The "natural product new drug," which looks to nature for cures, is drawing attention again. Natural substances derived from plants, animals, and minerals contain dozens or hundreds of active ingredients that act on various diseases. Among them, "medical cannabis" is a representative natural product new drug material. With scientifically proven effects in relieving pain and suppressing neural hyperexcitability, it is expanding the potential to treat complex diseases, including intractable epilepsy as well as cancer and dementia.
At the 1st Gangneung NP·BIO International Conference, to be held in Gangneung on Oct. 22–24, discussions will spotlight the latest research trends and industrial potential in natural products and biotechnology. In particular, medical cannabis will take center stage, with domestic and international research status and regulatory issues as key topics.
◇From narcotic to new drug: the scientific turn of "cannabis"
Cannabis has long been classified as a narcotic that causes hallucinations, with cultivation and use banned worldwide except for uses such as fabric and paper raw material. However, cannabidiol (CBD), a compound extracted from cannabis flowers and leaves, is being developed as a therapy because it is nonaddictive, relieves pain, and suppresses excessive neural excitation. Studies continue to find that CBD has therapeutic effects across a range of diseases, including epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, dementia, depression, and cancer.
Marijuana, known as a narcotic, contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which causes hallucinations and addiction. Cannabis flowers and leaves contain THC, but they also contain CBD, which has therapeutic effects. For cannabis to be turned into a therapy, CBD must be extracted from the flowers and leaves and the THC content reduced below 0.3% through purification.
A representative commercialization case is Epidiolex, an epilepsy treatment developed by the British pharmaceutical company GW Pharmaceuticals. In 2018, this drug became the world's first medical cannabis new drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It reduced seizure frequency by more than 50% in patients with Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, rare and intractable childhood epilepsies, and it has been used to treat tuberous sclerosis since 2021.
Epidiolex posted sales of $972.4 million last year. Starting this year, it is expected to join the ranks of blockbusters, large pharmaceuticals with annual sales exceeding $1 billion.
◇Research results piling up in Korea as well
In Korea, the most active research on medical cannabis is underway at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) Gangneung Institute of Natural Products. NeoCannBio, founded by Principal Researcher Ham Jeong-yeop, is leading anticancer drug development using medical cannabis compounds.
NeoCannBio recently confirmed in cell experiments that cotreatment with CBD and the chemotherapeutic etoposide promotes the death of lung cancer cells. The company's researchers said the two drugs block signaling pathways involved in cell growth and protein synthesis, lowering the survival rate of non-small cell lung cancer cells.
The researchers are conducting follow-up studies to verify combination effects with various anticancer drugs not only in lung cancer but also in other cancers such as liver and colorectal cancer. NeoCannBio also succeeded in extracting high-purity CBD in Korea for the first time in 2021, based on KIST's patented technology.
However, to commercialize CBD pharmaceuticals and export them overseas, it is necessary to establish facilities certified for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and go through approval procedures with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. For now, under subordinate regulations of the Narcotics Control Act, research and experiments are possible only within the scope of the ministry's approval.
◇Global legalization moves: Korea still in early steps
Medical cannabis is now legal in more than 56 countries, including 38 U.S. states, as well as Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia. Even Japan, which is conservative on narcotics, allowed CBD use last year, and France is also pushing to revise related laws.
Korea also allowed CBD treatments on a limited basis in 2019, but demands for reform are growing because patient eligibility is strict and insurance coverage is scant. In particular, clinical trials or commercial-scale production of CBD treatments are not possible domestically.
The Hemp Regulation Free Special Zone in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, launched in 2020 as a forward base for domestic production of medical cannabis, has yet to yield tangible commercialization results. Research institutions, bound by the Narcotics Control Act, also cannot conduct clinical trials involving actual patients.
Even so, public perception of medical cannabis is gradually changing. U.S. President Donald Trump, known for abstaining from alcohol and cigarettes and for complaining about the smell of marijuana, recently argued that medical cannabis should be covered by Medicare for seniors, raising expectations for expanded CBD use in the United States.
In Korea, a "medical cannabis revitalization forum" was held at the National Assembly for the first time in June, heating up the debate. The government is also reviewing a plan to allow cultivation of medical cannabis in border regions, including Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province.
Experts say medical cannabis can be more than just a new drug material, projecting that it could become a catalyst for growth in Korea's natural product new drug industry. If deregulation and institutional improvements proceed in tandem, Korea could rise as a "new drug powerhouse that finds answers in nature."
Ham Jeong-yeop, CEO of NeoCannBio, will speak on the first day of the Gangneung natural products and biotechnology international conference, presenting on the current state of medical cannabis development and market outlook.
■The 1st Gangneung NP·BIO International Conference
△Date and time: Wed.–Fri., Oct. 22–24, 2025
△Venue: 4th floor, St. John's Hotel Gangneung
△Hosted by: Gangneung City, Gangneung Tourism Development Corporation, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) Gangneung Institute of Natural Products, Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), ChosunBiz
△Registration and inquiries: 070-5142-0540, Diana@withnnp.com
△Exhibition booth inquiries: 02-724-6064, pkb@chosunbiz.com