Company Interview / Getting high on women's health

Key Points:

ECS Botanics (ASX:ECS) developing new medicinal cannabis range for women’s health Focus on topical products and suppositories for targeted pain relief Recent capital raise to support expansion and international launches, including Germany AVANI AVA brand aimed at affordability and abolishing the ‘pink tax’ on women’s products

Nan-Maree Schoerie from ECS Botanics (ASX:ECS) outlines a new approach to medicinal cannabis, focusing on products tailored exclusively for women’s health. Schoerie notes that about 40% of medicinal cannabis users are women, with significant numbers seeking relief from menopause, period pain, and endometriosis. She highlights the lack of products specifically formulated for women, suggesting their needs differ from the typical user profile—the average being a 32-year-old male.

Schoerie emphasises a shift towards topical creams and vaginal suppositories, moving away from products that deliver strong psychoactive effects. This strategy targets pain relief and localised applications rather than broader effects associated with inhaled cannabis. She points out that ECS Botanics is responding to direct feedback from wellness practitioners and consumers, without making specific therapeutic claims.

Recent capital raising efforts at ECS Botanics were aimed at improving liquidity and supporting product launches in new markets, including Germany. While the new female-focused range, AVANI AVA, is expected to become available by 2026, Schoerie stresses affordability to grow the market and rejects the concept of a ‘pink tax’, assuring the products will not be marked up simply because they are tailored for women.