk for investment banks working for companies that produce or trade the drug.*

Credit Suisse’s compliance and risk management procedures have come under scrutiny from investors and analysts after it lost at least $4.7 billion from the collapse of Archegos, an investment firm dedicated to managing the fortune of hedge fund veteran Bill Hwang, as well as the suspension of funds linked to insolvent supply chain finance company Greensill.*

The MSOS exchange-traded fund , which tracks U.S. marijuana stocks, has fallen by more than a fifth since early February. Several market players said they believed Credit Suisse’s actions played a role in the selloff.*

“(When) Credit Suisse pulled custodian (services) on cannabis stocks, a number of large investors in the space lost their ability to custodian the stocks,” said Abner Kurtin, Chief Executive Officer of newly-floated marijuana grower Ascend Wellness Holdings Inc (AAWHu.CD).*

“That led to a significant selloff.”*

A custodian bank holds customers’ securities for safekeeping, to prevent them from being stolen or lost, while also collecting dividends and handling other corporate actions. It plays an important role in helping many investors to hold shares in companies.*

The weed industry has boomed over the last three years, as Canada and a succession of U.S. states, including most recently New York and New Jersey, legalized recreational use.*

Credit Suisse shares are down over 20% so far this year, and the bank has said it is cutting its prime brokerage business, which caters to hedge fund clients, by about a third.*

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