Why Pharma Is Taking Cannabis Seriously
Avicanna is hosting its sixth annual clinical symposium at the Mars Discovery District in Toronto, and CEO Aras Azadian joined the program to discuss the cannabis event and the broader moment the pharma industry finds itself in. Azadian noted in this episode of the Trade To Black Podcast that US rescheduling has dramatically elevated the sophistication of conversations his company is having with pharmaceutical companies and institutional investors, and pointed to the FDA’s recent breakthrough therapy designation for a THC-based drug candidate as a meaningful regulatory signal that cannabinoid-based medicine is being taken seriously at the highest levels.
Azadian described the two-day symposium, running Thursday and Friday, as the industry’s leading academic and clinical forum for cannabinoid research. Speakers include Dr. Hans Clark, president of the Canadian Pain Society, neurologist Dr. Edmund Lewis, and a retired Canadian general presenting on PTSD and veterans care, with sessions covering chronic pain, epilepsy, women’s health, and brain injury. Major industry players including Canopy, Curaleaf, and Verdea are sponsoring the event.
On the question of where the medical cannabis market is heading, Azadian outlined a three-tier vision: a craft-oriented adult-use market focused on local production and brand identity; a federally integrated medical market modeled on what Canada has built, featuring formularies, insurance adjudication, and sophisticated dosing frameworks; and a pharmaceutical channel pursuing FDA-approved drug designations for specific clinical indications, with orphan disease exclusivities and co-development partnerships with established pharma companies. He emphasized that Avicanna’s decade of Canadian clinical work — including approximately 15 government grants secured by principal investigators — positions the company to bring its MyMedi and Rolfito platforms, its formulations, and its intellectual property across the border as US partnerships develop.
Azadian closed by reflecting on what distinguishes Avicanna’s credibility with the clinical community. Unlike many Canadian licensed producers that abandoned medical research when adult use opened, Avicanna continued funding and supporting clinicians through that period, earning a level of trust that is now paying dividends as rescheduling makes the medical opportunity real. He expressed hope that next year’s symposium might be hosted in a major US city, a sign of how quickly he expects the landscape to shift. Tune in for the full interview.
