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Groff North America makes historic cannabis transaction with DEA
Pennsylvania company completes first legal transfer/buy-back of domestically cultivated marijuana with federal government
RED LION, Pa. – (February 15, 2022) – Groff North America, a physician-owned hemp-cannabis company based in York County, Pennsylvania, today announced it has become the first company to legally transfer a crop of domestically cultivated marijuana to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
The February 2nd transfer, which will allow the company to dispense its harvest to clinical researchers and drug developers, was possible because of the DEA’s decision in May 2021 to increase the number of federally registered marijuana manufacturers for the purpose of research. The federal government permitted additional U.S. manufacturers to cultivate and process marijuana for research, pharmaceutical development and pharmaceutical production. For more than 50 years, there was previously only one facility in the U.S. permitted to do so.
Groff North America is one of several manufacturers who were approved to hold schedule 1 registrations for the cultivation, processing, export, import, testing and research of marijuana. This registration allows Groff North America to produce research-grade cannabis and cannabis preparations for sale both in the U.S. and internationally.
“This is a major milestone in the growing field of plant-based medicines. Our ability to supply medical and scientific researchers around the world with high-quality, legal, U.S. manufactured cannabis products will be a boon to the development of new therapies,” said Steve Groff, M.D., Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Groff North America. “We are on a mission to help unlock the tremendous potential cannabis-based medicines in the U.S and overseas. Groff North America has shown that our collaboration with the DEA works. We now have a legal pathway to expand research and development of cannabis to meet the increased demand for effective therapeutics.”
“The DEA has become a strong partner in our efforts to expand access to federally approved cannabis for research purposes in the U.S.,” said Joe Grzyb, CEO of Groff North America. “In maintaining strict compliance to U.S. Treaty obligations under the Single Convention on Narcotics, the DEA must take temporary possession of our marijuana harvest. We then immediately purchase back the marijuana flower enabling us to manufacture cannabis preparations (trimmed flower, extracts, and cannabinoid formulations) for sale to federally-approved domestic and international customers.”
Now, as a domestic supplier to DEA-approved companies and researchers, Groff North America will continue manufacturing cannabis for global commerce.
*Photo Caption: Last week, Groff North America became the first company to transfer domestically cultivated marijuana to the DEA. Steve Groff, right, Founder and Chief Medical Officer, and Joe Grzyb, CEO, represented Groff.
ABOUT GROFF NORTH AMERICA
Groff North America is a physician-owned cannabis cultivation, extraction and formulation company based in South Central, PA. Founded by Steve Groff, M.D. and lead by Joe Grzyb, CEO, GNA cultivates, processes and refines both cannabis and hemp with a commitment to provide quality, consistent, sustainable, and trusted cannabis products to businesses and researchers who are registered to handle Schedule 1 drugs. GNA is one of three commercially-focused companies with Schedule 1 registrations from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for bulk cultivation of marijuana and the only company to further possess registration for patient dose manufacturing. GNA also has registrations, as cannabis exporter, importer, researcher, and analytical lab. In December of 2021, GNA’s cultivation facility yielded a highly successful first harvest of high quality, medical-grade cannabis. In February 2022, GNA completed the first legal transfer/ buy-back transaction of domestically cultivated marijuana with the DEA, allowing GNA to manufacture and sell its cannabis products for federally authorized research, drug development, drug manufacturing and export. With its seed-to-shelf approach and commitment to technology and human capital, GNA develops products to support customers in the advancement of cannabis-based medicine. https://groffna.com