In Siena

The Mmp pharmaceutical workshop for Italian medical cannabis is born

While Materia Medica Processing emerges as a national player, the production monopoly remains with the Stabilimento Chimico Farmaceutico Militare in Florence

by Francesca Cerati

24 July 2025

3' min read

Key points

A growing market
The Italian supply chain: here's who really grows
Demand vs. production: how much do we really cover?
Treatment areas and patient access
What changes with Mmp

3' min read

Materia Medica Processing (Mmp), a startup founded in 2017 with operational headquarters inside the Toscana Life Sciences research centre in Siena, has obtained authorisations from Aifa and the Ufficio Centrale Stupefacenti (Ucs), becoming the first Italian Gmp-certified company for the processing, breakdown and packaging of cannabinoid-based active ingredients.

With this authorisation, Mmp is the only vertical pharma reality in Italy that can operate along the entire pharmaceutical chain: from the processing of the active ingredients (APIs), to packaging and distribution, consolidating its role as the first national operator in the medical cannabis sector. The Sienese laboratory can import, analyse and distribute medical cannabis inflorescences, including the Bedrocan variety (among the most prescribed in Europe), and Thc/Cbd-balanced oils, offering an integrated industrial model that is safe and compliant with the strict Gmp and Gdp standards.

A growing market

'The authorisation obtained from Aifa represents a milestone in our industrial journey and strengthens our position as a strategic enabler in the Italian medical cannabis supply chain. In a rapidly expanding market, we want to be a reliable partner for the healthcare system, helping to guarantee patients access to standardised and safe active ingredients," state Pietro Paolo Crocetta and Giovanni Isoldi, CEO and Coo of Materia Medica Processing, respectively. These authorisations complete a strategic regulatory pathway with the aim of bringing the startup to operate along the entire value chain: from the processing of active ingredients to hospital supplies, and on to retail distribution in pharmacies, helping to build a more structured, accessible and safe Italian supply chain".

According to Prohibition Partners, the global medical cannabis market is set to exceed USD 65 billion by 2030, driven by growing demand, more structured clinical standards and a progressively opening regulatory environment. In Italy, there are more than 50,000 patients undergoing treatment, and sales have increased by +25% in the last year.

The Italian supply chain: who really grows

In Italy, the only entity authorised to cultivate medical cannabis is the Stabilimento Chimico Farmaceutico Militare (Scfm) in Florence, a state-run facility directly reporting to the Agenzia Industrie Difesa. The Scfm is the only legal Italian laboratory that produces the herbal substances Fm1 and Fm2 for medical use, intended for pharmacies as magistral preparations.

Demand vs. production: how much do we really cover?

Against an estimated need of more than 1,200 kg equivalent, domestic production covers less than 20%, making the country heavily dependent on imports, especially from the Netherlands. The Ministry of Health decree in fact authorises the Scfm to produce up to 400 kg of medical cannabis (inflorescences) annually. According to ministerial data, in 2024 the total supplies of medical cannabis handled in the Italian system exceeded 1,694 kg, including domestic production, imports and distribution by wholesalers to pharmacies. In 2023, total consumption stood at 1,453 kg, slightly down from 2022 (1,560 kg).

Therapeutic areas and patient access

Medicinal cannabis may be prescribed by physicians to alleviate symptoms in various clinical settings: chronic oncological or neuropathic pain, spasticity in multiple sclerosis, nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy, appetite stimulation in cancer or AIDS patients, glaucoma, Huntington's chorea hysterics, Tourette's syndrome tics, and other neurological or rheumatological conditions. Prescription is only permitted after failure of standard therapies, and is not always reimbursed regionally.

Fm1 and Fm2 products are distributed as magistral preparations in pharmacies and cannot be purchased directly by patients, but only on prescription. In some regions, the cost may be covered by the Regional Health Service, but coverage is uneven.

What changes with Mmp

The birth of Materia medica processing represents a step forward in strengthening the national supply chain, which until now depended almost exclusively on military production and foreign imports. Mmp's integrated approach across the entire value chain will improve the availability of standardised active ingredients, strengthen product quality and potentially reduce procurement times. However, the crux remains the limited production capacity of the Scfm: supporting domestic demand will require expansions in domestic cultivation, bureaucratic simplifications and coordination between regions.