Outgoing Caddie proud of Rua’s achievements

NEXT MISSIONS: Rua Bioscience co-founder Manu Caddie says he is leaving the company in good hands and has other interests to pursue. Picture supplied

Rua Bioscience co-founder Manu Caddie has resigned from the Tairāwhiti-based medicinal cannabis company after helping set it up.

Mr Caddie says his skills are in creating something where not much existed before, then supporting others who know more about it than himself to take over.

“That has been what has happened with most of the organisations and projects I've been involved with establishing in Tairāwhiti over the past 25 years,” he said.

Cannabis was the third cab off the rank after joint venture Hikurangi Bioactives was started in 2016.

“Kānuka and kīna were the first two organisms we were working on with locals before we looked into hemp and medicinal cannabis,” Mr Caddie said.

“So while I invested a lot of time and money into Rua Bioscience early on, my real passion has remained with indigenous taonga species that could have therapeutic potential.

“From 2018 we quickly built a very talented team and the current Rua Bio staff know far more about all aspects of the medicine, company and industry than I do now.”

Mr Caddie said he had only been working one day a week at Rua for the last year.

“I learned a lot about business, medicines development and manufacturing, investment, regulations, plant cultivation, importing and exporting controlled drugs during my time with Rua — all useful stuff to take into other projects I'm working on.”

Rua Bioscience chairman Trevor Burt says Mr Caddie had made an indelible mark on the company.

“People invest in people and that simple mantra is really true with Rua. Manu attracted a wide variety of people to Rua with his passionate and genuine approach and his innovative ideas. He has been fundamental in founding the company and will always be part of us.”

Mr Caddie has no plans to leave Tairāwhiti.

“I married into the Coast and we have built our house on Tarsh's (his wife) whānau land at Penu Pa.”

While he had not been responsible for the company since before Covid-19 arrived, he felt like he would always be answerable for what Rua did or did not do.

“My co-founder Panapa Ehau and I knew that's what we were getting into and we can live with that. It's still a high-risk investment and everything has taken longer than expected but I know everyone involved has done their very best to create a sustainable company that provides affordable medicines to patients both here and overseas.”

He has recently set up a couple of other companies.

“While my new focus includes a marae-based medical research initiative within Tairāwhiti, I've been heavily involved in an exciting project in the Waikato with one of my own iwi and have also been working with a group of Māori horticulturists in the Bay of Plenty who are interested in higher value products and IP, not cannabis-related.”

Mr Caddie said he would remain a strong advocate for the industry.

“The world has changed a lot since we started in 2016 and so has the industry, but there is plenty more work to do. There are key issues that I would like to see advanced, particularly around the classification of Cbd (cannabidiol), and I look forward to progressing those further.”

He is proud of the mahi he has done with Rua.

“We attracted some great people to the company and I'm most proud of the opportunities we've created for school students in the region to get a glimpse of a really different industry to what we're used to seeing in Tairāwhiti, the support the company has provided for tertiary students and the connections we've supported between our communities and research institutions around the country.”

His last day is September 30.