NANAIMO, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tilray, a global leader in medical cannabis research and production, today announced that it has received necessary approvals in Canada and New Zealand to export medical cannabis to New Zealand.

“We are proud to be able to offer patients in need access to high-quality, pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis products,” said Brendan Kennedy, Tilray President.

Tilray will supply Middlemore Hospital in Auckland with precisely formulated medical cannabis oil containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). New Zealand law permits patients to access medical cannabis products with special authorization from the Ministry of Health. The first shipment of Tilray products is expected to arrive in Auckland by the end of February.

Tilray currently supplies pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis products – including whole flower, oils and capsules – to thousands of patients, physicians, pharmacies, hospitals, governments and researchers around the world for commercial, compassionate access and research purposes.

Tilray became the first medical cannabis producer in North America to be certified in accordance with the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards in December 2016. GMP certification is the most rigorous standard that manufacturers of medical products must meet in their production processes, and it provides regulators and health care providers in countries new to medical cannabis with certainty that Tilray products are the safe and smart choice.

GMP certification is enabling Tilray to expand international distribution of its products for commercial, clinical research and compassionate purposes. In 2016, Tilray made history by becoming the first company to legally export medical cannabis products from North America to Australia and the European Union. In 2017, the company is focused on expanding distribution of its products to additional countries in Europe and Latin America. The company is currently partnering with hospitals and universities on three clinical trials focused on pediatric epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV).

About Tilray

Tilray is a global leader in medical cannabis research and production dedicated to advancing the science, safety, and efficacy of medical cannabis. The company operates one of the largest and most sophisticated federally licensed medical cannabis cultivation facilities in the world, offering a range of products to patients, physicians, pharmacies, governments, hospitals and researchers in Australia, Canada, the European Union, New Zealand and Latin America.