117 The Global Cannabis Market and Why Germany is Poised to Lead with Michael Sassano of SOMAI Pharmaceuticals To Be Blunt

“If Germany goes recreational,  everybody's going to follow them to some extent. If the leader says, look, this is how I'm addressing the product, the issue that I see at hand, you can pretty much be sure all the bigger countries will come in line like France, Portugal… And a few others are going to really move quickly because there's no reason for them to be disadvantaged if the rules are already set.” - Michael Sassano

Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Michael Sassano of SOMAI Pharmaceuticals to take a broader look at the global cannabis market. He brings his wealth of experience to dive deep into European cannabis production, innovation, and legalization and juxtaposes the current landscape with what’s happening in North America. He also talks about SOMAI and how they are producing high-quality medical cannabis treatments for patients all over the world.
 
[00:00 - 09:05] Thoughts on My Germany Trip
[09:06- 21:10] Europe's Leading Cannabis Markets
[21:11 - 37:04] Regularization and Comparing Recreational vs. Medicinal
[37:05 - 46:52] The Pharmaceutical Industry and Innovation
[46:53 - 53:42] Marketing Cannabis to European Consumers
[53:43 - 1:03:41] What It Takes to Be Licensed and to Operate in Europe
[1:03:42 - 1:14:40] A Look at the US Market and The Future of SOMAI
 
Michael is the CEO and Chairman of the Board for SOMAI Pharmaceuticals LTD, a European pharmaceutical and biotech company centered on manufacturing in Lisbon, Portugal, and distribution of EU GMP-certified cannabinoid-containing pharmaceuticals throughout the European Union and globally. SOMAI emphasizes scientific pharmacology applications with EU-GMP standards to deliver treatments to the endocannabinoid system, effectively and with consistency across all markets. Taking with him the product development knowledge honed in the competitive American market, SOMAI is the largest and most advanced cannabinoid manufacturing facility across legal European markets producing medicines products and registered API's.


Connect with Michael!
Check out somaipharma.eu!
 
Watch this episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66yTNFlh20M


Shayda Torabi has been called one of the most influential Women in WordPress and now she’s one of the women leading the cannabis reformation conversation building one of Texas’ premier CBD brands. She's currently the CEO and Co-Founder of RESTART CBD, a female-run education first CBD wellness brand. And has formerly held marketing positions at WP Engine and WebDevStudios. Shayda is the host of a podcast for cannabis marketers called To Be Blunt, where she interviews top cannabis brands on their most successful marketing initiatives. When Shayda's not building her cannabiz in Texas, you can find her on the road exploring the best hikes and spots for vegan ice cream. Follow Shayda at @theshaydatorabi 
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