US Cannabis Edibles Brand Enters Japanese CBD Market
Sunderstorm's KANHA Brand Expands into Japanese Market with New Wellness Lines.
Sunderstorm, the company behind award-winning cannabis brands, has secured strategic partnerships to launch new wellness lines in Japan. KANHA will now have a presence in two major Asian markets, Japan and Thailand, as the brand continues its expansion into new countries.
KANHA will enter the Japanese market with two product lines designed for medical and wellness consumers.
First, KRx by KANHA features medical-grade Nano CBD tinctures and softgels designed to target specific health goals. The second line, KANHA Wellness, will target a wider consumer market with Nano tinctures, gummies and beverages. Both feature ultra-clean, no-THC CBD oil extracted using Endoca proprietary technology by Siam Agri-bio and KANHA’s Nano for fast-acting effects and superior absorption.
“As one of the first U.S. brands to enter the Japanese market, KANHA celebrates this historic moment for the company and for medical cannabis as a whole,” stated Cameron Clarke, co-founder and CEO of Sunderstorm. “We believe in the power of plant medicine, and we’re excited to share the benefits with more consumers around the world.”
Clarke, the company's CEO, previously announced and shared KANHA's plans for strategic expansion to Thailand with Benzinga's Patricio Lidle in an interview on Benzinga’s Cannabis Insider Podcast.
Sunderstorm (KANHA) and Siam Agri-Bio are the principals in the partnership, which spans three continents and several companies. Other participants include Tokyo-based Lightec Co., Danish hemp producer Endoca and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certified Thai cultivator Suvarnabhumi Agriculture and Herbs Co., Ltd.
As more countries around the world embrace legal cannabis, medical marijuana or CBD products, the opportunities in the industry grow. To learn all about the future of the cannabis industry, join us at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference this October in Chicago. Hear directly from key industry players and policymakers. Get your tickets now by following this link.
Japan's Potential
Lightec, a Japanese CPG giant founded in 1937, will market, distribute and sell the products to its vast network of retailers and clinics. Siam Agri-Bio will provide the raw materials, the same used by Endoca Japan, the most successful European CBD company in the Japanese market, and KANHA will oversee product development and production.
Last month, The Japan Times reported that the cannabis market grew sixfold in the past four years, with ¥24 billion ($154 million) in 2023 sales, driven by the growing popularity of CBD products. Furthermore, the government recently expanded access to medical cannabis with its first amendment to the Cannabis Control Act in 75 years.
Previously, substances containing compounds derived from marijuana plants have been only allowed in clinical trials, but patient groups have been pushing for change. They have been seeking for approval of cannabis-derived CBD medicines, such as Epidiolex, which is approved in the United States and Europe for conditions such as severe forms of epilepsy.
Per Euromonitor International, “The amendment is expected to significantly accelerate the use of cannabidiol (CBD) in diverse fields, including medicine, health, beauty, beverages and edibles in Japan.”
by Nina Zdinjak
