From Junior Apprentice to medicinal cannabis entrepreneur
At just 17 years old, Arjun Rajyagor was told by Lord Alan Sugar he had "natural business flair combined with intelligence" and could be "the best at whatever he wants to do".The Maths whizz-kid from Essex had been awarded £25,000 for winning the first series of the BBC's Junior Apprentice in 2010.Now 32, he has not disappointed, having found success with his medicinal cannabis business.He cares for his chronically ill mother and the family explored it as a treatment when it was legalised in 2018.Arjun said Lord Sugar still showed interest in his life and career."Lord Sugar's always there should I ever need business advice or I want to make a call to understand how something works."It's always nice to know that I've got him in my corner.
From 1 November 2018, specialist hospital doctors have been able to prescribe medicinal cannabis products in a limited number of circumstances where other medicines have failed.Treatments can be prescribed in cases including severe and rare forms of epilepsy in children, adults with vomiting or nausea caused by chemotherapy, and adults with muscle stiffness and spasms caused by multiple sclerosis.Approved products include Epidyolex, which is a highly purified liquid containing cannabidiol (CBD).It does not get patients high because it does not contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).Arjun's business, which was incorporated in 2023, is known as a software as a service (SaaS) platform.It offers doctors an internet cloud they can use to speed up the prescription process.Arjun, from South Ockendon, says 10,000 prescriptions go through his platform each month.He says growing up in his parents' post office taught him about the "balance" in business, but he said his mother's health was the reason for his latest venture.He told the BBC: "My mum (Usha) is not well, she's been bedridden for the last 15 years or so and is a chronic pain patient, and as a primary carer, I was kind of looking for something to help her, and when medicinal cannabis was legalised in 2018, it was something we decided to explore, because we tried everything else, and there were no other options available to us really."
During the Junior Apprentice series, Arjun wore a cupcake outfit for eight hours during a selling task."You get dropped into some of the most complicated, but most interesting problem spaces and told to sink or swim. Which I guess is a good representation of what life can be like at times," he explained."It did teach me that when it comes to business, there is nothing that is below your pay grade."In the final task he had to market a bottle of water.He was already running a computer repair business from home when he was "hired" by Lord Sugar.He recalls being "recognised on the street" and being asked for pictures afterwards."I remember Year 7 students who'd just come in [to school] - kind of in awe looking at me and I was a really weird."
Junior Apprentice ran for three seasons before being axed in 2012, but Arjun says he still occasionally touches base with his fellow candidates via a WhatsApp group."I'll check on everyone at least once a year to check what they're up to."
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