Founder’s Message
Health, wellbeing and quality of life have been important themes throughout my life.
My interest became much more personal through the experience of caring for my father. In his twenties, he suffered a significant head trauma following a motorcycle accident. Later in life, he experienced serious deterioration in his memory and other mental faculties.
As one of his principal carers during the final ten years of his life, I witnessed firsthand the impact that declining health can have not only on an individual, but also on their family.
His experience left me with a strong interest in understanding emerging approaches to health, wellbeing and quality of life.
When the Australian Government changed the legislative framework surrounding medicinal cannabis in 2016, I began researching the field in much greater depth.
What started as curiosity quickly became something much larger.
I became fascinated by the history of cannabis, the emerging scientific research surrounding the plant and the development of regulated medicinal cannabis industries around the world.
My partner Emanuela and I eventually made the decision to focus our professional activities on this emerging industry.
In 2017, we established Medicinal Organic Cannabis Australia — MOCA.
The word Organic was included deliberately.
From the beginning, we believed that the way plants are cultivated, products are produced and supply chains are developed matters. Quality, responsible production and respect for the environment became important principles behind the company.
We also wanted MOCA to be international in its outlook.
Over the years we have developed relationships with scientists, healthcare professionals, cultivators, manufacturers, suppliers and industry participants in Australia and internationally.
MOCA has evolved considerably since those early days, and it will continue to evolve.
Today we are building upon the experience, relationships and infrastructure developed since 2017 while looking toward a much larger future for the company.
Our ambition is to contribute responsibly to the development of medicinal cannabis and, increasingly, the broader world of plant-based therapeutics.
I believe we are still at the beginning of that journey.
Alessandro Sorbello
Founder & Managing Director
Medicinal Organic Cannabis Australia