A few months ago, I wrote a couple of blogs on the use of cannabis-based products as sleep aids.
During conversations researching for these blogs, a company name kept popping-up. This company was Curaleaf – a supplier of medicinal cannabis products, which has gone from being a small eastern U.S. startup to a listed company with tentacles stretching into an ever more Global marketplace.
So, this week, I’m going to take a closer look at what Curaleaf is and how it goes about helping those with a need for cannabis-based products.
Who are Curaleaf?
Curaleaf was founded in 2010, under the name PalliaTech, and has since grown into one of the largest cannabis companies in the world, with operations across the United States and now stretching into parts of Europe.
Although it is incorporated in Delaware and has it’s corporate headquarters in New York, most of its operations are run out of Connecticut – maintaining it’s U.S. East Coast roots.
Due to the way the U.S. legal system works, medical cannabis use is legal in several individual U.S. States but remains illegal on a countrywide Federal level. This means it can’t be traded on a formal U.S. stock exchange, such as the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ. To get around this, when Curaleaf wanted to go Public in 2018 it did so by listing on Canada’s Toronto Stock Exchange – which is a bit more relaxed when it comes to this kinda thing. If you want to take a closer look, their Toronto Stock Exchange ticker symbol is CURA.
Who’s the Typical Curaleaf Customer?
While medicinal cannabis may have been shrouded in stigma in the past, Curaleaf's typical customer isn’t your stereotypical cannabis user. In fact, the average Curaleaf patient is more likely to be someone who has spent years trying different treatments for chronic pain, anxiety, or other long-standing health issues, only to find limited relief. This is someone who might not have considered cannabis until recent years but is now looking for alternative, natural treatments that can offer a better quality of life.
Their customers are often people over the age of 40 who are seeking relief from chronic conditions, though younger adults with certain medical needs also make up a significant part of their clientele. The company also attracts customers with mental health conditions, sleep disorders… which is where I found them originally, and even those dealing with symptoms related to cancer treatments. Essentially, the typical Curaleaf customer is looking for a safe, regulated product to help manage symptoms that conventional treatments haven’t addressed effectively.
Regulated is an important part here. Without access to regulated products, many patients have resorted to buying whatever the local back-street dealer can provide. At least this way they know the product they’re consuming is safe and hasn’t been bulked-up with anything dangerous.
This isn’t a moral stance on whether cannabis products should be legal, just a logical one based on using controlled manufacturing standards versus any old backroom or warehouse operation.
The Journey Begins
So, what happens when someone decides to explore Curaleaf as an option for medicinal cannabis? The company has developed a process that prioritises patient safety and wellness right from the beginning. This isn’t just about walking in and picking up a product… it’s a thorough, multi-step process aimed at ensuring cannabis is the right choice for each patient.
Step 1: Initial Consultation
Every potential new customer goes through an initial consultation. This isn’t just a quick chat… it's an in-depth conversation with a qualified medical professional who assesses the patient's condition, symptoms, and medical history. They’ll talk about current medications and treatments, as well as any past experiences with cannabis, to gauge whether medicinal cannabis might be a suitable option.
The focus here is to really understand the individual’s needs and how cannabis may, or may not, fit into their overall treatment plan. Curaleaf claims their team is careful to make sure patients are well-informed about what cannabis can and can’t do for them. An honest consultation is crucial because it’s where they establish a personalised care plan to guide the patient's treatment journey, which could last for years.
Step 2: Eligibility Assessment
After the initial consultation, the next step is an eligibility assessment. Not everyone who wants medicinal cannabis will be approved, and they need to take this assessment part seriously.
They look at medical conditions that are legally approved for cannabis treatment in the patient's country or state and make sure the patient’s health condition matches the local criteria. In many cases, the company doesn’t have a choice on this bit. As you might expect, governments are pretty keen to keep a hold on who gets access to state-changing substances – so if the assessment comes back as a No… complaining to your government rep may be a better use of your energy than blaming the company. After all, they REALLY want to sell the product.
This assessment step is also where Curaleaf’s medical team evaluates potential interactions between cannabis and other medications the patient may be taking. By this stage they’ll have access to the patient’s medical records – so all the information is at their fingertips.
The team works with the patient to ensure they’re fully aware of the benefits and risks. Curaleaf say they are committed to only recommending medicinal cannabis if they genuinely believe it will provide relief or improvement in the patient's quality of life. It’s a profit-making company, but hopefully one with a long-term view of delivering customer value rather than short-term gross profit.
Step 3: Treatment Planning
If medicinal cannabis is deemed suitable, they will work with the patient to develop a treatment plan. This includes details on dosing, method of administration and even lifestyle recommendations that might enhance the benefits of the treatment. Curaleaf offers various forms of cannabis, from oils and tinctures to capsules and topicals, so they are in a good position to work with the patient to find the best format for their needs while complying with local laws.
When asked how individualised a treatment plan can be, they said it takes into consideration things such as the patient’s medical condition, lifestyle, and any specific goals they hope to achieve through cannabis therapy. It’s not uncommon for the plan, they say, to include a gradual introduction to cannabis starting with low doses and adjusting as needed.
Step 4: Education and Support
Given medicinal cannabis can be daunting for first-timers, the company appears to offer educational materials on everything from how to properly use cannabis products to understanding potential side effects. For those in the patient pipeline, they appear to have a decent service when it comes to answering patient’s questions, providing guidance and offering reassurance as they begin their journey with medicinal cannabis.
From what I can see, it isn’t all one-sided either. Self-monitoring of symptoms and tracking progress… essentially, encouraging patients to actively participate in their own care seems to be part of the deal.
Getting the Medicine
Once a patient has been approved, and given a treatment plan, they do – of course – need to get their hands on the medicine. How to go about this varies on where you are in the world. In the U.S. there are often dispensaries in states who have legalised it’s use – although having it sent to you is usually also an option.
Whereas, if you are in Europe, you’ll more than likely have it sent by courier to your door. It does appear some local pharmacies are getting in on the deal though and agreeing to receive Curaleaf prescriptions electronically and dispensing them direct to the customer. Given this is a private prescription, there’s money to be made for those pharmacies willing to take-on this kind of business.
Ongoing Refill and Dosing Adjustments
But, what does a patient do to keep track of their needs in the long-term?
Medicinal cannabis isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Over time, a patient's needs might change. The peeps at the company appear to keep an ongoing conversation open with the patient. If their needs and symptoms don’t change, the prescriptions keep rolling. If they do, however, Curaleaf appear to actively engage with customers to check they are receiving the most appropriate product for their needs.
Although, to be fair, if they didn’t… they would likely fall foul of some kind of legal action in the future when somebody, somewhere, has a bad reaction and chooses to blame the supplier. Remember the McDonalds coffee lawsuit when some Muppet burnt their hand on a cup of coffee then complained nobody told them it was hot?
Yep, that’s who we are sharing the planet with.
Reassessing Needs
The medicinal cannabis field is constantly evolving, with new research emerging all the time. There’s also a consistent flow of lobbying going on at Government levels to convince those who haven’t already legalised it’s use to do so.
As you may expect of a company with shareholders, Curaleaf keeps up with these developments and uses them to continually reassess and update its treatment plans and markets. If a new product or approach becomes available that could better serve a patient’s needs, or an emerging market pops-up, you can be sure someone at the company will be looking at it with an eye on the prize.
So, there you go. I should make clear at this point there is absolutely no connection between Cracking Sleep and Curaleaf… or any other cannabis provider. I dug into this subject as more people were sending curious questions my way. Questions I couldn’t answer.
If medicinal cannabis is available in your area, and you believe it could be for you, it may be worth having a chat with your doctor as a first step to seeing if taking it further could benefit you.
Whatever you decide… I hope it works well for you.
Cheers,
Alan
P.S. I have taken to creating various bits on sleep and sleep apnea. If you would enjoy hearing more and find out where else you can find stuff like this, you can get my weekly Triple Whammy email, which has 3 short topics each week. Some written or recorded by me and others I’ve found out there in the strange world we live in.
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