Medicinal cannabis firm opens up second round of funding with ambition to create 50 jobs
Castle Donington-based medicinal cannabis producer and distributor Dalgety has announced its second round of investment – with a plan to create 50 jobs.
Dalgety was granted a Home Office license to begin commercial cultivation and distribution of its product earlier this year.
The firm says that demand for medicinal cannabis in the UK continues to rise, with the first ever parliamentary debate on the topic held just last month.
David Mundell, MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, highlighted the sector’s future impact, with a potential £1bn contribution to the UK economy and the creation of 100,000 new jobs.
James Leavesley, chief operating officer at Dalgety, said: “We’ve been working hard to push forward with our plans to harness this rapidly expanding market. With our state-of-the-art facility, the licence approval and now our first crop growing, Dalgety’s position is strong.
“It was also interesting to hear the discussion with MPs last month, where the accessibility of medicinal cannabis was put forward in relation to its enormous potential for the UK economy. This shows huge promise for Dalgety and all those within the industry that are looking to help patients with high quality GMP approved cannabis.
“Our operation was able to get off the ground after several years of research and planning, with our founders having contributed to the first round of investment. It is now time for us to take the next step to support the expansion of our team in finance, quality and regulation, medicinal research and development roles. This will enable us to ramp up production, improve the supply chain for complete control and create a better value product for the end user.
“A second round of investment will also help us develop our highly secure and purpose-built, indoor growing facility.”
Founded in 2016, Dalgety consists of senior personnel from the established North American cannabis market, as well as board members with experience in UK agriculture, government procurement and drug enforcement.
Production of medicinal cannabis is now well underway at its Castle Donington facility, with the business hoping to add at least 50 jobs over the next two years. It will also look to open its doors to university research projects and placements.
Leavesley added: “Getting on board with Dalgety is a truly unique and exciting opportunity for the right investor; a chance to be a market leader and potentially make a huge difference to the lives of people across the country living with chronic pain.
“It would ideally suit someone confident with early-stage start-ups where big growth can happen fast – as the industry is already experiencing significant interest, with share prices increasing. We are keen to speak to anyone who wants to find out more about Dalgety and its growth potential.”
