While much of Europe continues its shift towards the liberalisation of its criminalisation of cannabis, this represents a clear signal from the Johnson administration that it will continue to take a hardline stance on the issue. It forms part of the government’s latest drug strategy taking aim at 2000 ‘county lines gangs’, expected to see the expansion of drug testing after arrests for other offences and a number of pilot programmes designed to turn young people away from drugs. The announcement coincided with news that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s administration is pumping £780m into a renewed 10-year ‘crackdown’ on drugs in the UK. Intercure says it began the process of obtaining licences to distribute medical cannabis in the UK ‘a long time ago’, and says it could even launch its first products in the UK early next year. “We think that in both the UK and Austria there is a huge potential and support for Cookies branded products.” Then it plans to expand its store estate as ‘legalisation evolves’, and the number will ‘eventually be determined by the market’. We will start with medical products and we have a big line of them.” “Once the regulation is in place, we can also serve the patient community with high THC products. In time, and as its licences and regulation develop, Intercure plans to evolve these stores into ‘what we call a pharmacy base’. “Vaping is a very important part of the strategy, so we will also launch a couple of high quality vaping Cookies products,” he added. Initially these stores will sell Cookies sub-brand of ‘premium CBD products’, enabling Intercure to establish a physical footprint in the UK whilst dealing with minimal regulatory battles.Īccording to Mr Rabinovich, the company is already seeing ‘big demand’ for Cookies’ CBD products, alongside merchandise which is reportedly a ‘big part of the Cookies offering.’ This will see the first branded Cookies stores launched in ‘prime locations in London and Vienna’ in the first quarter of 2022. In December, last year, Intercure announced a major international expansion of its partnership with Cookies, which it has been working with in Israel for around three years. Not only does its CEO Alexander Rabinovitch believe that wherever medical cannabis has been legalised recreational use will surely follow, but he says Intercure provides proof that cannabis companies can turn a profit in territories with the tightest regulations. The roll out, which is expected to represent the UK’s first dedicated physical medical cannabis pharmacies, comes as Intercure targets expansion into territories it believes will follow the same regulatory route as Israel.

The Israeli firm has set its sights on London as it prepares for a European expansion with US giant Cookies, with plans to open both stores and medical cannabis pharmacies in the UK and Austria early next year. INTERCURE, which calls itself the ‘most profitable and fastest growing’ cannabis company outside of North America, is poised to open a number of cannabis shops on UK high streets.

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