Michael Sassano: “Portugal is the epicentre of cannabis cultivation and production. This is a place that will thrive”

Founder and CEO of SOMAÍ Pharmaceuticals, a vertical medicinal cannabis company in Portugal, Michael Sassano is one of the most recognized executives in the pharmaceutical cannabis sector internationally. He was an early investor in the cannabis industry in the United States and currently works in the corporate and biopharmaceutical areas, developing large-scale cannabis infrastructures and the most advanced cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical products. 

Also known for leading the merger of the cannabis cultivation company he built and operated, Solaris Farms, with The Sanctuary, Michael has worked with over 56 companies and on 25 different major projects across the United States.

In recent years, Sassano has shifted focus to his role as CEO of SOMAÍ Pharmaceuticals Lda., a European pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with production in the greater Lisbon area of ​​Portugal and the distribution of EU-GMP certified cannabinoid pharmaceutical products.

Michael Sassano’s main goal at SOMAÍ is to produce the most advanced products with the most innovative administration routes, to create greater bioavailability in patient treatment. We visited SOMAÍ and spoke to Michael Sassano to learn more about his journey and SOMAÍ’s role in Portugal and worldwide. 

Michael, when did you start working with cannabis and how did you end up in Portugal creating SOMAÍ Pharmaceuticals?
I started out in cannabis primarily as an investor in the United States, and it was very clear to me at that point that there was a need for more cannabis infrastructure, for cultivation, manufacturing, and later for dispensaries for sales. So building that infrastructure became my specialty in the United States. To date, I have built 16 projects in the cannabis sector, not counting the mergers and acquisitions that have been done over the years. But I have always lived in Europe – I have lived in Europe for over 28 years. And although I spent many years in Las Vegas, in the early days of becoming an operator, my heart was always in the European community. So bringing the knowledge of cannabis to Europe gave birth to SOMAÍ. And here we are today, with SOMAÍ manufacturing and selling in multiple countries to provide access to different patients.

Michael Sassano, CEO of SOMAÍ. Photo: Renato Velasco | CannaReporter® / PTMC

What does SOMAÍ mean? How did you get this name?
I always try to explain to people… what does Google mean, for example? It didn’t mean anything until it became Google. And now it’s called Google Search, and the same goes for other companies. If you look at the names of many multinationals, they don’t make sense if you isolate them outside of the corporate identity. The underlying idea was that there were all these “Canna-this” and “Canna-that” names, and while that makes sense for name recognition – it explains that we’re talking about cannabis – at the time, when I came to Europe, I thought: ‘Let’s do something different. Let’s identify cannabis as itself and the name becomes not so relevant, but an identification for itself’. In that sense, SOMAÍ is what we are developing to be, that is, a cannabis powerhouse in the European community.

Can you explain a little about what you are doing in Portugal, in these facilities?
Yes No doubt. All production is based in Portugal, manufacturing and the new acquisition of cultivation indoor that we just acquired [RPK Biopharma]. So our distribution operations all come from products manufactured here in Portugal – Made in Portugal, if you will. Portugal is our main production center, but remember that cannabis is a global aspect. And unlike the United States, where infrastructure was required on a state-by-state basis and borders were designated by states, there are no global borders for global medical cannabis. And that is very significant. I had to retrain my mind to think on the scale of global communities and how to distribute products to global countries.

They are manufacturing products to enter the cannabis market, which will go to pharmacies so that they are accessible to patients. What kind of products are you manufacturing here at SOMAÍ?
The idea behind SOMAÍ is to manufacture as many products as possible, so that people have a choice. To date, we have manufactured and stabilized over 100 products, and that number was 86 just a few months ago. The formats are oral drops, but oral drops can be divided into different varieties. And if we want to simplify and call oral drops ‘hybrid’, sativa oral drops, indica oral drops… but oral drops can also be divided into subgroups – terpene-enhanced solutions can be faster-acting solutions with greater bioavailability, and then we have alternative products for dosage use, such as sprays, which may be easier for people in palliative care, gel capsules, also for people who want to get the correct dosage and can't necessarily get the products with droppers, because syringes can be quite difficult for some people, especially to get an accurate dosage. We also have vaporizers, which have become quite popular and well-known these days in global markets. But there will be many variations of these as well. So a vaporizer can be live resin, live rosin (rosin), distillate, it can have different terpene formulations. And the same goes for the gel capsules, which are faster acting. So when I say a hundred products, you have to keep in mind that in order to manufacture all of these products, you have to put them into stability. And then, in order to have them for sale, you have to complete that stability. So we invest in creating various forms of products to see what exactly people want in the European communities. And it's not necessarily a specific country that we have in mind. We also understand that there are different developments in different countries. So some countries may be at the beginning, they may just want simple products, similar to the master formula products that are currently available in Germany, Italy and countries like that, where the differentiation is very limited. But then if you go to a market like Australia, they have complete differentiation and they are looking for more advanced products. They want improved terpene solutions, they want faster absorption products, they want different formats and finished dosage forms. Therefore, we were designed for all markets and their growth.

“We have a regulatory agency that believes in what we are doing and helps us achieve our ultimate goals. And that is very important.”

And what about the Portuguese market? I know you have already requested some ACMs from Infarmed. How many did you request?
We are currently applying for all the ACMs for Portugal, so there are twenty ACMs and a variety of oral solutions. We will even try one or two more advanced solutions to explain them to Infarmed and we hope to have chosen the right solutions for the Portuguese market. But we also want to bring the gel capsules to the market, we want to bring the capsule version to the market. spray and we hope to be able to bring other products later. So this is just twenty products to start with.

What can Portuguese patients expect? Are these the products they will see in pharmacies, the ones they have on their tables?
Yes, depending on the exact product that is out there. But yes, these are the basic types. So we have high THC, which are typical formulations, we have balanced formulations, and then we have low THC or CBD dominant formulations. And these are the basic lines for any entry-level market, whether it's here, in Germany or any other country. And then we would like to try to bring some of the more advanced products to the market as well. So we want to showcase different types and we want to bring products that have differentiation. But we want to make sure that at least the basic products are covered.

One thing that patients are looking for, and I would say even more so caregivers of children with epilepsy, for example, are CBD-dominant product solutions. Is there anything that will be coming to the market soon for those suffering from epilepsy?
Yes, we will definitely give the 0:100, which is probably the most common format for children with epilepsy, because it does not contain THC. We are running a program in the UK for children with epilepsy and we are pricing it right where CBD can be purchased in the form of new food solutions, at Boots Pharma. Our price is the same, but we are offering it as a medical product for these children. And that's quite differentiating, because there aren't many solutions for them and, currently, high-priced solutions don't make sense. And THC products don't necessarily make sense either. So yes, of course, 0:100 is at the starting line for the market and you will see that many hospitals in Portugal are prescribing CBD, but not necessarily a CBD that is currently registered as an ACM. Therefore, we want to fill this gap and give them a medical product that is compatible with the quality standards of the medicinal markets, so that they do not have to look for new food solutions and the price is affordable.

When you talk about affordable prices, do you already know what the price of a bottle of CBD will be, for example?
I don't know specifically for the Portuguese market, but the current price of 0/100 in Great Britain is £105 for 30ml. So yes, we roughly know the price, but we have to talk to different groups and figure out what's best for the kids. For hospitals, of course, this would be a different program. But for children, we want them to have access to medical care and not have to depend on the quality standards of novel food sellers.

SOMAÍ facilities in Carregado, Portugal

This is currently a large company in Portugal. What was the investment to create SOMAÍ in Portugal?
One is SOMAÍ’s total investment – ​​I think our number is 26 million euros. But we also have a very large cash position. So one is the investment that has been made in the company, the other is what we have spent. So we have reserves to spend on our global aspirations. So not only the initial countries that have been launched, the UK, Germany and Australia, but also countries like Poland, Portugal and possibly when France and Spain come into the mix – that is a market of extracts – we should be dominant there. But there are other countries, like Italy or the Czech Republic, that are also establishing themselves. online; We would also like to help people in Brazil, so this money, although we may be in a strong position in terms of treasury, we have aspirations of sales in all countries, so we have to remain vigilant and protect our accumulated capital.

How many jobs have you already created here in Portugal?
I believe that, currently, we have 50 to 55 people here in Portugal, in addition to the new addition of purchasing our cultivation indoor: I think that adds another 35 jobs that we will be responsible for. So I think by the end of the year we will have about a hundred people currently operating in Portugal, and then we have sales channels in several countries. Some of them, like Australia, are more advanced sales markets. We have five dedicated people and at least eight other support positions that may not be full-time, or maybe in consulting. We have two businesses in Germany, which means we have, I think, twelve different salespeople in that country and that is going to grow. And the UK is a smaller market, so there is one salesperson there, but it is also growing, and the same goes for Poland, also a smaller market, but with one salesperson. So each location has to have its own sales representative. But since we are here in Portugal, it is likely that we will be the ones providing the services there.

You had many countries to go to. What led you to choose Portugal to implement the SOMAÍ project?
Portugal is the epicentre of cannabis cultivation and production. I believe that it is not only the largest infrastructure, it is an infrastructure that cannot be beaten by any new entrant from any EU country, because the regulations are appropriate for cannabis and we have a regulatory agency that believes in what we are doing and helps us achieve our ultimate goals. And this is very important. It is one thing for the people to want it, it is another thing to create the opportunity for us to establish a business in this country and export to other countries. So Portugal is without a doubt the number one country in Europe, and I don't see that changing. So even though we thought we would be in Greece at an earlier stage (I am half Greek, half Italian), I am very happy that I made the decision to come to Portugal. Not only did we have the people here helping us, but we were also able to get this facility up and running from the day we started construction with GMP 1 and 2, in a year and eight months. That is phenomenal. And that's because of the people here, the regulatory agencies that have helped us along this path. And now, the entry of the product is another path. So, by getting the regulations for import and export, with the speed with which Infarmed works, with the precision with which they work, this is a place that will thrive for cannabis, because they know how to support us here and they want our business here.

“I am definitely convinced that we are on the verge of a global medical cannabis explosion”

According to data from Infarmed last year, there were already more than 40 companies operating with medicinal cannabis in Portugal, but another 150 were awaiting inspection (i.e., they already had a preliminary license). Therefore, in the near future, we may have more than a hundred companies operating in Portugal. How do you see this growth in the cannabis market in Portugal?
I think that's very likely to happen, so I think we could easily have over a hundred companies operating here. That's another reason, the increased infrastructure, which is what we needed. What needs to happen for these companies to flourish? One thing is the willingness of Portugal – as you know, Portugal clearly supports our industry. The second thing is the willingness of regulators in other countries to open up access to their patients. As countries start to open up access to their patients, and I'm definitely convinced that we're on the cusp of a global explosion of medical cannabis, I believe we'll see regulations to support patient access all over the world. And Portugal will be there to help. And we're going to need more infrastructure, not less. The US, for example, a market of 32.000 billion, has 30.000 sets of operating licenses. 30.000! So even 40, 100, 1000 will not be enough for Europe, which has a larger population and the same socioeconomic status as the entire United States. So as the regulations come out, and they will start to come out, I think we will see a boom this year. We will see the need for infrastructure and we will see the flow of investment that can make that infrastructure a reality; and Portugal will attract the bulk of that investment because it has the right regulations to be the largest export market for cannabis in Europe.

What about the acquisition of RPK Biopharma? RPK was sold to Akanda two years ago for about 26 million, and now they just acquired RPK for 2 + 6 million?
Yes, even if it goes back further than that, I believe the original sale was around a hundred million.

The SOMAÍ team in Portugal in early 2024

How did the price drop so much?
Well, I believe there was a point in time… the initial purchase was made… it was the first set of licenses, it was the first cultivation indoor It was developed in Portugal, so the idea that global markets were going to explode at that time cost a high valuation because of the uniqueness of the property. At a later stage, the property was sold. There is a story behind that sale. I think it was around 30 million, if you take into account the shares, since it was an all-share purchase. And again, it was an acquirer who wanted to be rooted in global markets. And when you have a foreign buyer operating a local facility without a local presence, things are going to go wrong. If you want to be an owner or operator, you need to be omnipresent to oversee that investment and guide it through the various stages. Executive management in the early stages doesn't really work because there is a bottleneck in the market. As the market becomes more dynamic and there are many sales happening around the world, there is more opportunity to make mistakes with that management model. So, large companies in the United States may operate in an executive-driven market, but the start-up markets, even in the United States, have seen success being owner-operated, not foreign-owned executives. So we bought it at a good price. We bought it for $2 million in cash, but then we acquired the debt. So our actual expense was $2 million in cash. It was a great acquisition. We're talking about an $8 million revenue line with $2 million in embedded profit. Our product is sold out for the next two years, and we sell 8.000 kilos with a 2.000 kilo capacity, which means we need external producers to help with that sales process. So there's a difference when you're local. You have your own teams driving sales, and your foreign-owned group trying to manage from Canada, Portugal, and then trying to sell into the European markets. That's not going to work very well for any model. So the fact that we are local in Portugal and we are in all the global markets with dedicated salespeople is incremental for us and will cause these imbalances where we oversell. These are positive issues, but it was a very interesting purchase and we are really very happy with it. Even the value of the land in Sintra… as you know, it is a very expensive area for warehouses and housing. Just the property itself is worth more than that.

So with this acquisition, SOMAÍ has become a vertically integrated company, right? It can do everything from cultivation to final products.
Absolutely, but it's not just because it's mine. SOMAÍ has the most advanced range of extracts, with over a hundred products on the market, as I mentioned. It has the most advanced production with cultivation now, and on top of that, we own our distribution in some countries. In others, we have smart partnerships that we invest in. So this is the definition of a vertical. And we are one of the few, there are only a handful of verticals in the area. And one thing that is defining us is that we are not a huge cultivation of hundreds of thousands of square feet or tens of thousands of square meters. It is a small cultivation. indoor which has the Cookies varieties, which are in high demand at the moment. So we have an economically viable vertical, not something that is draining our cash flow, but that is contributing to the production of better and better products. I think what we will find is what we are already seeing. We have a shortage of what we are building. And we will address that over time by adding more capacity. But yes, it is definitely one of the few verticals currently in Europe and a very significant vertical.

What types of varieties will be produced at the Sintra facilities?
At least most of the best Cookies varieties, I would say. All of them would be too much, because the catalog is so big. Right now, we're doing Apples & Bananas. If you look at the buds that are blooming right now, you'll see bits of apple and banana (laughs). And this is something that's very unfamiliar to people until they open the bag and see bits of green and bits of yellow. And it's a very special flower. So this is our first release, and of course it sold out. It's going to be fun to release it, but we're going to release a lot of the favorites and we might even release some of the classics.

And what are SOMAÍ's plans for the coming years?
Right now, we just launched our first products in four countries. Every month we launch new products, such as oral solutions with a little bit of a peppermint terpene flavor. It's not just flavors, it's terpenes. And then we're going to launch not only vaporizers, but also our oral solutions with terpene-enhanced formulations, which no one else has in the market right now. And we hope that people will start to realize that this is what patients want, and certainly this is what the global markets want. So we're also going to be creating newer formulations and versions to test what people are looking for and what therapies work best for them. And then we'll launch the sprays, gel capsules, faster-acting solutions and, by the end of the year, different products: live resins, live rosin and even an edible line that we are producing. So this is for the short term; As things move into 25, 26, 27 and beyond, it's about adding new countries. And, therefore, we are already seeing that Spain, France and Czechia there are rules that have been proposed and are being implemented online. Now, whether it is today, tomorrow or the next day, the most likely is that they will be launched at the end of 2024, 2025. I think we will see more countries joining. Therefore, the fact that we are the first in those countries, and that we can provide services in those countries, will be very important. And somewhere out there, we will have our Portuguese ACM approved, depending on how long these things take and we will have our Portuguese launches of these products, which will start with the basic ones and then end with the more advanced products, as time goes by. So it's really about putting out products that people want and seeing their reactions to them and seeing what they really want, in terms of preference and performance.

“Oxycodone was something they tried to prescribe me here in Portugal, because of back pain, and I was shocked. No, I'm going to continue with my cannabis!”

What would be your advice to other companies? I know that you are in contact with other companies, that you are very open about what you do and about partnerships and synergies with other companies. What would be your advice to those who are trying to establish themselves in Portugal?
Yes, we definitely try to help. I'm always at a loss. I'm trying to give my time to help people in the start-up phase. I've been through this so many times, with different crops and operational facilities that we've put in place. online, and people just need the most important piece of advice I can give: I call them “the three rules of budgeting.” One is to extend the timeline at least twice until you think you’re going to launch; the second is to reduce your revenue forecasts by about half; the third is to increase your expenses by about double. This should allow you to get closer to the reality of your initial budgets. And at least in this scenario, you’ll be able to plan your launch better. Launching a pharmaceutical product in Europe is a very difficult undertaking, but it’s easy to do. I’ve even written a series of GMPs [Good Manufacturing Practices] to break down the stigma that it’s a difficult thing to do. No, anyone can do it, but learn the rules and make sure you understand that it takes some time, but once we get it right, we’ll be successful, because Europe needs more infrastructure, much more infrastructure. And Portugal is the most advantageous place to produce cannabis right now, if you are a manufacturer or a cultivator or if you have other desires, like distribution or something like that. So you are in the right place. Keep your budget tight and keep your eyes open for the future and for anyone who needs help, we are always available and of course we want to establish partnerships with everyone. The success of everyone in this industry is our success.

And regarding the global explosion you mentioned earlier, can you give us an idea of ​​your vision?
There are three main pillars, no doubt. In 2024, we are going to see three major events that are cataclysmic for the medical community. Event number one, a 1-page report from the HHS FDA in the United States, a report that they didn't want to show. It was completed in August, but it had to be pulled out of the government's hands under the Freedom of Information Act. Under that act, a 252-page report was released this year in late January or early February that definitively says that cannabis is safe. It's safer than the alternatives that are on the pharmaceutical market, like oxycodone and benzodiazepines. Oxycodone was something that they tried to prescribe to me here in Portugal for back pain, and I was shocked that they prescribed it to me and I said, "No, I'm going to stick with my cannabis!" But anyway, the report says that [cannabis] is safer than those drugs. It doesn't just say that there's less chance of a reaction to it. overdose – not death, because we know that cannabis will not kill us for overdose, which also means that we can have a negative effect - but beyond that, we have the lowest chance of having it. The report goes on to say that medically, cannabis is indeed a drug that can help with neuropathic pain. It cited Crohn's disease, it cited anorexia, and it cited at least 15 other indications, and it leaves room for more. So we have the most comprehensive report from the US government, which studied 6 million patients and had 30.000 doctors prescribe the drugs over two decades. So we have the largest regulation that says, "We don't know if this is safe or if it's good for our population." It just says it's safe. And it's a drug that works. We all knew it was a drug that worked, but this was a regulatory agency with significant clout, the FDA, that said it. The second pillar that just fell was Germany. Germany took the narcotics off-label. The other things are positive as well: the decriminalization, the access they're providing through social clubs and things like that. But the key thing for the medical community is that the narcotics derivation has been eliminated. This means that any general practitioner can prescribe this substance without the stigma of a narcotic. This is a major development that needs to be paid attention to from a regulatory perspective around the world. The third step is the United States' Schedule 3. The difference between Schedule 1 and Schedule 3 is the difference between heroin and LSD, which is debatable as to whether there's any benefit there, but marijuana should not be in that category at all. Schedule 3 is more like an antibiotic, something that can be prescribed, as Germany just did, without the narcotics derivation. So it means it has medical benefits. Schedule 1 means it has no medical benefits. We all know that's not true. We know it has medical benefits. So it seems pretty absurd and basic. These three events, when taken together, are the most significant reason why regulators around the world are no longer debating whether cannabis is safe for their crops and useful as medicine. And I challenge any regulator around the world to say that they would rather prescribe oxycodone when they have a better alternative for pain control, in light of this evidence.

“I’m not a patient, I’m a user. I’ve been on my own path for many years. I don’t have a doctor to regulate me, but I use edibles and oral drops.”

So these are the pillars of this global explosion you mentioned?
Yes, these are the pillars that have created the explosion that we have today and that we have yet to see. So my argument is that the explosion is happening right under our feet and the regulators have not yet told you that they are going to change their rules. So the explosion is happening and the declassification of Schedule 3 is just another third level and another reason for us to stop debating the usefulness of cannabis and move on to a better and safer path for our population.

Have you experienced the benefits? Is Michael a cannabis patient?
Well, I'm not a patient, I'm a user. I've been on my own for many years. I don't have a doctor to regulate me, but I use edibles and oral drops. I actually use our oral drops because I can't get the products that I used to get in the United States. So the products that are out there right now need to be improved so that people like me who consume all over the world and travel can get them. When I go to Australia, I have to get a prescription. So I have to buy another product. If I go to Germany, I have to go to a clinic and get a prescription. I can't travel with the products. And I tell people... I just saw a news story recently about people who traveled to Germany with their Spannabis medications... and I said, don't do that! You can't travel to another country. I travel myself and I have my own prescriptions for the different countries that I travel to, but people need to have their medications with them and those rules need to change. So, I've been using cannabis for a long time now, and I have my own reasons for using it. Most of the time it's for sleep, but there are several sleep-related indications that justify my use or that of others. And you just need to have the opportunity to try it and have access to it.

We’ve had almost a century of prohibition, so people still think that cannabis is a drug. There are many people who still believe that it is harmful, or that it is addictive, or that it has no medicinal value. What would you say to a normal Portuguese grandmother, or to a boy or a girl who could benefit from cannabis but still lives under the stigma?
I think this is something that needs to be overcome and that comes with education. We have seen this development in several countries over time, where stigma disappears and pain relief is more prominent. And the only challenge I have for anyone, regardless of their age group or religion, especially because there is a huge religious stigma, is: ask yourself this: When you go to a doctor and he tries to prescribe you oxycodone or even low levels of morphine or opiate-based products, would you rather consume something that is known to kill you and is extremely addictive? Or would you rather opt for something safer, which may or may not have the powerful impact of an opiate, but will give you relief in a safer category? Ask yourself, what is stopping you from trying something that is safer for you? Does your doctor not know? You should ask him: “Why are you prescribing this for me instead of this? Maybe they don't have that knowledge. Ask yourself if it is something based on stigma from a religious experience, that you have been told by that experience is not appropriate. Well, even so, it is not appropriate for people to die or become dependent on opiates. That is also not correct. So ask yourself what is the path of least resistance. Because no one should live with pain, whatever their solution. If we have epilepsy and multiple sclerosis, there are clinical trials with Sativex and Epidiolex that tell us that this is helpful. Why should there be a stigma when you have a serious illness like that? And if you have a sleep problem, I can tell you that the HHS report or any report in the world will tell you that taking Xanax and Valium and things like that, not only are they dangerous, because you'll get addicted, that's almost a given, but stopping them can kill you. Therefore, there are safer alternatives. And why would you want to stick with an old paradigm? Dinosaurs died for a reason. Why should we keep going back to prehistoric times when there is already sufficient definitive evidence? And that's another thing: people always say, "I need more evidence." Well, there are 30.000 evidence reports that have been written over time. Some regulators tell me that there is no proof in my country. And I asked, “Well, what is your research history on this?” Because the US has two decades of research that they’re looking at. Why shouldn't we follow that? The Canadian regulatory agency publishes a 200-page report every year on medical access, not recreational access, on what worked, what didn't work, what people prefer. Well, there is already enough and definitive proof. Sure, we can go into expensive clinical trials and go down that path, but we'll find that it's very difficult to develop such a program that costs hundreds of millions of dollars. Pioneers like GW Pharmaceuticals have done a great job of figuring it out, but the reality is that we may not get the right outcome from a clinical trial, not because it doesn't exist, but because the people running it aren't running the right program to get the right outcome, so that people have access to that drug, and that becomes a money-making scenario. Let's then differentiate the money that is needed for this, from what we already know. There's tons of evidence. If we don't have evidence, we're not looking hard enough. And you don't even have to look deeply.

“We can be dinosaurs or we can move with the times and realize that there is a better alternative”

Is SOMAÍ doing, or does it plan to do, any work to train doctors in Portugal?
Most of my time is dedicated to talking to doctors and clinics around the world. In fact, I'm starting to think that this could be my permanent job. I really want to help them understand. I've even helped doctors give better dosage guidelines to their patients. The history of cannabis has always been about a flower, whether it's the black market or whatever market you're talking about; the real history of extracts is much more recent, so the knowledge about how to use them has to be passed on. It cannot simply exist in a vacuum. And what I mean by that is this: let's take the United States as an example. It all started with the flower, too. It all starts with the flower. But now the United States has 2/3 of extracted products. Now, this can be in the form of 1/3 flower (or around 40%), another 1/3 is vaporizers and concentrates, and the other 1/3 is edibles and oral solutions. In order for the adoption of these solutions to become more readily available, people need to be educated about their use. What were the number one and two reasons why people in Germany did not join the extracts? First, in the first experiment, they were given too strong a dose. The doctor thinks, “I’m only going to see him once, so I might as well give him this high dose, because that’s what’s going to cure him.” Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. You need to start with lower dosages and increase until you reach a higher dose, depending on gender, body weight... There are so many reasons and ways to look at dosage and how to get there. It all starts with lower dosages and then eventually builds up to a higher level. What do people say next? “It didn’t work fast enough.” Because the lower doses take time to build up, for people to understand what that dose means for what they are trying to cure. Sleep is an example. Sure, you can take a high dose and it might put you to sleep, but you might wake up the next day feeling very tired and groggy. That won't help you at work. You won't like that feeling. Therefore, the dosage and also obtaining the appropriate use of these products are important, but the other thing that is even more important are the more advanced products. Anyone in pain… have Paracetamol Plus. Plus means faster absorption, right? People with pain don't want to wait an hour for it to kick in, and especially if they've just eaten, and depending on the meal they've eaten (if it's fatty, it's going to help more), getting it absorbed faster means a more advanced product that can get into your system and you can get better use out of the cannabinoids, because currently with MCT oil, you can only get 4%, let's say, of utilization in the body, which is its bioavailability. With another excipient, it can go from 1 hour to 30 minutes, and it can go from 4% to 8% bioavailability. This will be very helpful, not just for your wallet, but it will be helpful for the disease you are trying to cure that may need a quicker response. And these are advances that need to happen. Furthermore, people need to really understand terpenes. entourage, people believe it and some doctors do too. There’s not enough evidence to say definitively one way or the other if you put it in a medical setting, but there is enough evidence that blends of CBD, minor substances and terpenes have a synergistic effect. So it’s important to have products that have more terpenes, like flower, because extraction takes out most of the terpenes. Like we do here at Somaí: we extract the terpenes first, then we extract, then we take out all the things that are harmful – harmful, no, let’s say less useful, or useless – and then we put them all back in. And so if we have the right procedures and the right cannabinoid and minor terpene profiles, the effects will be more pronounced. So educating the consumer and doctors based on these preferences will help a little bit more in treating their conditions than the basic products. Education and advanced products are the key. This is the adoption necessary to obtain pain relief that may be greater, for example.

Do you consider that doctors in Portugal are open about prescribing cannabis?
I mean, it’s not that they’re open or not, I think they need to be open. And like I said, I went through my own experience and I was shocked by what they were prescribing to me. It almost made me not want to go to any doctor anymore. So we can either be dinosaurs or we can move with the times and realize that there is a better alternative. I think Portugal is a very open culture anyway. I think with education about the right products… of course doctors have to pay attention to that and I think there will always be those doctors who will say, “No way, I’ll never do it, I’ll stay on my path…” And if that’s okay with them, let them stay there, but there will be clinics that understand the benefits of the program and I will help patients get there. I was called in recently to talk about a cancer patient and the doctor said emphatically, “I’m not going to work with you.” I’m not talking about Portugal, but they said to me, “I’m not going to work with you if you try cannabis.” And I couldn’t understand them. Of course, you should go to your doctor and follow his or her rules. But another doctor called me and said, "What do I do about this?" I said, "You have to talk to your doctor about this, but there's no harm in adding cannabis." And I think that's unfortunate. So it's not my place to contradict a doctor who's been trained to do that. I can just try to help him or her understand that there are synergistic effects, especially for people with cancer, that it might help with their appetite or something like that. But who knows, on an individual level, what the reason is for what that patient was just told? These are important factors. There are too many factors to guess. Cannabis is not for everyone, but it can help a lot of people who don't have access to it.

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Laura Ramos

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With a degree in Journalism from the University of Coimbra, Laura Ramos has a postgraduate degree in Photography and has been a Journalist since 1998. Winner of the Business of Cannabis Awards in the category "Journalist of the Year 2024", Laura was a correspondent for Jornal de Notícias in Rome, Italy, and Press Officer in the Office of the Minister of Education of the 2018st Portuguese Government. She has an international certification in Permaculture (PDC) and created the street-art photography archive “What does Lisbon say?” @saywhatlisbon. Co-founder and Editor of CannaReporter® and coordinator of PTMC - Portugal Medical Cannabis, Laura made the documentary “Pacientes” in XNUMX and was part of the steering group of the first Postgraduate Course in GxP's for Medicinal Cannabis in Portugal, in partnership with the Military Laboratory and the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Lisbon.

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