Championing clinician education with Curaleaf Laboratories
September 15, 2025 | IN NEWS | BY Wish Digital
The Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society has joined forces with Curaleaf Laboratories to help further its mission to empower clinicians with credible education on cannabis-based medicine.
We caught up with the Curaleaf team to find out more about why education is so central to its work in the sector.
Originally founded as Rokshaw Laboratories by brothers Jonathan and Richard Hodgson in 2012, Curaleaf Laboratories has now been manufacturing ‘specials’ or unlicensed medicines for more than a decade.
Following the legalisation of medical cannabis in 2018, the company shifted its focus towards cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPMs), becoming one of the most established manufacturers in the UK.
It went on to be acquired by EMMAC Life Sciences, later becoming Curaleaf International, and in 2024, the medical cannabis division of Rokshaw was rebranded as Curaleaf Laboratories to align with the broader brand across the UK.
“A lot of the staff who have been involved since the original specials and unlicensed medicines route are still here, which gives us an advantage from a quality and a regulatory perspective,” says Jonathan Hodgson, now UK Managing Director of Curaleaf International.
“We’ve helped patients and clinicians alike address unmet clinical needs through unlicensed medicines for a long time. While the adoption of medical cannabis is only in its infancy, we want to help widen access to this option. Through our previous experience with other unlicensed medicines, we are in the privileged position to be ready to help the hundreds of thousands of patients who will access these medicines over the coming years.”
The importance of clinician education
Through years of educating a range of clinicians on unlicensed medicines, Curaleaf Laboratories has seen how healthcare professionals are often unfamiliar or sceptical of these therapies. And nowhere is education more important than in the complex landscape of cannabis-based medicines.
While much of the focus of the medical cannabis sector is on driving patient demand, clinician education remains central to Curaleaf’s strategy, recognising that doctors play an important role in ensuring medical cannabis is prescribed to the right patients, at the right dose, and at the right time. It believes that by presenting balanced evidence to professionals, wider patient access and public awareness will follow.
The team regularly attends educational events around the country, often at leading medical institutions such as the British Pain Society, enabling them to engage with doctors directly. But many are still unaware that cannabis-based medicines are legal to prescribe.
“Providing education has always been hugely important to us,” says Hodgson.
“In order for us as a medical community to adequately support patients, it is important that healthcare professionals (HCPs) are able to access much-needed education on cannabis-based medicines so they can help their patients through guiding access or prescribing directly.”
Curaleaf Laboratories’ outreach work also involves engaging with private providers to expand access, including those not currently prescribing CBPMs, such as clinics specialising in chronic conditions.
It delivers workshops, in-practice support, and bespoke educational content. Its in-house programme supports clinics and prescribers with training and practical steps such as Care Quality Commission (CQC) registration updates, insurance, dosing and formulary advice, and prescription pad support for those who are new to private prescribing and unlicensed medicines.
A shared vision and values
Curaleaf Laboratories hopes to build on this work in partnership with the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society (MCCS).
To help tackle both practical and perceptual barriers to prescribing, Curaleaf Laboratories will support the MCCS to deliver its existing clinician education programmes and become the central source of information for UK prescribers as we move forward.
“Our partnership with MCCS solidifies our commitment to providing further education to prescribers and the wider HCP network in the UK,” Hodgson adds.
“We have already made big waves in HCP education, and we look forward to further improving our programme with the help of the expertise of the MCCS.”
Professor Mike Barnes, Chair of the MCCS, commented: “The Society is very grateful to have the support of Curaleaf Laboratories. We believe the shared values and vision of the team will enable us to continue our work empowering professionals with evidence-based CPD-accredited cannabis education, and we look forward to working together with the ultimate goal of enabling more patients to benefit from these therapies.”
The Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society is grateful for the continued support from our industry partners, which enables us to achieve our objectives. Any organisations interested in collaborating are encouraged to reach out and explore how we can work together.