Juan Pablo Martínez Pavón, CEO of Curaleaf International, was featured in a Business of Cannabis article by Ben Stevens, examining whether Europe is shifting away from cannabis flower as the dominant medical format.
The piece explored how Europe’s medical cannabis market continues to be shaped by strong pharmaceutical foundations, clinical integrity, and a tightly regulated framework. Unlike emerging markets driven by rapid commercial expansion, the medical cannabis landscape in Europe prioritises safety, oversight, and standardisation.
“It’s a tightly controlled environment aligned with pharmaceutical standards, focused on consistency and clinical oversight rather than rapid scale.
In that context, regulators tend to prioritise formats that look and behave like conventional medicines: standardised preparations, controlled dosing, and delivery systems that fit within existing hospital and pharmacy models.”
The Shift Toward Alternative Formats
This regulatory environment is naturally influencing the types of products gaining traction across Europe. Standardised preparations, precision dosing, and medical-device-backed delivery systems are increasingly favoured over traditional flower formats.
Curaleaf International has been at the forefront of this evolution.
- First to market with cannabis pastilles in the UK
- Introduced Europe’s first CE-certified medical inhalation device
- Continuing to expand its portfolio with additional innovative products, directly developed from real-world evidence and clinical research.
By aligning product innovation with regulatory expectations and clinical standards, Curaleaf is helping shape a more structured, medically integrated future for cannabis across Europe.
As the conversation around cannabis flower evolves, Europe’s medical cannabis market will be increasingly shaped by patient access, product quality, and clinical credibility.
