Exciting new company enters New Zealand medicinal cannabis industry
Significant changes in New Zealand’s legislation this month have paved the way for the creation of a fully commercialised medicinal and nutraceutical cannabis industry. Recently incorporated, Medical Kiwi is an early-stage medicinal and wellbeing cannabis research and manufacture company created to take advantage of the emerging medicinal cannabis industry in New Zealand and the global opportunities that it represents.
A major opportunity now exists for New Zealand to leverage its natural strengths, reputation for innovation and areas of competitive advantage as a main player in the global medicinal and nutraceutical cannabis industry. Contributing to New Zealand’s potential for success in the industry are its international reputation for a climate and fertile soils producing exceptional agricultural and horticultural products as well as sustainable agricultural and farming practices and world leading agronomic research and cropping expertise.
The market for medicinal cannabis in New Zealand is currently difficult to quantify, however the Ministry of Health estimates that more than 250,000 casual cannabis users use it for medicinal purposes. Based on Ministry of Health figures, there are approximately 25,000 New Zealanders that need or could benefit from palliative care each year, just one area of society that will benefit from the growing medicinal cannabis industry. This highlights a significant, existing domestic market opportunity.
This is supported by what has been happening internationally. As medical research continues to reveal the profound therapeutic effects of cannabis products, and a greater number of people experience the benefits in treating a range of conditions, global sentiment towards medicinal cannabis, and alternative therapies at large, is rapidly evolving. So too are legislations, with an increasing number of countries reviewing and passing new laws in support of the use of cannabis medicines.
The work now begins to get Medical Kiwi established and ready to enter the market. Over the coming months, co-founders Aldo Miccio and Peter Win are looking to secure seed funding, establish a Board of Directors with the skills and knowledge to drive the company forward, undertake the application processes to secure the required licences and investigate opportunities for a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.
Aldo Miccio is possibly best known as a Nelson City Councillor and Mayor. Under his leadership, Nelson achieved economic success and regional growth. Aldo has broad experience, spanning 27 years, including executive chairmanships and directorships for entities across Asia Pacific in industries ranging from property, retail, agriculture and FMCG to public and state services. With an entrepreneurial spirit and strong commercial background in senior management and governance, his expertise includes strategic planning, product management, product design and sales and marketing. Aldo has also held a number of not-for-profit trustee and governance roles in healthcare, science, the arts and sports, working to enhance the community wellbeing and enable changes in people’s lives and health outcomes. In addition to Medical Kiwi, Aldo is currently managing and directing exciting fast-growing businesses including New Zealand Coastal Seafoods and KELA Charms.
Peter has considerable breadth and depth of business experience, with a passion for pioneering new industries. His vast experience has afforded him a broad knowledge base and what it takes to make a company work effectively and successfully. Peter has worked in some of the most technically advanced industries, reaching senior levels of management in large-scale energy projects in Norway, Nigeria and China and the marine engineering industry in New Zealand. With a drive to get projects moving forward, Peter has been instrumental in the start-up and growth of several businesses, most notably Elanz Ltd and New Zealand Coastal Seafoods where he is currently CEO. Peter’s motivation for co-founding Medical Kiwi is a strong belief about the social wellbeing and health benefits for the wider community, after personally experiencing how the industry has helped build better communities overseas.
