A BREWDOG co-founder is aiming to be one of the UK’s top legal farms for medical cannabis as he plans to harvest his first full crop.
Martin Dickie told the Press and Journal that he aims to grow his business, Waterside Pharmaceuticals, by investing £20 million over the next five years.
With most of the UK’s medical cannabis currently imported, Dickie explained that he sees huge potential for his new business, which is based near Newburgh, Aberdeenshire, and is a Scottish first.
The businessman expects his first full yield at his high-tech indoor vertical farm to produce nine kg of medical cannabis with the company planning to increase further harvestest to 200kg a year.
Dickie founded the Scottish drinks giant BrewDog in 2007 with James Watt and hopes to grow Waterside Pharmaceuticals like he did with his craft beer firm.
The 42-year-old married father-of-three is the pharma company’s chief executive and said he plans to expand the business, helping to create more jobs and reduce its environmental impact.
Dickie told the P&J: “Our aim is to become the UK market leader in medical cannabis.
“We have ambitious plans to expand the business, creating up to 100 new jobs in the local economy and investing around £20 million over the next five years.
“Our longer-term ambitions involve building a second facility co-located with a renewable energy source, minimising our environmental impact, creating jobs and diversifying the rural economy.”
There are only a couple of smaller UK facilities growing medical cannabis, both in England, making Waterside a Scottish first, Dickie said.
He added: “The global market for medical cannabis is growing rapidly as its clinical applications become better researched and understood.
“In the UK medical cannabis can now be prescribed by specialist doctors, with an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 patients thought to be benefiting from cannabis-derived medicines. That figure is growing year-on-year, but supply depends largely on imported medicines.
“Waterside Pharmaceuticals is on a mission to provide safe, efficacious and cost-effective medicine that can help thousands of people.”
Dickie said that he decided to pursue the ideal of creating his own pharma company after one of his acquaintances told him that they use medical cannabis and found it very helpful for their anxiety and mental health.
“We want to develop domestic production,” he added.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in America, where I had exposure to hemp and medicinal cannabis production in a controlled environment.”
Crops are grown under “optimum conditions” with everything from genetic selection to temperature and light controlled to a precise standard, the P&J reported.
Plants are grown with 12 hours of bright artificial light, followed by 12 hours of darkness, to help stimulate growth.
Morag Thomas, Waterside Pharmaceuticals’ chief operating officer and former supply chain head at BrewDog, said that they are working with researchers at University of Aberdeen to help with the project.
She said: “Our unique approach allows us to control and replicate light, heat and irrigation, without any need for pesticides or fungicides, resulting in a premium quality product.
“We use sustainably sourced energy, and rainwater for irrigation and we are committed to minimising the environmental impact of our operations.
“We are working with researchers at University of Aberdeen and University of Lincoln on projects exploring the use of AI and automation to optimise production.
“We have worked with local and national stakeholders at every stage, liaising with the Home Office, MHRA, local authority, community representatives and Police Scotland, as well as the Aberdeenshire’s business and economic development organisations.”
