LOCAL COMPANY WANTS LICENCE TO PRODUCE MEDICINAL DAGGA DRUGS

MBABANE - A local company wants to be granted a licence to operate a factory which will manufacture drugs for medicinal purposes using dagga.
Umjono (PTY) Limited yesterday filed an urgent application at the High Court where it is seeking an order directing government to grant it the licence within seven days.

Directors and shareholders of the company are Sabelo Lusolotja Ginindza, Bheki Trevor Shongwe, and Macedziphathi Dlamini.
The company is seeking an order directing the Ministry of Health to consider its application to operate the Medical Research Facility centre for purposes of extraction, derivation, production and manufacturing of drugs for medical purposes.

Respondents in the matter are the Ministry of Health and the Attorney General. According to one of the directors, Shongwe, after having been incorporated in January 2016, the company proceeded to apply for and was issued with a trading licence by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade.
He alleged that the company then embarked on a study on how cannabis and/or dagga might be utilised for health or medicinal purposes.

 
In his founding affidavit, Shongwe submitted that it was found that dagga or cannabis could be very useful and beneficial to the people of Eswatini.
He submitted that the study by his company revealed that cannabis could be quite useful for a number of medical ailments from which the populace was suffering.

The ailments according to Shongwe include inter alia:  Alzheimer’s which is  a disease characterised by a progressive loss of memory.  He told the court that patients with Alzheimer’s were also likely to experience depression, agitation and loss of appetite.

“Cannabis contains tetrahydrocanabinol (THC). THC and its analogs may provide an improved therapeutic option for Alzheimer’s disease by simultaneously treating both symptoms and the progression of the diseases,” submitted Shongwe
Other ailments which Shongwe claimed could be treated through drugs manufactured from cannabis include diabetes mellitus, dystonia, epilepsy, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, hepatitis C, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hypertension, incontinence. Multiple sclerosis, post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), pruritus, rheumatoid arthritis and sleep apnea.

Benefits

He averred that his company had at its disposal medical experts to elucidate to the court the benefits of administration of cannabis or its extracts. Shongwe said the applicant (company) was prepared to parade the experts if so required. 
He went on to request the court to allow the applicant to bring the experts to assist it (court).

“As indicated that this is a research and/or study carried out by the applicant, the need to establish a medical research centre for administration of cannabis and/or its extracts on patients arises, hence the applicant is desirous to embark on such an exercise,” contended Shongwe.

He alleged that the applicant engaged the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) and sought alliance for the establishment of a cannabis medical research centre.
Shongwe averred that, following several discussions between the applicant and UNESWA, the latter being represented by the Eswatini Institute for Research in Tradition Medicine, Medicinal and Indigenous Food Plants (SIRMIP), a draft agreement to the build, operate, own and transfer of research, development and cultivation facility at Mafutseni was prepared.

Capital

Shongwe submitted that the material terms of the agreement were that his company would among other things,  construct the Medical Research Centre at Mafutseni and to procure the capital to fund the establishment and the facility; assist with further research into plant material to a point of commercialisation; assist traditional healers in terms of correct dosage and cultivation and research original Swati landrace material in order to produce unique end products for the medicinal cabinet market to compete on a global stage.

He further claimed that, in conjunction with the university, it was agreed that they would establish sophisticated research, development and cultivation facilities and create unique genetics.

Shongwe told the court that on the other hand, UNESWA was to among other things provide sufficient information to enable the company to perform its obligations under the agreement and also give the applicant unfettered access to the physical area under its control, staff, relevant information and resources.

He said the draft agreement was ready for signature by both parties and it would accordingly be signed once the company had been granted the licence. The company is represented by Linda Dlamini of Mabila Attorneys and the matter is still pending in court. The State is yet to file its papers.
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