Ntais Christos, Kontodimopoulos Nikolaos, Melanthiou Yioula
Healthcare Management Program, School of Economics & Management, Open University of Cyprus.
Marketing Department, School of Business, University of Nicosia.
Cannabis. 2025 Jul 15;8(2):129-140. doi: 10.26828/cannabis/2025/000316. eCollection 2025.
Medical cannabis has emerged as a promising therapeutic option, but its market acceptance faces significant regulatory, societal, and scientific challenges. This study explores pharmaceutical business managers' perspectives on marketing strategies, brand architecture, and the value proposition of medical cannabis, aiming to identify approaches to overcome these barriers and guide policymaking.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 pharmaceutical managers to explore key challenges and strategies.
Key themes included the need for extensive scientific research, targeted communication to address stigma, effective marketing tactics, and long-term sustainability. Participants stressed the importance of rigorous, disease-specific research to establish medical cannabis' therapeutic efficacy and build trust with healthcare providers and patients. Societal stigma was identified as a major barrier, with participants advocating for communication strategies that distinguish medical cannabis from recreational use and educate stakeholders. Marketing strategies focused on creating a unique value proposition, strong brand identity, and adaptive approaches to meet the diverse needs of healthcare professionals, regulators, and patients. Additionally, phased market entry strategies, beginning with pilot programs in regions with progressive regulatory environments, were recommended to pave the way for broader market expansion.
This study offers valuable insights into the marketing management and policymaking necessary for integrating medical cannabis into the pharmaceutical market. By addressing regulatory uncertainties, societal stigma, and scientific gaps, pharmaceutical companies can unlock the full potential of medical cannabis as a credible therapeutic product. These findings lay the groundwork for future research and policymaking to promote sustainable growth in the emerging medical cannabis market.
医用大麻已成为一种有前景的治疗选择，但其市场接受度面临重大的监管、社会和科学挑战。本研究探讨制药企业经理对医用大麻营销策略、品牌架构和价值主张的看法，旨在确定克服这些障碍的方法并为政策制定提供指导。
对12名制药经理进行了半结构化访谈，以探讨关键挑战和策略。
关键主题包括需要进行广泛的科学研究、针对性沟通以消除污名、有效的营销策略以及长期可持续性。参与者强调了针对特定疾病进行严谨研究以确立医用大麻治疗效果并与医疗服务提供者和患者建立信任的重要性。社会污名被视为主要障碍，参与者主张采用沟通策略，将医用大麻与娱乐用途区分开来，并对利益相关者进行教育。营销策略侧重于创造独特的价值主张、强大的品牌形象以及适应性方法，以满足医疗专业人员、监管机构和患者的多样化需求。此外，建议采用分阶段的市场进入策略，从监管环境较为宽松的地区开展试点项目开始，为更广泛的市场扩张铺平道路。
本研究为将医用大麻融入制药市场所需的营销管理和政策制定提供了宝贵见解。通过解决监管不确定性、社会污名和科学差距，制药公司可以释放医用大麻作为可信治疗产品的全部潜力。这些发现为未来促进新兴医用大麻市场可持续增长的研究和政策制定奠定了基础。
