Move may provide an opportunity for Plandai's research to move forward in South Africa
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwired - Dec 8, 2016) - Plandaí Biotechnology, Inc. (OTCQB: PLPL) ("Plandaí" or "the Company"),
producer of the highly bioavailable Phytofare® catechin complex, today announced the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee
on Health in South Africa outlined a clear plan endorsing the need for greater availability of medicinal cannabis to those who
suffer from chronic pain. This action may pave the way for parliament to pass the Medical Innovation Bill proposed by Dr. Mario
Ambrosini in 2013. Plandaí submitted a letter in support of this bill and campaigned for its passage over the past three years.
This recent shift in the Department of Health's position with respect to cannabis medical research may lead to the bill's passage
in the near future. Apart from the well-known medical benefits of cannabis, such as reducing nausea, improving appetite, and
reducing anxiety, previous third party research suggests that medical cannabis may be useful in the treatment of many chronic
conditions such as Glaucoma, Parkinson's, epilepsy, seizures, dementia, Alzheimer's, arthritis, chronic pain and multiple
sclerosis.
In April 2014, Plandaí applied for a research license under the South African Medicines and Related Substances Act No. 101 of
1965 to undertake defined cannabis-related medicinal research; however, the South African Government took no action on this
request and the Company halted its development efforts. Due to the Department of Health's revised position and support of
the Ambrosini bill, Plandaí's South Africa legal representatives sent a letter on December 5, 2016 to the South African
Director-General of Health, requesting clarification on the Department of Health's position on granting research licenses in
light of the Dept. of Health's endorsement. Should the Dept. of Health decide to grant research licenses, Plandaí may then
move forward with plans to validate and clinically develop its Phytofare® extract in South Africa in conjunction with North West
University's Drug Development Platform.
The Company's 2014 Cannabis initiative was focused on the possible development of a cannabis extract utilizing its Phytofare®
technology with the objective to design a non-psychoactive, full profile Cannabis complex of all 113 known cannabinoids. The
Company's unique extraction process should prohibit the metabolizing of non-psychoactive acid-form cannabinoids (THC-A and THCB),
resulting in an extract that could deliver all the potential medical benefits from a full cannabinoid complex without being
psychoactive.
Roger Baylis-Duffield, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Plandaí Biotechnology, stated, "We are pleased to see this
change in the department's stance on medical cannabis and are looking forward to producing and testing our Phytofare® cannabinoid
complex in the near future in South Africa. It gives us pleasure in knowing that Dr. Ambrosini's bill is close to being passed
even after his death and we hope to continue in his memory with research for which he was so passionate."
About Plandaí Biotechnology, Inc.
Plandaí Biotechnology, Inc. and its subsidiaries develop highly bioavailable extracts. It controls every aspect of
the process, from growing the raw materials on its farms in South Africa, to producing its proprietary Phytofare® extracts
in-house, allowing the Company to guarantee the continuity of supply as well as quality control throughout the entire process.
Targeted industries for the Company's products include cosmeceutical, wellness, anti-aging, pharmaceutical and animal
husbandry.
For more information, please visit http://www.plandaibiotech.com.
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