Jan 2023 Greenleaf Magazine

oped it with EMMAC. Currently, we have cultivation
facilities in Portugal, two pharmaceutical labs in Spain,
and the United Kingdom that comply with European
standards. In this way, we can sell our products across
Europe, including the UK, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland.”
While Costanzo names Germany as Europe’s current
largest cannabis market followed by Italy and the UK,
due to differing policies, medical patients experience
limited options.
“The product that we can provide to European patients
depends on domestic regulation,” Costanzo stated.
“Today, the only available products are flowers and
extracts. However, we think to provide more product
formulations soon, including tablets, creams, gel, and
vaping devices. But, at the same time, we need an evolution
on the regulatory front in certain countries.”
Widespread distribution is a game that Curaleaf
dominates in the US, with investment partnerships
from North Dakota to New Jersey, not to mention 15
dispensaries in Florida alone. While small farmers
and cannabis retailers may not like the prospects of
a centralized cannabis market, the world seems to be
moving in that direction - fast.
projects legal sales to reach about $50 billion worldwide
by the year 2025 and $57 billion by the year 2027,
with the US & Canada generating about $46.5 billion
of sales. The largest growth rate is anticipated with a
projected $2 billion across world markets in 2027 with
67% of the market covered by recreational sales, and
the remaining 33% in medical.
“We shouldn’t forget that cannabis has been illegal for
over 70 years in the world,” Curaleaf ’s Constanzo also
stated. “I think that the stigma on cannabis is getting
removed, and its perception is also changing thanks to
medical cannabis development.”
As perceptions change, so does the market. Over the
past decade, millions of Americans have witnessed
the shift of the cannabis trade from our back-alleys
into retail stores with tax codes. And over the next five
years, we can plan on seeing what that looks like for
the rest of the planet as well.
In 2020, global cannabis sales increased by 48% since
2019, reaching nearly $21.3 billion, and are only continuing
to grow. The BDSA’s global cannabis forecast