Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/936285
MATTHEW VELLA ONE of the world's largest cannabis companies is eye- ing Malta's prospective rules on the cultivation of medical marijuana to set a foothold on the island. Nuuvera, a Canadian canna- bis company, earlier this week secured a €538 million deal to sell to medical cannabis com- pany Aphria. But Nuuvera has also already explored plans to set up a pres- ence in Malta, specifically to upgrade a laboratory facility on the island as part of a $5 mil- lion business expansion plan in Europe – and has disclosed the existence of a letter of intent in Malta for a joint venture. "Nuuvera has developed strat- egies to expand in several for- eign cannabis markets, includ- ing Germany, Israel, Italy and Malta. It intends to focus on low-cost, high-quality inputs and build GMP-certified labs to create products and formu- lations for distribution to lo- cal and global markets," the company said in its most recent company filing. Nuuvera described Malta as a target market now that medici- nal cannabis is legal and plans are underway for Malta to li- cense cannabis producers. "The government has also begun the process of updating the laws relating to medical cannabis, which may include enacting legislation to permit the granting of cultivation, production and import/export licences," Nuuvera said. Newspaper post maltatoday today today SUNDAY • 4 FEBRUARY 2018 • ISSUE 952 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY YOUR FIRST READ AND CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT Friends in vital places Cannabis giant plans Malta lab BACKBENCH for Simon Busuttil? Not like- ly. The former Opposition leader will be ex- pected to stay at the forefront of the PN's parliamentary group. For a reshuffle carried out by Adrian Delia yesterday, the first setting out his vision of where his MPs' talents lie, has kept Busuttil on as spokesperson for good governance. Delia un- leashes Busuttil onto the Labour administration with the battle- cry he first gave the PN, which means Delia accommodates his predecessor into a main speaking position. Not so lucky are two of Delia's main oppo- nents to his leadership bid: Karol Aquilina, will not get the environment portfolio and instead will shadow public service re- forms, bureaucracy and citizenship; and Jason Azzopardi, who first re- fused an offer to take up a portfolio of culture, local councils and the media. Delia reverses downward trend but it's still an uphill struggle - PG 9 PAGE 6 MaltaToday Survey The greatest taboo How abortion remains Malta's no-go area Saint James hospital, the botched sale and the middleman PAGE 4 PN reshuffle Delia's demotions for rivals 10 11 vital places 2 3 Feb 2018 | Issue 98 www.vida.com.mt FASHION TO FALL IN LOVE WITH THE WEDDING YOU'LL NEVER FORGET INDULGING WITH YOUR LOVED ONES THE ULTIMATE FOOD PREP YOUR FREE COPY WITH MALTATODAY Canadian multinational's global expansion in Malta Simon Busuttil: spokesperson for good governance €1.95 mt survey TRUST RATING 41% 15.4% -9.4pp 8.2pp