MARKHAM, Ontario, June 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- MedReleaf Corp., a leading Canadian manufacturer of medical-grade cannabis, has announced that it has entered into an exclusive partnership in New York State with Compassionate Care Center of New York^TM (CCCNY^TM), a leading biopharmaceutical company applying to become one of five Registered Organizations authorized in New York State to serve the condition-specific palliative needs of qualifying patients with safe and accessible pharmaceutical-grade therapeutics derived from the cannabis plant.

MedReleaf^TM has set the gold standard for the industrial production of medical-grade cannabis in North America. Its team of growers and horticulture experts will be on the ground at CCCNY's manufacturing facility, Newark Greenhouse, a currently-operating 10-acre greenhouse in Newark, NY, to ensure that New York patients have medical-grade product available to them by January 5, 2016. Also on the ground in Newark will be MedReleaf's head of Quality Assurance, Angelo Fefekos, CTBS, MLT, who will assume the role of Chief Compliance Officer and ensure that CCCNY strictly follows all of MedReleaf and New York State's quality assurance and control standards, and delivers medical-grade product with consistent cannabinoid profiles to New York patients in a timely and efficient manner. MedReleaf's CEO, Neil J. Closer, former executive at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital, has assumed the role of Chairman of the Board for CCCNY.

"MedReleaf spent months of due diligence, research and expense, searching for the right partner to enter into the New York market, and after meeting with a number of groups applying for a New York license, we determined that the management and leadership team at Compassionate Care Center of New York was by far the most qualified of any organization applying in New York State," said Neil J. Closner, CEO of MedReleaf and Chairman of CCCNY. "CCCNY's manufacturing greenhouse in Newark, NY, is turnkey and ready for immediate production, its dispensaries are currently-operating banks with walk-in vaults and teller windows that will be converted to pharmacy counters and are geographically distributed and situated along major New York State thruways on the outskirts of cities allowing for rural access, the security team has the best plan we have seen anywhere, and the financial strength of the company proves that CCCNY is the right organization to bring our products and manufacturing disciplines to New York."

CCCNY's leadership team consists of world-renowned medical, regulatory and law enforcement experts, including former Chief of Gastroenterology at New York's South Nassau Communities Hospital, pharmaceutical product developer, Dr. Lawrence I. Good, M.D., who has over 20 years of experience treating Cancer patients with MARINOL®, an FDA-approved synthetic THC product; former Vice Chairman of CVS Health Corporation and CEO of retail giants Loehmann's and Filene's Basement, Jerald Politzer; leading medical cannabis PTSD researcher, Dr. Suzanne Sisley, M.D.; regulatory affairs expert, Dr. Bruce Burnett; New York State licensed pharmacist, Robert Anicharico; former New York State Prosecutor and current Special Counsel to the New York State Troopers, Richard W. Lerner, Esq.; former Chief Security Officer of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Chief Joseph Dunne; and former NYPD Chief of Department, Chief Philip Banks III.

CCCNY holds the exclusive license in New York State to Haleigh's Hope,^TM a nationally renowned variety of medical cannabis, which has been instrumental in treating pediatric epilepsy. Haleigh's Hope contains among the highest levels of Cannabidiol (CBD) in the world, while still maintaining an extremely low, but therapeutic, level of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), rendering it incapable of producing a "high."

"MedReleaf has the highest quality assurance and control standards in North America and our partnership will allow CCCNY to help translate success from Canada to New York," said Dr. Larry Good, CEO of CCCNY. "MedReleaf's industrial growing experience will enable us to cultivate on a quality and scale that not only meets the demands of New York State patients, but gets medical-grade product in the hands of patients within the shortest amount of time, which will have a massive impact on public health in the State."

MedReleaf Corp.
MedReleaf^TM is a leading federally licensed producer and distributor of medical-grade cannabis operating under a license from Health Canada. The company operates a 55,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility in Markham, Ontario, and is currently one of the largest suppliers in the Canadian market. Its leadership team consists of highly skilled and expert professionals have extensive backgrounds in health care management, molecular plant genetics, biotechnology, horticulture, clinical laboratory management and operations. MedReleaf is dedicated to being a leading research and development driven producer of world-class cannabis grown to medical grade standards and to offering the finest range of consistent, premium cannabis products, using superior genetics sourced from around the world.

Compassionate Care Center of New York

Compassionate Care Center of New York^TM (CCCNY^TM) is a leading biopharmaceutical company applying for one of five medical cannabis registrations in New York State. Its senior leadership team of board certified physicians, pharmacists, health care workers, scientists and cultivation experts from around the world, have more than 100 years of combined experience working with medical cannabis and treating patients.  CCCNY holds the exclusive license in New York State for Haleigh's Hope,™ a nationally renowned variety of medical cannabis that has shown to effectively address all forms epilepsy and other neurological disorders. CCCNY will be in an unmatched position to provide the most consistent and effective medical cannabis-derived products to qualifying patients throughout New York State suffering from severe debilitating or life-threatening conditions.

SOURCE MedReleaf Corp.