About Us
Rooted in pharma, driven by research, and fueled by innovation, MediPharm Labs specializes in the production and manufacturing of purified, high-quality Cannabinoid based derivatives and pharmaceutical ingredients.
MediPharm Labs obtained the first-of-its-kind Drug Establishment License in North America and is a full-service pharmaceutical company with international commercial distribution capabilities.
Our Mission
To be a trusted global leader in the industrial-scale manufacturing of high-quality, cannabinoid-based derivatives by utilizing industry-leading practices, purpose-built facilities, and an expert-backed research team.
MediPharm Labs aims to bring a pharmaceutical perspective to the cannabis industry. Working to internationally recognized pharma-quality standards, we strive to provide top cannabis products that are pure, trusted and precisely dosable for patients and end consumers.
Our Certifications
DEL is the first of its kind in North America and has been granted to Medipharm Labs. It allows us to sell Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and Pharmaceutical Drug Products to GMP specifications and conduct pharmaceutical manufacturing.
This certification enables us to sell to other license holders, authorized provincial/territorial retailers and federal medical sale license holders.
Issued by Health Canada for human sensory testing. This allows MediPharm Labs to evaluate flavours, scents, textures and other sensory attributes of products during development to help ensure customers have a great experience with our products.
Authorized by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration to manufacture cannabis-based medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients.
Issued by Health Canada for manufacturing, packaging, labeling and/or importing natural health products for commercial sale in Canada
Issued by Health Canada for the manufacture of a pharmaceutical drug containing cannabis. This leverages MediPharm Labs Drug Establishment License to allow us to manufacture cannabis-based medicines, following the same drug approval process as other prescription drugs.
Authorized by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration to manufacture cannabis-based medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients.
Sell of Supply Wholesale by Indent - Schedule 4, 8, and 9 (limited) poisons.
Manufacture, sell, or supply by wholesale – Schedule 4, 8, and 9 (limited) poisons
Purchase or otherwise obtain poisons or controlled substances for Industrial, Educational, or Research purposes – Schedule 2, 3, 4 and limited Schedule 7, 8, and 9.
Our Operations
All MediPharm Labs’ product offerings begin with quality sourced and validated dried cannabis. We focus on four core standards: a stable supply chain of legal producers, highly vetted and safe product standards, reliable and consistent cultivars, and full suite of testing on every single batch of cannabis oil and finished goods.
Through wholesale and white label platforms from its GMP-certified facilities, MediPharm Labs formulates, tests, processes, packages, and distributes cannabis extracts and advanced cannabinoid-based products to domestic and international markets.
Our Facility
MediPharm Labs Canada is based out of its state of the art 70,000 sq. ft. facility in Barrie, Ontario. Utilizing a GMP certified space and ISO standard built clean rooms, we are committed to manufacture products of the highest quality and exceed regulatory requirements.
Land Acknowledgement
MediPharm Labs acknowledges that the land on which its Barrie Facility sits on is the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg people. We also acknowledge the Wendat Nation (Huron), who also called this land home prior to the middle of the 17thcentury.
Science of Extraction
MediPharm Labs uses Supercritical CO2 extraction for primary extraction, and short-path wiped-film distillation and centrifugal partition chromatography for further purification and cannabinoid isolation.
In contrast to alternative techniques such as hydrocarbon and alcohol-based extraction, supercritical CO2 can be customized which results in extremely high and efficient yields, and offers the safest method of extraction. While the investment in technology is greater, we believe it is best-in-class for the production of pharma-quality products and an industrial-scale operation.
Our extraction process starts with the milling of dried cannabis through a grinder in an air filtered, temperature and humidity-controlled room. We purchase dry cannabis from multiple cultivators – targeted for quality and specific cannabinoid content. By milling the plant to a fine and consistent particle size we are able to achieve standardization, as well as increase the packing density within the extraction columns, resulting in greater extraction efficiency.
This process is known as decarboxylation and can be achieved through heat and (to a lesser extent) time. Starting with dried cannabis, MediPharm “bakes” plant material in an oven [utilizing a prescribed, multi-stage heating profile] to activate the cannabinoids while simultaneously removing moisture and volatile terpenes. MediPharm decarboxylates at lower temperatures to prevent the formation of the degradation product cannabinol (CBN).
Supercritical CO2 extraction is well suited for the production of concentrates utilized for cannabis derivatives. It is generally a good choice for safe, high volume cannabinoid production, with the main drawbacks being equipment cost.
The residual plant extract material, referred to as crude extract, contains a mixture of natural fats, chlorophyll and other impurities which MediPharm Labs strips out to produce a purer cannabinoid extract. During this process, ethanol is added to the crude extract.
From a volume perspective, the crude extract is roughly equal to 15% of the input materials. It generally undergoes a cold-filtration process known as “winterization”, the mixture is cooled in a freezer where the lipids settle at the bottom and the ethanol mixture rises to the top. A simple analogy for this is making soup, where the fats accumulate on the surface and separate from the broth on the bottom.
Once the fats have been removed, the mixture undergoes a rotary evaporation process that removes any residual ethanol, resulting in a relatively pure cannabis resin (70-85%) product that is very thick and dark in colour, akin to ‘black strap molasses’, and the primary extraction process is complete. This concentrate can be used in tinctures, vapes and other products.
MediPharm Labs performs secondary processing, utilizing short-path wiped-film distillation to further refine the cannabis resin. We believe the bulk of commercial processes would conclude at this step, which is considered high quality for the recreational and medical market. Chlorophyll, terpenes, and plant pigments are separated out from the cannabinoids, resulting in a distillate that is more concentrated (>80% purity) and is now golden and clear in colour as well as being virtually odourless. As the finished distillate tends to be very thick – almost solid at room temperature - it is diluted with cannabis-derived or other natural botanically-derived terpenes to reduce viscosity and help it flow through vape cartridges for example. These added terpenes bring unique flavours and aromas to the distillate which had been lost earlier in the processing.