A team from the European Union has approved Uganda's medical marijuana products, paving the way for local cannabis growers to tap into the global legal marijuana market.

Sources told Daily Monitor that a team of medical cannabis inspectors from the Netherlands inspected marijuana gardens in Hima, Kasese District between July 29 and August 4. They met in Kampala before they issued a certificate of compliance to Industrial Globus Uganda Ltd covering (August 6, 2019 - August 5, 2020.)

Mr Benjamin Cadet, a company director, at the weekend confirmed EU approval and explained that Industrial Globus Uganda Ltd is a trading company for a joint venture between Industrial Hemp Uganda and Together Pharma of Israel.

"Control Union Certifications is the EU mandated body for certification of the medical cannabis. Now that EU has approved our products- the medical marijuana exports and the entire manufacturing chain- from planting to harvest, we are going to export medical marijuana products made in Uganda to European markets," Mr Cadet said.

At least 50 companies have applied through the Ministry of Health to join Industrial Globus Uganda Ltd in growing weed for medical purposes.

The marijuana exports from a farm in Kasese District include Cannabinol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) with mixture of 2.7mg THC and 2.5mg CBD for Sativex drugs approved in USA, Europe and Canada. Oil Risin contain Dronabinol for making Marinol and syndros capsules and CBD enriched creams for various skin disorders.

The EU inspectors also certified WHO-GAP (Guidelines on good agricultural and collection practices (GACP) for medicinal plants; EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) -Guideline on GAP and GACP for Herbal Medicinal plants. They also approved propagation through cloning of vegetal material, cultivation, harvesting, drying, curling, packaging and storage of cannabis inflorescences for medical use.

"Control Union Certifications declares that the production of the products mentioned on this certificate has been found to be compliant in accordance with the standard," a certificate issued on August 6 by Udi Gabay on behalf of the managing director reads in part.

Uganda failed to export medical marijuana products to Canada and Germany worth Shs600b in June as earlier planned because Industrial Globus Uganda Ltd had not secured the required approvals from EU.