Greenfern Industries Limited is an entrepreneurial-led licensed medicinal cannabis and biotechnology company that also has operations spanning into the industrial hemp, hemp food and body care space.
Greenfern operates primarily from their medicinal cannabis research facility and hemp processing hub in Normanby, South Taranaki, with these facilities being powered by renewable energy generated by Greenfern’s own hydroelectric power station located adjacent to the facility on the Waingongoro River.
Greenfern is committed to environmentally friendly production of medicinal cannabis and hemp-based products. The medicinal cannabis research facility is designed around maximum efficiency and sustainability, being powered by renewable power and utilising an aeroponic production system which is renowned for its optimal water and nutrient efficiency. Greenfern’s hemp production also follows the same ethos. The hemp seed and its by-products are used for a range of different products from a high protein ingredient in a plant-based meat substitute, a hemp-based skin care range and hemp-based beverages amongst other things.
Greenfern is Toitū net carbonzero certified and is a B Corp Certified company.
Patients before profit |
Environmental Sustainability |
Hydropower |
We cultivate premium and consistent quality cannabis and through research and development we are creating a pharmaceutical grade product range.
Located on-site at our own hydroelectric power station. Our entire Taranaki operation is powered by clean green cost-price renewable hydro power with all the excess electricity sold back to the grid providing an additional source of revenue.
We are committed to environmental sustainability in all aspects of our processes.
Our net carbon-zero certification and our unique ability to produce renewable energy to power our facilities aligns us well to this commitment.
View our sustainability plan here
Toitū Carbon-Net Zero Certified
B Corp Certified
Our motivation is drawn from Theo’s story, a story of the difference that Cannabis extracts can make to the lives of those suffering from epilepsy and their families.
Greenfern Industries is the first New Zealand medicinal cannabis company to be awarded B Corp certification gaining an overall finalised score of 86.8.
The company is one of just 83 other Kiwi B Corp businesses, including EcoStore, Cooperative Bank, KiwiBank, Kathmandu, and Synlait.
Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. They are companies that make decisions to create a positive impact for their workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment.
Greenfern Industries Limited (GFI) is about to commence the writing of clinical trial protocols for a low dose CBD medication that could set it on the pathway to become a pharmacist-only, over-the-counter product registered in Australia.
In February 2021 the Australian Therapeutics Goods Administration (TGA) made it legal to purchase products containing low-dose (less that 150mg per day) of cannabidiol (CBD) over the counter. This down scheduled the substance from a Schedule 4 (prescription medicine) to a Schedule 3 (S3), pharmacist-only medicine, meaning people with certain ailments could now go to the pharmacist and purchase CBD.
Greenfern Industries has reached an agreement with Australian-based Cannvalate Pty which will assist Greenfern (GFI) to develop its cannabis medicine sales in Australia, which are marketed under the GFI Pharma brand.
GFI chairman Brent King said the transaction includes the issuance of shares in Taranaki-based Greenfern to a value of NZD $900,000. GFI and Cannvalate will now move to finalise an agreement, which is compliant with Australian and New Zealand law and NZX listing rules.
Cannvalate has agreed to continue to range of GFI Pharma-branded medications and, under the terms of the agreement, they will educate physicians with the intention of securing exposure to 6000 patients. The agreement also means that GFI will have access to anonymised patient data which will contribute to the company’s research and development initiatives so it can develop and refine specific medications based on real world patient experiences.
