Author: Hazel Norman

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Cannabis Decriminalization Measure Expected To Be Introduced In Jersey

Written by Hazel Norman on April 20, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Cannabis reform on the European continent is shaping up to look different than it does in the Western Hemisphere. In North and South America, cannabis legalization involves large-scale cannabis sales such as what is in place in Uruguay, Canada, and parts of the United States.

Cannabis is sold in pharmacies in Uruguay, and via just about every means imaginable in Canada and the United States, from brick-and-mortar storefronts to home delivery. Adult-use cannabis policies in Europe are more of a patchwork of individual exceptions, experimental pilot programs, and noncommercial cannabis clubs.

Germany, which implemented the first provisions of its adult-use measure on April 1st, will eventually incorporate most of Europe’s legalization components and serves as the best example of what legalization will likely look like in Europe in the coming years. Currently, adults in Germany can cultivate, possess, and consume cannabis. This July, noncommercial cannabis clubs are expected to launch.

Eventually, Germany will also permit regional adult-use cannabis legalization pilot programs, such as what is in place in a limited fashion in Switzerland and the Netherlands. Those various components of Germany’s legalization model combine to demonstrate the limits to legalization in Europe due to European Union agreements.

Jersey is the latest country to consider adult-use cannabis policy modernization efforts. A measure is expected to be introduced this year in Jersey that would update the country’s adult-use enforcement policies. Per IVT:

Deputy Tom Coles is drawing up a proposal that would see cannabis decriminalised for personal use on the island.

The rules around cannabis have already eased this year; repeat offenders in possession of small amounts can be sent to their parish hall to be fined rather than going through the courts.

But this latest move would mean that any personal use of small quantities would be decriminalised.

Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands between England and France, is an island nation and self-governing British Crown Dependency. Jersey’s economy currently revolves around finance center activities, with such activity accounting for nearly 40% of economic activity in Jersey and 70% of the island nation’s tax revenue.

Home to an emerging legal medical cannabis industry, according to Jersey’s Economic Development Minister medical cannabis will play a key role in the nation’s economy going forward.

Morocco Unveils Logo For Legal Cannabis Products

Written by Hazel Norman on April 15, 2024. Posted in Business, Policy.

Last month Morocco’s Agence Nationale de Réglementation des Activités relatives au Cannabis (ANRAC) reported the nation’s first legal cannabis crop, which totaled a reported 294 metric tons. It was a major milestone for a nation that has long been associated with the cannabis trade, albeit the unregulated cannabis trade.

Historically, Morocco is one of the world’s largest sources of unregulated cannabis, with Moroccan cannabis being particularly popular in Europe. The first legal harvest reported last month is part of a new government program in Morocco that was launched to give cannabis farmers in the North African nation a path to join the regulated industry.

Morocco first adopted its current medical cannabis policy in 2021. The measure authorized the legal production of cannabis for medical, cosmetic, and industrial uses, as well as tasked a national agency to oversee the launch and operation of the industry.

In March 2022, Morocco’s government selected three provinces where medical cannabis would eventually be legally cultivated for domestic and export purposes. Roughly three months later, the nation’s national cannabis regulatory agency, ANRAC, met for the first time. In October 2022, Morocco issued its first cannabis production permits.

Now, the North African nation has announced that it has adopted an official logo for legal cannabis products created within its borders:

Many legal jurisdictions adopt an official symbol for cannabis products for various reasons, not the least of which is to alert people that the product contains cannabinoids. For Morocco, given its long history with the cannabis plant, the logo could eventually become more than just a symbol for legal cannabis products, but rather, a symbol for the nation’s entire emerging legal industry.

According to excerpts from initial reporting by Morocco World News, “The official gazette notice emphasized that the logo should be used as a label on all legalized cannabis products…It further emphasized that if the color used in the logo is not possible, the logo can be used in black and white.

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Medical Cannabis To Be ‘Significant’ Part Of Jersey’s Economy According To Deputy

Written by Hazel Norman on April 14, 2024. Posted in Business, Policy.

Home to roughly 100,000 people, 66% of the total resident population of Jersey were of working age as of 2021 (women and men aged 16 to 64 years). About a sixth (18%) were above working age and another sixth (16%) were below working age in 2021.

Jersey, like every other country on the planet, can benefit from the economic boost that the emerging legal medical cannabis industry can provide. According to Jersey’s Economic Development Minister medical cannabis will play a key role in the nation’s economy going forward. Per Jersey Evening Post:

JERSEY’s medicinal cannabis industry is still on course to become a “significant” part of the economy – having already generated around £60 million of investment in the Island – the Economic Development Minister has claimed.

Deputy Kirsten Morel said that local growers had contended with high start-up costs and strict regulatory standards, but that his department expected demand for medicinal cannabis to grow as more countries allowed for it to be prescribed.

In 2021, former Economic Development Minister – now Chief Minister – Lyndon Farnham predicted that the industry would start generating “meaningful returns” within five years and that it could become a “mainstay” of Jersey’s economy.

Unfortunately, not everyone is excited about Jersey’s medical cannabis industry. Police Chief Robin Smith is calling for tighter control of the country’s emerging industry, claiming that “entrepreneurial criminals” see the industry as “an opportunity to commit crime.”

“We have one case currently – and we have had others – where we believe that some people are dealing in medicinal cannabis via their prescriptions, or other people’s prescriptions. It is not a huge number but it is inevitable because that’s what happens when criminals get entrepreneurial,” Chief Smith stated according to Jersey Evening Post.

The police chief’s anecdotal evidence is limited at best, and just as many countries around the world are benefitting from a booming medical cannabis industry without any widespread issues, the same will presumably be true in Jersey in the coming years.

Industrial Hemp Bill Is Defeated In Bulgaria

Written by Hazel Norman on April 13, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Prior to cannabis prohibition being enacted across the globe, the hemp plant was widely used by many different societies around the world. The hemp plant is arguably the most versatile plant on earth and can be used as an input for everything from textiles to wellness products.

One of the many examples of how the hemp plant can be used is hemp fiber. Humans have used the hemp plant to make fibers for a multitude of purposes for centuries. In fact, archaeologists and historians have confirmed that ancient civilizations in China used hemp fiber to make pottery going as far back as 4,000 BCE.

Many countries around the world have already modernized their policies to permit industrial hemp production and processing, with many more being in the process of making such policy changes. Unfortunately, Bulgaria is not one of them. An industrial hemp processing measure was recently defeated in Bulgaria. Per the Bulgarian News Agency:

In a first-reading procedure on Wednesday, the National Assembly defeated a bill to amend and supplement the Control of Narcotic Substances and Precursors Act moved by MP Rosen Kosturkov of Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB). The bill was supported by 49 members of CC-DB. Another 81 MPs voted against, and 31 abstained from voting.

The changes were aimed to provide a possibility to process industrial hemp in Bulgaria in addition to growing the plant. It would make it legal for plants of the hemp family (cannabis), intended for making products without a psychoactive effect, to be processed by permission of the minister of agriculture.

Bulgaria’s Customs Agency helped doom the measure via its opposition, citing a lack of resources to test harvests to see if it has a low enough THC content. A lack of laboratory capacity was specifically cited as part of the agency’s opposition.

From a purely scientific standpoint, hemp is cannabis, which is why many civilizations have often referred to all cannabis as ‘hemp.’ However, in recent years many governments around the globe have created policies and rules that distinguish hemp from non-hemp cannabis, with THC content being the separating criteria.

For instance, currently in the United Kingdom cannabis harvests that contain .2% or lower THC content are considered to be hemp. Above the .2% THC threshold is non-hemp. In the United States, the threshold is .3% THC and many countries around the world permit a 1% THC threshold.

Changes To Industrial Hemp Licensing Coming To The UK

Written by Hazel Norman on April 12, 2024. Posted in Policy.

The United Kingdom’s hemp industry is set to undergo some changes, with the UK government recently announcing changes to the industrial hemp licensing process. The changes are being touted as supporting “regulated farmers to grow hemp” and encouraging investment in the UK’s emerging hemp industry.

From a scientific standpoint, hemp is cannabis. However, many governments around the world have created laws that distinguish hemp from non-hemp cannabis, with THC content being the distinguishing feature. In the UK for instance, cannabis harvests that contain .2% or lower THC content is considered to be hemp. Above the .2% THC threshold is non-hemp.

“Under the planned changes, licence holders will be able to grow hemp anywhere on a licensed farm and the maximum period for a licence will be extended from three to six years, subject to compliance with the terms of the licence.” the United Kingdom’s government stated on its website announcing the changes.

The changes will go into effect in 2025, in time for the hemp planting season. The UK government has also asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to advise on whether the threshold for permissible THC levels in industrial hemp could be raised to 0.3%. The United States uses a .3% threshold, whereas many European nations have thresholds as high as 1% THC content.

“This government will always seek to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens placed on businesses so that they can flourish and grow.” stated Chris Philp, Minister for Crime and Policing about the changes. “The changes outlined today will help farmers and manufacturers in the UK to fully realise the economic potential offered through the safe and legal cultivation of hemp.”

“Industrial hemp has huge potential across the UK to unlock new revenue streams, expand our bioeconomy without permanently removing land from food production, and bring wider environmental benefits.” stated UK Farming Minister Mark Spencer.

“The licensing changes announced today recognise industrial hemp as a field-grown agricultural crop and will enable more farmers to add hemp to their crop rotations, sequester carbon, and sell their harvest to the textile and construction industries.” he also stated.

Non-hemp cannabis is still prohibited in the United Kingdom for recreational use and is currently classified as a Class B controlled drug under Part 2 of Schedule 2 in the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Cannabis possession can result in a maximum sentence of up to 5 years imprisonment, a fine, or both in the UK. Illegally distributing cannabis carries a maximum sentence of up to 14 years imprisonment, a fine, or both.

The number of hemp licenses in the United Kingdom has increased from six in 2013 to 136 in 2023. A first-time hemp license in the UK costs £580, and the license is valid for three growing seasons. Growers who apply for subsequent licenses currently pay £326, or less than £109 per year.

The global hemp fiber market revenue alone was estimated to be worth $7.55 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to grow to $73.55 billion by 2030.

Adult-Use Cannabis Commerce Pilot Project Begins In Bern, Switzerland

Written by Hazel Norman on April 8, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Back in November 2023, government officials in Bern, Switzerland announced that long-awaited registration was open for adult cannabis consumers who wanted to participate in a regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot project.

Municipalities in Switzerland are permitted to apply to launch pilot projects under certain conditions in which adult consumers, cultivators, and retail outlets can legally conduct cannabis commerce activities for the purpose of research.

Such projects are already operating in Basel and Zurich with no reported issues. Now adult participants in Bern will also be allowed to participate in the ongoing public policy experiment. Per Swiss Info:

The study is being conducted by the Institute of Primary Health Care at the University of Bern. The cities of Biel/Bienne and Lucerne are also involved. A total of over 1,000 people from the three cities are expected to take part.

Over 900 cannabis users from the Bern region registered and 700 have been included in the study, according to the city of Bern. Of these, 80% are men.

Participants will reportedly be able to make purchases of ten different products as part of the program in Bern. In total, seven trials are underway in Switzerland to some degree, from accepting registrations to being fully operational.

Regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot projects are also in existence in the Netherlands. Similar to Switzerland, where an estimated 15,000 adults are participating in the trials out of a national population of nearly 9 million people, the cannabis commerce pilots in the Netherlands are fairly small in size and scope.

Germany is also expected to launch regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot projects, however, the size and scope of Germany’s projects are expected to be much larger comparatively.

60% Of Netherlands Residents Want A Regulated Cannabis Industry

Written by Hazel Norman on April 8, 2024. Posted in Business, Policy.

Few places on earth, if any, have as long and as storied of a history with cannabis consumption as the Netherlands. Amsterdam, which was home to the Cannabis Cup international competition for many years, has served as a top international cannabis tourist destination for decades.

Yet, as many parts of the world have successfully modernized their cannabis policies, the Netherlands has lagged behind on such reforms in many ways. Much of the cannabis industry in the Netherlands is still unregulated, with many of the nation’s famed cannabis cafes operating in a legal gray area at best.

According to a recent poll, a strong majority of residents in the Netherlands want to install regulations around the country’s cannabis industry, rather than letting the status quo remain. Per NL Times:

Six in ten Netherlands residents believe that the production, supply, and sale of cannabis and hashish should be legal. It is currently prohibited to grow cannabis, and growers are also not allowed to supply coffee shops, but the government tolerates the sale. Only 11 percent believe this current policy works well and nothing needs to change. That is the conclusion of Kieskompas and ANP based on a survey completed by over 6,000 Dutch people.

In almost all provinces, a majority is in favor of legalization. That group is the largest in Groningen and Flevoland, at around 70 percent. People from Drenthe and Zeeland are the least likely to favor legalization and are also the most likely to think that weed should not be tolerated at all.

Limited regional adult-use cannabis commerce trials are currently in operation in the Netherlands. Such trials permit a limited number of consumers, cultivators, and retailers to conduct cannabis production and purchases. The trials in the Netherlands first launched in December 2023 after a long delay.

For a time earlier this year, it appeared that the trials in the Netherlands would be halted, if not eliminated. However, such proposals have failed to materialize so far. Trials were approved in the Netherlands in Breda, Tilburg, Arnhem, Almere, Groningen, Heerlen, Hellevoetsluis, Maastricht, Nijmegen, and Zaanstad.

A proposal to expand the cannabis trials to include the Amsterdam-Oost district was recently denied by members of the Netherlands Parliament.

Thailand’s Government Changes Tone About Cannabis Ban

Written by Hazel Norman on April 7, 2024. Posted in Policy.

In June 2022, Thailand modernized its cannabis policies to permit adult-use cannabis cultivation and possession in instances involving cannabis varieties that are low in THC. As recently as February of this year, Thailand was expected to go backward on its cannabis policies and re-prohibit all forms of recreational cannabis cultivation and use.

When Thailand reformed its cannabis policies back in 2022, it was a monumental shift for a nation that is located in a region that has long been home to some of the harshest cannabis penalties on earth, including nations that still issue the death penalty for cannabis-only offenses.

At the time of Thailand’s policy shift, the measure was hailed as an amazing achievement for the global cannabis reform movement, with cannabis being removed from Thailand’s list of banned substances.

Thailand’s new approach involved permitting every household in the entire country to sign up to legally cultivate low-THC cannabis plants. There were no plant limits for the government’s cultivation program when it launched, and Thailand’s government even gave away over 1 million cannabis seeds directly to households that signed up.

A broad spectrum of government agencies in Thailand agreed leading up to the implementation to do their part to push Thailand’s emerging cannabis industry forward. Thailand also released thousands of people serving time for cannabis offenses. That all changed in August 2023 when a new prime minister was elected, with the new incumbent vocally opposing cannabis reform.

Members of Thailand’s government have changed their tone about plans for changes to the nation’s cannabis law, although the future result seems to likely be the same. Per excerpts from The Nation:

Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew said the government will soon pass a bill that ensures marijuana is used for medical and health purposes only.

Cholnan made this comment on Tuesday to apparently correct Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who recently told an online news site that his government will be putting marijuana back on the list of narcotics.

Putting marijuana back on the narcotics list would spark conflicts between coalition leader Pheu Thai and key partner Bhumjaithai.

The rhetoric being thrown around in Thailand is confusing, and largely seems to involve political semantics. If a measure is passed in Thailand that bans recreational cannabis use and limits cannabis to approved medical use only, it will further shut down what was rapidly becoming a thriving industry in Thailand. Only time will tell if/when that proves to be the case.

Ireland Has Only Approved 53 Patients For Medical Cannabis In Recent Years

Written by Hazel Norman on March 27, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Ireland adopted a medical cannabis policy reform measure back in 2019, however, it took many years for patients to be permitted to safely access medical cannabis therapeutics in the European country.

Medical cannabis policy modernization efforts have spread across the globe in recent decades, with many countries adopting medical cannabis policies and regulations that are more or less strict than others.

Ireland’s medical cannabis program is much more restrictive compared to other nations, including nations in Europe, and that is reflected in the low number of patients that have received approval in recent years. Per Independent:

Around 53 people have been approved to take medical cannabis in recent years with the number of conditions it can treat likely to be increased.

In a parliamentary response to Independent TD Violet-Anne Wynne, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said the purpose of the programme was to enable compassionate access to cannabis for medical reasons, where conventional treatment has failed.

Mr Donnelly said: “It follows the clear pathway laid out by the Health Products Regulatory Authority in their expert report ‘Cannabis for Medical Use – A Scientific Review’.”

Medical cannabis programs are only as good as the number of qualifying conditions that patients can qualify for, and Ireland limits the program to spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis, intractable nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, and severe, treatment-resistant epilepsy.

Even in instances in which a patient suffers from one or more of those conditions, they can only be approved to seek medical cannabis therapies in Ireland after they have exhausted all other prescribed medications and treatment regimens.

Canadian Ministers Release Final Report On Cannabis Act

Written by Hazel Norman on March 27, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Canada became the second country on earth to pass a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure back in 2018. The only other country to have done so prior to Canada was Uruguay, which passed its own national adult-use cannabis legalization measure in 2013.

Since 2018, three other nations have passed a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure – Malta in 2021, Luxembourg in 2023, and Germany this year. The first provisions of Germany’s legalization measure are set to go into effect on April 1, 2024.

Canada, for the time being, represents the biggest cannabis public policy experiment to date, and there is a lot that other governments can learn from Canada’s experience. As part of Canada’s legalization effort, various ministers were tasked with providing a final report in conjunction with an independent Expert Panel.

“This final report is the result of the extensive work conducted by the independent Expert Panel, chaired by Morris Rosenberg, that led the review over the last 18 months. The report provides an independent assessment on progress made towards achieving the Act’s objectives to protect the health and safety of Canadians and displace the illegal market.” Health Canada stated in a news release.

“Since the launch of the review in September 2022, the Expert Panel engaged extensively with a wide range of cannabis stakeholders to better understand the impacts of the cannabis legislative framework and the challenges and opportunities that exist within the sector. The panel held nearly 140 engagement sessions and heard from over 600 participants. They met with the public, other levels of government, people who access cannabis for medical purposes, youth, the cannabis industry, law enforcement, marginalized and racialized communities, and public health experts. They also undertook distinctions-based engagement activities with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis to further understand the impacts of cannabis and the Cannabis Act on Indigenous persons and communities.” Health Canada also stated.

The report’s compilers found that Canada has made significant progress on several of the government’s ‘key objectives’ of its legalization effort, including:

the establishment of a licensing framework supporting a legal industry that is providing adult consumers with a quality-controlled supply of a variety of cannabis products
steady progress in shifting adult consumers to the legal cannabis market
for the most part, adherence to rules on promotion, packaging and labelling, including prohibitions about making claims about health or lifestyle benefits
a significant reduction (95% between 2017 and 2022) in the number of charges for the possession of cannabis and minimizing the negative impact on some individuals from interactions with the criminal justice system

The final report identifies 54 recommendations and 11 observations that its authors have determined will strengthen and improve Canada’s cannabis policies and regulations. Additionally, Statistics Canada recently found that 72% of consumers in Canada report making their cannabis purchases from the regulated market.

Japan Sets Record For Arresting Young Cannabis Consumers

Written by Hazel Norman on March 21, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Cannabis use by young people is a very serious topic that is worthy of a serious conversation and public policy approach. It’s a topic that should be driven by science and logic, and not by fear-mongering. Unfortunately, Japan appears to be taking the wrong approach.

Japan set a national record last year for arresting more young people for cannabis than ever before. The record comes at a time when Japan is revamping its cannabis policies and stepping up cannabis prohibition enforcement.

Last December, Japan’s government adopted a measure that expressly prohibited half a dozen synthetic cannabinoids. That measure’s adoption came weeks after Japan approved separate legislation that permitted some cannabis-derived medications to be imported to Japan, but also increased penalties for cannabis consumers.

Last year’s arrest data involving young consumers setting a record is not a surprise given the heightened focus on enforcement in 2023. Per The Japan Times:

The number of marijuana offenders under the age of 20 increased 34% to 1,222 last year, marking a record high, according to National Police Agency data released Thursday.

The figure for cannabis cases involving those under age 20 had decreased for the first time in nine years in 2022.

By age, the number of suspects sharply increased after 16 and remained high until around 20, after which it began to decline.

Japan’s National Police Agency is blaming “the lack of awareness surrounding the harmfulness of drugs” for the rise in arrests, and claiming that drugs “are now becoming easier to obtain” in Japan. The Agency’s reported plan going forward is to boost anti-cannabis education in Japan’s high schools.

If history is any guide, Japan will never be able to arrest its way to zero cannabis use, just as no other country can ever achieve such an unrealistic goal. Some amount of young people in every country, including in Japan, will experiment with cannabis, and while they shouldn’t be encouraged to do so, they also shouldn’t have their lives ruined because of it.

Cabinet Approval For Thai Cannabis Ban Expected Later This Month

Written by Hazel Norman on March 18, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Thailand made regional history in 2022 when lawmakers in the Southeastern Asian country implemented a cannabis decriminalization measure. Unfortunately, less than two years after the measure took effect, lawmakers in Thailand are seeking to reverse the policy.

At the time of decriminalization’s enactment, the measure was hailed as an amazing achievement for the global cannabis reform movement, with cannabis being removed from Thailand’s list of banned substances.

The monumental policy shift served as a particularly big deal in the region where Thailand is located, with many countries in the area still having some of the harshest cannabis penalties on earth.

That all changed in August 2023 when a new prime minister was elected, with the new incumbent vocally opposing cannabis reform. Now, members of Thailand’s Cabinet are expected to approve a cannabis ban later this month. Per excerpts from Al Jazeera:

But the Thai government is looking to stamp out cannabis culture with a ban on its recreational use to be rolled out by the end of the year. Medical use will still be permitted.

In an interview with Reuters last month, Thai Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew described recreational marijuana as a “misuse” of cannabis that has a negative impact on Thai children and could lead to other drug abuses.

The Thai government’s draft law banning recreational use of cannabis will be up for cabinet approval later this month.

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Morocco Reports First Legal Cannabis Harvest

Written by Hazel Norman on March 18, 2024. Posted in Business, Policy.

According to Morocco’s Agence Nationale de Réglementation des Activités relatives au Cannabis (ANRAC), the nation’s first legal cannabis crop totaled 294 metric tons.

The legal harvest is part of a new government program in Morocco that was launched to give cannabis farmers in the North African nation a path to join the regulated industry. Historically, Morocco is one of the world’s largest sources of unregulated cannabis, with Moroccan cannabis being particularly popular in Europe.

The recent harvest is the culmination of years of effort on the part of Morocco’s emerging industry, regulators, and elected officials. It will take a while before Morocco’s legal industry supplants its unregulated industry, however, the 294 metric ton harvest is still a major milestone. Per excerpts from Reuters:

The harvest was made by 32 cooperatives that brought together 430 farmers covering 277 hectares in the northern Rif mountain areas of Al Houceima, Taounat and Chefchaouen, ANRAC said in an email to Reuters.

This year, the regulator is examining applications by 1,500 farmers who organised themselves into 130 cooperatives, ANRAC said.

Nearly a million people live in areas of northern Morocco where cannabis is the main economic activity. It has been publicly grown and smoked there for generations, mixed with tobacco in traditional long-stemmed pipes with clay bowls.

The value of Morocco’s medical cannabis market was valued at USD 24.90 million in 2022 according to Grand View Research. The nation’s medical cannabis market is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 48.0% from 2023 to 2030.

Cannabis industry data company BDSA projects that the legal global cannabis industry will be worth $55 billion by 2027.

Cannabis Advocates Demand Action In The Philippines

Written by Hazel Norman on March 18, 2024. Posted in Policy.

The cultivation and/or use of cannabis is currently illegal in the Philippines, per Republic Act 9165 and the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. The level of penalty depends on the amount involved and whether there was perceived intent to distribute by law enforcement.

Furthermore, even simply having metabolized THC in a person’s system is illegal in the Philippines, with offenders being required to undergo at least six months at a government rehabilitation center if they are prosecuted.

Back in December 2022, a petition was submitted by cannabis advocates that sought to reclassify cannabis from its current position on the nation’s list of dangerous substances. The board that oversees such petitions has yet to respond. Advocates are ramping up pressure to yield the response. Per excerpts from Inquirer:

In his statement, Manansala said that the DDB acknowledged the receipt of the petition during a Senate Committee hearing on December 13, 2022.

He added that he was given a date of July 31, 2023 for a “definitive action” on the petition but the “date came and went without a response, much less an action.”

Manansala noted that he was again snubbed by a DBB representative at the latest Senate hearing on the matter last month.

One of the driving forces behind the push to reclassify cannabis in the Philippines is to afford suffering patients the opportunity to seek safe access to cannabis medicines and therapies.

House Bill 4208 was previously filed by Camarines Sur 2nd District Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte. The measure seeks to create a national regulatory agency to oversee the production and marketing for the export of cannabidiol.

“We are in favor of the legalization of medical use of marijuana and its products, your honor,” Commission on Appointments on Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa stated at the time.

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Flower Will Not Be Included In France’s Medical Cannabis Program

Written by Hazel Norman on March 13, 2024. Posted in Policy.

France’s medical cannabis public policy experiment received initial approval from the nation’s Senate back in 2019, however, the launch of the trial was delayed until the spring of 2021 due to various reasons.

Initially slated for two years, France’s medical cannabis experiment was eventually granted a one-year extension and was set to end in 2024. In October 2023, it was announced that the program would receive another one-year extension, and is now slated to go until at least 2025.

Unfortunately, the French National Medicines Safety Agency recently confirmed that flower will no longer be included in the nation’s medical cannabis program in the near future. Per Business of Cannabis:

In a public update and accompanying letter to healthcare professionals, the ANSM confirmed this in no uncertain terms.

“Medicines in the form of flowers (flowering tops to be inhaled) will cease to be made available in the coming weeks. Prescribing doctors must therefore gradually stop flower treatment for their patients and not initiate new treatments with this form.”

As of March 26, cannabis flower will cease being provided by the programme’s sole flower supplier, Aurora, and once reserve stocks have been exhausted, patients will have no legal route to secure medical cannabis flower.

Many patients prefer cannabis flower over other forms of medical cannabis due to how fast the effects take hold compared to other forms, such as edibles. Access to cannabis flower also provides flexibility for patients who want to make their own preparations, such as homemade tinctures.

Several jurisdictions around the globe limit legal medical cannabis to pharmaceutical forms, which forces many patients to the unregulated market to source their medicine. A robust medical cannabis program, such as the types of programs found in North America, provides legal access to flower and other options to help ensure that all patients get the best types of medicine for their situation.

It is estimated that out of the roughly 2,500 patients that are enrolled in France’s program, only about 100 of them currently receive cannabis flower.

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An Estimated 750 People Have Joined Malta’s Legal Cannabis Clubs

Written by Hazel Norman on March 10, 2024. Posted in Policy.

In late 2021, Malta became the first European nation to pass a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure. Before Malta’s legalization measure was approved, only Uruguay and Canada had passed a national adult-use measure. Since that time, Luxembourg and Germany have also passed national legalization measures.

Malta’s legalization model relies upon home cultivation and noncommercial cannabis clubs for consumers to legally source their cannabis. Malta issued its first noncommercial cannabis club license in October 2023 and issued multiple other club licenses by the end of the calendar year.

The world recently received an update from Malta regarding how many consumers have signed up for club memberships so far. Per Times of Malta:

A total of 750 people have joined cannabis associations in their first month of operation, the Reforms Parliamentary Secretary said on Monday.

Three legal cannabis clubs have each started distributing the drug to 250 members since the end of January, and so far the data shows all members had previously used cannabis, Rebecca Buttigieg said during a press briefing.

According to survey data from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, 22% of Malta’s citizens have consumed cannabis at least once in their lifetime, and roughly 7% of Maltese citizens report having consumed cannabis at least once in the last year.

Malta has a population of roughly 518,000 people, so seven percent of that figure would equate to over 36,000 people.

Obviously, not all of the reported once-a-year consumers use cannabis frequently enough to necessitate joining a cannabis club. Furthermore, many consumers presumably cultivate their own cannabis now that it is legal to do so in Malta. These factors are significant to keep in mind for contextual purposes when considering Malta’s current cannabis club membership levels.

Cannabis Commerce Experiment In The Netherlands Will Not Include Amsterdam

Written by Hazel Norman on March 10, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Cannabis trials, which permit consumers, growers, and retailers to participate in legal cannabis commerce for research purposes, were first proposed in the Netherlands in 2017 as part of a governing coalition agreement. The first trials officially launched in Breda and Tilburg in December 2023 after many delays.

Arnhem, Almere, Groningen, Heerlen, Hellevoetsluis, Maastricht, Nijmegen, and Zaanstad are other municipalities in the Netherlands selected for cannabis trials. However, a proposal to expand the cannabis trials to include the Amsterdam-Oost district was recently denied by members of the Netherlands Parliament.

Another set of motions, which would have either permanently ended cannabis trials in the Netherlands, or temporarily halted the public policy experiment, was also considered and denied by members of the Netherlands Parliament.

The set of motions was supported by members of the PVV, the largest party in the current governing coalition following recent elections. The proposal to permanently end cannabis pilot projects lost by a vote of 110-40, and the proposal to temporarily halt the pilot programs less than four months after they initially launched lost by a vote of 99-51.

Adult-use regional cannabis commerce pilot programs are already operating in multiple jurisdictions in Switzerland, and are also being proposed in Germany as part of the nation’s legalization model. German pilot programs are part of the ‘second pillar’ or phase of Germany’s legalization plan.

Such programs serve as a public policy experiment in which limited cannabis commerce is permitted to gather data and other information. In theory, the research gathered as part of an adult-use regional cannabis commerce pilot program can be used by lawmakers and regulators to be better suited when crafting national policies, rules, and regulations.

“The aim of the experiment is to ascertain whether or not it is possible to regulate a quality-controlled supply of cannabis to coffee shops and to study the effects of a regulated supply chain on crime, safety, public nuisance and public health. In order to allow the experiment to take place, special legislation must be adopted.” the Netherlands’ government stated when pilot programs were first proposed.

On January 22, 2019, the nation’s House of Representatives adopted a controlled cannabis supply chain experiment measure, followed by passage in the Senate on November 12, 2019. That afforded some of the estimated 570 cannabis-selling coffee shops in the country a path to participate in the eventual trials.

The initial timeline to launch the trials was 2021, however, that did not happen. The same was true for 2022, with the year coming and going and the Netherlands seeming to be no closer to achieving the full implementation of initial cannabis trials. The delays were reportedly due to a lack of legal supply at the time.

At one point in 2023, it appeared that the whole year would be lost to more delays, with the nation’s Health Minister Ernst Kuipers indicating that they did not want to roll out the trials in phases. A phased implementation was ultimately pursued. There appears to be no official timeline for the launch of additional pilot programs in the Netherlands.

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Pakistan Approves Creation Of Cannabis Regulatory Agency

Written by Hazel Norman on March 4, 2024. Posted in Business, Policy.

Pakistan may not be the first country that you think of when it comes to the emerging international cannabis industry, however, the nation is making strides to establish itself as an international cannabis player.

That is evidenced by the recent approval of a historic measure for Pakistan, which will, among other things, authorize the country to create a regulatory agency to oversee the nation’s legal cannabis industry once it is operating. Per Hum News:

President Dr Arif Alvi has given his nod to the promulgation of the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Ordinance 2024, a significant move aimed at regulating the cultivation, extraction, manufacturing, and sale of cannabis derivatives for medical and industrial purposes.

The ordinance, officially titled the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Ordinance 2024, aligns with Pakistan’s commitment as a signatory to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961. It mandates the establishment of a government agency to oversee the cultivation and production of cannabis, in accordance with international conventions.

The new agency will be known as the ‘Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority’ and will reportedly involve a 13-member board of governors, chaired by Pakistan’s Secretary of the Defense Division. The board will incorporate representatives from several government departments, the industry itself, and Pakistan’s intelligence agencies.

Cannabis industry licenses in Pakistan are expected to be valid for five-year periods, and a maximum harvest threshold of .3% THC will be enforced. Pakistan first approved hemp farming and related industrial processing back in September 2020.

Pakistan’s main exports are currently textiles, cotton, yarn, rice, and leather products. An industry projection from August 2022 estimated that a thriving hemp industry in Pakistan could be worth multiple billions of dollars annually. Many kush cannabis strains originated in the Pakistan region.

First Medical Cannabis Prescription Issued In Greece

Written by Hazel Norman on March 3, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Greece was one of the first European nations to reschedule medical cannabis back in 2017. The goal of rescheduling was to allow suffering patients to safely access medical cannabis products via a prescription.

However, it was not until recent days that Greece issued its first medical cannabis prescription. Anesthetists, neurologists, and pathologists specializing in cancer, infections, and rheumatism are permitted to prescribe medical cannabis.

Medical cannabis can be prescribed for nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and combination therapy against HIV or hepatitis C, as well as chronic pain, spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injuries, and as an appetite suppressant in palliative care.

“What can I say about this day? A very big thank you, relief, vindication, freedom to live. I was among the first to get the prescription via the electronic prescription system and I didn’t expect it, I couldn’t believe it. I burst into tears…an end to the risks and fear.” stated Anna Panga, Greece’s first patient to receive a medical cannabis prescription.

European Union agreements permit member nations to allow medical cannabis sales. Unfortunately, that was not the case for many years and Europe’s medical cannabis industry is still young by many measures. With the rise of adult-use cannabis reform, Europe’s medical cannabis industry landscape will continue to evolve.

Adult-use reform is gaining momentum in Europe after the recent successful vote in Germany’s Bundestag, and while adult-use legalization is likely far off from happening in Greece, the timeline for such reform occurring may be shorter now thanks to the historic vote in Germany and the ‘butterfly effect’ it provides all European countries.

In the meantime, Greece’s medical cannabis industry will continue to expand, albeit slowly. Many suffering patients in Greece are still left on the outside looking in. Greece’s list of qualifying conditions is limited, and that, in turn, will continue to limit Greece’s medical cannabis industry’s potential.

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Is The Cannabis Experiment In The Netherlands In Trouble?

Written by Hazel Norman on March 3, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Regional adult-use cannabis commerce trials, which permit consumers, growers, and retailers to participate in legal cannabis commerce for research purposes, were first proposed in the Netherlands in 2017 as part of a governing coalition agreement. Due to a series of delays, trials were not launched until December 2023.

Despite the nation’s cannabis trials being very new in the Netherlands, lawmakers in the European country are already trying to end the cannabis public policy experiment. According to domestic reporting, the nation’s largest political party, PVV, wants to pause the trials until a new governing coalition agreement is finalized.

The ChristenUnie, SGP, and CDA political parties also oppose cannabis trials in the Netherlands. Cannabis trials are still supported by the GroenLinks-PvdA, D66, and VVD parties.

Cannabis and the Netherlands have a long history, with the nation’s capital Amsterdam serving as one of the top international cannabis tourist destinations for several decades. Coffeeshops selling cannabis products are common in Amsterdam.

Such entities are historically ‘tolerated’ versus being outright legal. Public policy in the Netherlands has historically been disconnected from reality when it comes to cannabis, and the trials are a means to try to start bridging the gap.

In September 2019, ten municipalities were selected for participation in cannabis trials, although legislation was still needed to allow the trials to proceed. On January 22, 2019, the nation’s House of Representatives adopted a controlled cannabis supply chain experiment measure, followed by passage in the Senate on November 12, 2019. That afforded some of the estimated 570 cannabis-selling coffee shops in the country a path to participate in the eventual trials.

At one point in 2023, it appeared that the whole year would be lost to more delays, with the nation’s Health Minister Ernst Kuipers indicating that they did not want to roll out the trials in phases. However, the trials did launch in December 2023 in Breda and Tilburg.

Arnhem, Almere, Groningen, Heerlen, Hellevoetsluis, Maastricht, Nijmegen, and Zaanstad are other municipalities in the Netherlands that were selected for cannabis trials.

Cannabis trials are not unique to the Netherlands. Multiple cannabis trials are already underway in Switzerland, such as in cities like Zurich and Basel, with more expected to be launched during 2024. Cannabis trials are also planned for several jurisdictions in Germany as part of the second phase of the nation’s legalization plan.

Canada Creates Forum To Discuss Cannabis Industry Challenges

Written by Hazel Norman on February 26, 2024. Posted in Business, Policy.

Canada is currently home to the largest national adult-use cannabis market on earth. Lawmakers in Canada approved a national adult-use legalization measure back in 2018, and since that time, Canada has served as the ultimate ‘cannabis policy experiment’ on the planet.

The emerging legal cannabis industry in Canada has experienced several ups and downs, but by most measures, the nation’s adult-use industry has been a success. Canada’s government recently announced the launch of a forum to discuss the various challenges facing Canada’s legal cannabis industry. Below is more information about it via Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada:

The Government of Canada legalized recreational cannabis and strictly regulates the cannabis industry, which has led to many economic opportunities and challenges.

An efficient and sustainable legal cannabis industry is essential to achieving the objectives of the Cannabis Act, including preventing youth access to cannabis, protecting public health and safety, and reducing criminal activity and the burden on the criminal justice system.

To help this new industry address key issues and opportunities, the Government of Canada has created the Cannabis Industry Forum (the Forum). The Forum is composed of nine leaders who have business activities across the cannabis industrial ecosystem, which includes the cultivation and processing of cannabis as well as logistics surrounding its sale. This platform will help industry leaders exchange information and insights to address key issues and opportunities, with a specific focus on fostering economic growth and long-term stability by upholding the public health and safety goals outlined in the Cannabis Act, while reducing the illicit cannabis market.

Hugo Alves, CEO, Founder and Director of Auxly Cannabis Group Inc., chairs the Forum. The membership also includes:

Philippe Dépault, President and Founder, Québec Craft Cannabis Inc.
Taylor Giovannini, President and Founder, Oceanic Releaf Inc.
Beena Goldenberg, CEO, Organigram Holdings Inc.
Raj Grover, Founder, President and CEO, High Tide Inc.
David Klein, CEO, Canopy Growth Corporation
Miguel Martin, CEO, Aurora Cannabis Inc.
Rosy Mondin, President of Soma Labs Scientific Inc. and Director of Cannaworld Ventures Inc.
Tyler Robson, President of Cannabis, SNDL Inc.

Quotes

“For Canada to be a leader in this global economy, we require the ability to adapt to new industries and sectors that benefit Canadians. The Cannabis Industry Forum helps create innovative solutions to barriers that exist in this industry. Through active collaboration, Canada is working with industry leaders to become an innovator and leader in this changing economy.”
– The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

Quick facts

On November 24, 2022, the Government of Canada announced the members of the expert panel on the legislative review of the Cannabis Act.
The Cannabis Act, which came into force on October 17, 2018, put in place a modern cannabis control framework to strictly regulate and restrict access to cannabis in Canada.
Since the legalization of recreational cannabis in October 2018, the cannabis industry has helped displace the illicit market by up to 70%.
Since spring 2023, the Forum has had preliminary meetings to discuss a range of topics. The members also engaged with Morris Rosenberg, Chair of the expert panel leading the legislative review of the Cannabis Act.

Associated links

Smoking And Vaping Cannabis On Public Patios Now Permitted In British Columbia

Written by Hazel Norman on February 21, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Cannabis stigma is still an issue in Canada, even five years after the country passed a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure in 2018. Cannabis consumers do not experience some of the same freedoms as consumers of alcohol or tobacco do in many jurisdictions.

An example of that can be found in policies about public cannabis use. Tobacco consumption may not be as widespread as it once was in Canada, however, many tobacco consumers are not as limited in where they can partake compared to cannabis consumption.

Thankfully, that is changing in British Columbia where new rules now permit adults to smoke and vape cannabis on public patios.

“Smoking and vaping cannabis on public patios is now permitted where smoking and vaping tobacco are already allowed, subject to local or Indigenous government bylaws and other rules.” British Columbia’s government stated in a recently published bulletin.

That may not seem like a big change to non-cannabis consumers, yet, it’s presumably a significant policy shift in the minds of many cannabis consumers in British Columbia who have had to either hide their cannabis use in many places or consume knowing that they are risking being penalized. The bulletin also contained policy changes for businesses.

“To support the legal cannabis industry in the province, the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) is making gradual changes to improve hospitality and tourism opportunities for the cannabis industry.” the bulletin stated.

“With changes to the Cannabis Control Regulation, licensees are able to promote a place to consume cannabis or to spend time after consuming cannabis.” the bulletin also stated.

Cannabis consumption remains prohibited within cannabis stores in British Columbia, and licensees must ensure that any cannabis consumption near their store is not within their establishment where cannabis products are sold.

Social cannabis use is the next horizon for many cannabis advocates in North America, where cannabis clubs and lounges are still prohibited in many jurisdictions that permit other cannabis activity.

Europe’s cannabis policies will seemingly embrace cannabis clubs, with clubs serving as a major component of legalization models in Germany and Malta. Malta has already issued licenses to noncommercial cannabis clubs.

Health Canada: Cannabis Samples Are Permitted

Written by Hazel Norman on February 18, 2024. Posted in Business.

In nearly every industry built on consumables, from the food industry to pharmaceuticals, product samples play a vital role. After all, the saying, ‘the proof is in the pudding’ is predicated on the premise that someone is actually trying out the metaphorical pudding to determine if it is the real deal.

Product samples are particularly important in the emerging cannabis industry given the fact that cannabis flower can vary widely in quality, effectiveness, and other desirable traits such as smell and flavor. There are many varieties of cannabis, and even the same grower cultivating the same cultivar can yield differing results due to a multitude of environmental factors.

Matters get even more complex for cannabis products that are derived from cannabis flower. In addition to the intricacies of the cannabis crop itself, adding the extra layers of extracting techniques that produce concentrates from flower, or infusing cannabis into edibles, drinkables, and topicals, complicates knowing what the final product may be like.

Trying product samples is the only way for retailers and their employees to know what a cannabis product is truly like, and there seems to be some confusion in Canada about whether or not cannabis producers can provide samples to licensed retailers and their employees. That confusion was cleared up recently via original reporting by StratCann. Per excerpts from their reporting:

In an email to StratCann, a representative of Health Canada affirms that federally licensed cannabis producers are “not prohibited from providing a sample of cannabis to a provincially or territorially authorized retailer (or their employees).”

“Employees of a provincially or territorially authorized retailer are not prohibited from possessing, distributing, or selling cannabis, provided they do so as part of their employment duties and functions, and in a manner that is consistent with the conditions that apply to their employers’ authorizations. In other words, it’s up to PTs [Provinces and Territories] to regulate whether and how employees of retail stores can possess, distribute (and potentially consume) free samples in the context of their employment duties and functions. Each province or territory could have additional legislation that relates to this type of activity.”

StratCann followed up with four individual provinces to confirm that they expressly permit product samples at the local level. Those provinces are British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario.

Of the four provinces, Saskatchewan and Ontario have permitted product samples to retailers and their employees since the start of adult-use legalization in late 2018. British Columbia and Alberta started expressly permitting such activity last year. Health Canada also lists the following information regarding product samples:

Free samples of products or accessories

A person that sells cannabis or cannabis accessories cannot provide or offer to provide cannabis or a cannabis accessory without consideration or in consideration of a purchase.

For example, a free accessory for the purchase of cannabis or cannabis as bonus with any purchase. This can include:

“Free 1g pre-roll samples”
“Free rolling papers with purchase of cannabis Product X”
“Buy one and get one free”
A nominal amount of monetary consideration may be considered an inducement and non-compliant with Subsection 24(1)(a) of the Cannabis Act.

Exemption: Intra-industry samples

Licence holders that provide samples to a person authorized to sell cannabis, such as a provincially or territorially authorized retailer, are exempt from this prohibition. However, the retailer may not provide samples to consumers. Cannabis samples must comply with the other applicable rules in the Cannabis Act and Cannabis Regulations, including those on packaging and labelling, and good production practices.

Each province or territory may have additional legislation that could apply to this type of activity so regulated parties should be familiar with all relevant legislation and consult with provinces and territories as applicable.

For more information, refer to subsection 24(2) of the Cannabis Act or 24(3) as it pertains to cannabis accessories.

German Health Minister Defends Cannabis Legalization Measure

Written by Hazel Norman on February 12, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Germany’s Health Minister Karl Lauterbach recently appeared on the Markus Lanz talk show to discuss the looming adult-use cannabis legalization measure vote in the Bundestag, as well as the benefits of the measure.

“Those who are already consuming are no longer dependent on the black market, on the dealers, on crime, on the additives. That means we recognize that cannabis is consumed in society.” Minister Lauterbach states in the discussion (translated from German to English).

Initial components of Germany’s legalization plan are expected to come into effect on April 1st. Adults in Germany will be able to legally cultivate, possess, and consume cannabis. Below is the full episode of Minister Lauterback on the Markus Lanz talk show. Please be aware that the discussion is in German.

The Top Cannabis Firms In Germany In 2024

Written by Hazel Norman on February 12, 2024. Posted in Business.

Germany continues to trend towards adult-use cannabis legalization, with the expected launch date for some components of Germany’s legalization plan (CanG) being April 1, 2024. Noncommercial cannabis clubs are expected to launch on July 1, 2024.

This will be the most pivotal year ever for the cannabis movement not only in Germany, but also the rest of Europe, with several countries expected to follow in Germany’s footsteps after legalization is implemented in Europe’s largest economy.

It is an extremely exciting time for German-based companies that work directly in the cannabis industry or provide ancillary products and/or services to the emerging German cannabis industry. Below are the top companies that people need to keep an eye on as things continue to heat up in Germany and the rest of Europe.

420 Pharma

420 Pharma is a medical cannabis producer in Germany. The company produces its own cannabis brand “420” which includes both flower and full spectrum extracts. All of their cannabis flower is hand-picked and processed in a manner that ensures unaltered terpene profiles.

Aphria/Tilray

Aphria was one of the three firms that won authorization to grow cannabis during the German cultivation bid. They subsequently merged with Tilray, but not before also purchasing the sixth-largest mainstream medical distributor in the country (CC Pharma).

Aurora Cannabis

Aurora Cannabis is a Canadian public company that also won one of the three cultivation slots in the German cultivation bid. The firm has a footprint across Europe at this point. It was one of the earliest public Canadian companies before establishing itself across the EU in recent years.

BvCW

BvCW is the voice of the cannabis industry in Germany and represents all industry segments and company sizes to politicians and administration. BvCW’s specialist areas are divided into “Recreational Cannabis”, “Industrial Hemp & Food”, “Medical Cannabis”, and “Technology, Trade & Services”. BVCW combines industrial policy, technological, economic expertise and advocates for better political framework conditions.

Canopy Growth

Canopy Growth is a world-leading cannabis company focused on unleashing the power of cannabis to improve lives, particularly in Germany. From supporting personal wellness to fostering economic opportunity and striving toward social justice, Canopy Growth is showcasing the capacity of cannabis as a force for good. Canopy Growth offers high-quality products with best-in-class cannabinoid effects. Rooted in a belief that every moment in the day can be enhanced by the tailored use of cannabinoid products, Canopy Growth is redefining experiences with cannabis and demonstrating the true potential of this powerful plant.

Cansativa Group

Cansativa is the central platform and partner of the German Cannabis Agency (BfArM). The company helps Germany’s government facilitate medical cannabis transactions.

DEMECAN

DEMECAN is the only independent German company that is permitted to cultivate medicinal cannabis in Germany. The company’s production facility is near Dresden, and the focus of the facility is to ensure the consistently high quality of DEMECAN’s cannabis products.

Dentons

Dentons is the world’s largest global law firm and focuses on helping entrepreneurs, investors, and other entities in the cannabis space. Dentons helps cannabis companies operate, grow, remain secure and compliant, and gain financing by providing uniquely global and deeply local legal solutions. Polycentric, purpose-driven and committed to inclusion, diversity, equity and sustainability, Dentons focuses on what matters most.

Fluence

Fluence creates lighting solutions for controlled environment commercial crop production, including cannabis production. Fluence applies the latest research in photobiology, evidence-based design, precise engineering, and advanced technology to foster a healthier and more sustainable cannabis industry.

Grow In AG

Grow In AG was the first hydroponics shop in the European Union. Grow In AG was founded in 1995 and now offers one of the largest international ranges of carefully tested and selected items for successful cultivation. In March 2020, Grow In AG merged with wholesaler HydroGarden LTD. Together, Hydrogarden and Grow In AG now form the largest wholesaler of hydroponic growing accessories in Europe.

Hanf Magazin

Hanf Magazin is an online and print magazine for everyone who is interested in the topic of hemp, wants to learn something about it and/or is connected to the hemp scene. It is full of inspiration on the topic of hemp, interesting facts about cannabis, medicine and law, as well as the legalization debate. Hanf Magazin covers current developments and trends on the subject of hemp online and in its bi-annual print magazine. The editorial team provides well-founded and practical information about all topics that have to do with hemp.

HiperScan

HiperScan GmbH is a successful, medium-sized technology company with headquarters in Dresden and over 60 employees. HiperScan GmbH branched off from the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems, Dresden, in 2006. HiperScan is responsible for the very successful and cost-effective NIR-analysis system Apo-Ident, which is distributed in Germany and internationally. It is a near-infrared spectrometer that has been specially designed for identifying raw materials in pharmacies. With this system, HiperScan is the market leader for raw material identification in German pharmacies.

Huber

Huber is one of the technological sector-leading providers of high-precision temperature control solutions for research and industry. Huber’s products ensure precise temperature control in laboratories, pilot plants and cannabis industry production processes from -125 to +425 °C.

KFN+

KFN+ law firm, led by Kai-Friedrich Niermann, advises large CBD and medical cannabis companies, as well as companies and associations interested in the emerging recreational cannabis market. With a broad range of expertise in cannabis and business law, KFN+ provides comprehensive legal support to companies and individuals. From contract drafting and company formation to day-to-day legal support, KFN+ assists cannabis companies with customized solutions in all legal matters, including white-collar criminal law where necessary.

Little Green Pharma

Little Green Pharma is one of the most recognizable medical cannabis brands in Europe (as well as Australia). The company delivers innovative solutions to world-class operations in both Denmark and Australia.

MJ_Universe

MJ Universe GmbH was founded by Lisa Katharina Haag. MJ Universe provides consulting services to the emerging legal cannabis industry. The company is committed to projects dedicated to accelerating cannabis as a medicine, to advocating for a more progressive and realistic regulatory framework and to activities that mainstream cannabis. MJ Universe’s mission is to unlock the full potential of cannabis. Furthermore, MJ Universe is the publisher of krautinvest.de – Germany’s leading B2B-Magazin with news, background information and market trends.

Purpl Scientific

Purpl Scientific is a technology company dedicated to providing accurate, affordable tools to the emerging legal cannabis industry that provide insight and intelligence about products and potency. The company packs a ton of new-generation technologies into its hand-held applications that are exceedingly powerful, amazingly fast, extremely affordable and controlled with the click of a button.

Quality Services International

Quality Services International is an accredited laboratory with state-of-the-art laboratory equipment and experienced, continuously trained specialist staff. The company is certified to carry out GMP analysis of medical cannabis.

Sanity Group

Sanity Group, founded in Berlin in 2018 by Finn Age Hänsel and Fabian Friede, includes Vayamed and AVAAY Medical (medicinal cannabis), Endosane Pharmaceuticals (finished pharmaceuticals), Belfry Medical (medical products and digital applications), VAAY (wellbeing) and This Place (natural cosmetics). Near Frankfurt am Main, Sanity Group also operates a production and processing facility for cannabis extracts.

SKW Schwarz

SKW Schwarz is an independent law firm with around 130 lawyers, four locations and a common goal: they think ahead. In a world where everything is in motion, cannabis companies need legal advice that recognizes change as an opportunity. As a full-service law firm and member of TerraLex, SKW Schwarz is globally networked and advises in all relevant areas of commercial law.

Storz & Bickel

Storz and Bickel is the creator of the Volcano, which still ranks as one of the greatest cannabis consumption devices on earth despite being introduced to the world over two decades ago. Storz and Bickel’s products serve as the industry standard for cannabis consumption around the world.

VTA GmbH & Co. KG

VTA GmbH & Co. KG serves international customers and partners in a large number of process industries, including the emerging cannabis industry, with their customized equipment and systems. VTA’s distillation plants are used for purification, concentration, removal of low boilers, color improvement, drying of products and much more.

Wessling

Since the company was founded in 1983, Wessling‘s aim has been to offer their business partners high-quality, tailor-made analytical and consulting services as well as holistic solution concepts for the areas of real estate, environment, food, consumer products, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Britain’s Cannabis Industry Still Hindered By Limited Policies

Written by Hazel Norman on February 11, 2024. Posted in Business, Policy.

Medical cannabis became legal in Britain in November 2018 after the nation’s Home Secretary had rescheduled cannabis-derived medicinal products months prior. At the time, Britain’s medical cannabis law was one of the most restrictive on the planet, and it remains so to this day.

Only doctors on the GMC specialist register can prescribe medical cannabis products in Britain, and only two types of prescriptions are legal. The legal medical products are not like raw flower, edibles, or concentrated forms of cannabis like what is found in North America.

Rather, the medical cannabis products in Britain are cannabis-derived medications called Sativex and Epidyolex. Sativex is licensed in Britain to treat spasticity in Multiple Sclerosis.

Epidyolex is licensed in Britain for use in the treatment of seizures in children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, Dravet syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis complex. Both medications are also widely available in many other nations.

Medical cannabis via legal means remains an undesirable, if not impossible, option for many suffering patients in Britain, which is reflected in the size of Britain’s medical cannabis program. Per The Guardian:

As of today, over 60 countries have legalised some form of medicinal cannabis: since November 2018 that’s also been the case in Britain. Some 30,000 of us have already been prescribed cannabis for conditions ranging from arthritis to epilepsy, anxiety to multiple sclerosis.

By comparison, Germany has roughly a quarter million medical cannabis patients. While Germany’s overall population is greater than Britain’s, the difference is nowhere near enough to offset the disparity in legal patient numbers. Canada has a considerably smaller overall population than Britain, and yet it has roughly 200,000 legal medical cannabis patients.

Britain’s medical cannabis program will always be limited and never reach its full potential if the current laws and regulations remain the same. Britain’s suffering patients, all of them, deserve to have the option of pursuing safe access to proven medications.

Sativex and Epidyolex may be fine for some patients, however, their applications are very narrowly tailored, and there are suffering patients who would experience no meaningful benefits from taking them.

Additionally, even patients who currently take Sativex or Epidyolex would likely save a considerable amount of money and still receive the benefits of medical cannabis by consuming other forms of cannabis products via a variety of delivery methods.

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European Union Approves Medical Cannabis Signature Drive

Written by Hazel Norman on February 11, 2024. Posted in Policy, Science.

Medical cannabis reform is spreading across the European continent, which is great. However, the rate at which it is spreading is not fast enough to help all of the suffering patients who need the wellness benefits that medical cannabis can provide.

Unfortunately, medical cannabis was hindered for several decades due to prohibition policies throughout Europe. It is only in recent years that medical cannabis has been embraced, and even then, it’s not in every nation and is moving at a pace that does not do justice to the potential that medical cannabis possesses.

Access to medical cannabis and cannabis-based research is desperately needed throughout Europe, and that premise is at the heart of a new signature drive that was recently approved to proceed by the European Union. Per excerpts from original reporting by Marijuana Moment:

European Union (EU) officials have cleared activists to launch a signature drive for a multi-national initiative that would foster access to medical marijuana and promote research into the therapeutic potential of cannabis.

The activists behind the measure laid out three objectives they want the commission to pursue, but the body said it could only register two of them.

One approved objective asks the commission to “foster access to medical cannabis and allow the transportation of cannabis and its derivatives prescribed for therapeutic purposes to ensure the full enjoyment of the right to health.” The other requests that EU allocate “the necessary resources for researching cannabis for its therapeutic purposes.”

Activists had also pushed for the creation of a “trans-European citizens’ assembly on cannabis policies, including sanctions and the consistency of Member States’ policies,” however, the European Union indicated that it would not register that particular objective.

Advocates leading the effort will now have six months to start a petitioning drive, after which they will have one year to collect one million valid signatures. The valid signatures must come from at least seven European Union member states in order to mandate consideration.

The European Citizens’ Initiative was first introduced with the Lisbon Treaty as an agenda-setting tool in the hands of citizens. It was officially launched in April 2012 according to the European Union’s listing of the measure.

Is Medical Cannabis Reform On Spain’s Horizon?

Written by Hazel Norman on February 7, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Last month officials in Spain announced that they would be resuming discussions to pass a domestic medical cannabis regulatory measure. Currently, most of Spain’s domestic industry is completely unregulated, and legal medical cannabis is limited to exports.

According to a recent analysis, 84% of Spaniards support regulating medical cannabis per CIS data. A majority of lawmakers in Spain’s Parliament also reportedly support medical cannabis reform.

Unfortunately, historically there has existed a significant disconnect between cannabis opponents in Spain’s Parliament and the reality of what is truly going on in Spain’s communities. Spain’s cannabis consumption rate is greater than nearly every other nation on Earth, and hundreds of private cannabis clubs populate various parts of the country, yet meaningful reform and regulations have remained elusive.

The absence of a regulated domestic medical cannabis program has done nothing to deter people from consuming cannabis. Rather, it forces suffering patients to source their medicine from unregulated sources, which is far from an optimal situation. New reports surfaced this week that medical cannabis reform may be occurring in ‘the coming months.’ Per Business of Cannabis:

Spain’s newly appointed health minister has said that the country’s long-awaited medical cannabis law will be ready ‘in the coming months,’ as she makes good on her promise to kickstart progress.

Mónica García Gómez used her first appearance in Congress to reaffirm her commitment to establishing a medical cannabis framework in the country, more than a year after it was initially scheduled to be rolled out, laying out plans to ‘recover’ the conclusions that have already been approved by the lower house.

It remains unclear exactly when medical cannabis legislation will receive a vote in Spain’s Parliament, and for that matter, whether such a vote would prove to be favorable. However, momentum for such a measure does appear to be gaining steam in Spain, and it’s largely a matter of advocates in Spain’s Parliament overcoming the constant hurdles that are set up by opponents.

Lawmakers at the local and national levels need to work together in Spain to regulate medical cannabis products and commerce, rather than continue to stick their heads in the ground and let organized crime fill the void at the expense of public health outcomes.

Why Is Cannabis Reform So Hard To Achieve In Ireland?

Written by Hazel Norman on February 7, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Back in December 2022, Ireland’s Oireachtas Justice Committee issued a report in which it recommended that Ireland consider legalizing cannabis for adult use to help combat the unregulated market.

As we have learned via Germany’s legalization effort, members of the European Union are not permitted to legalize nationwide adult-use cannabis sales, however, member nations can reform laws in such a way that the main goal of reform is to reduce the consumption of cannabis sourced from the unregulated market.

Reforms involving permitting adults to cultivate, possess, and consume cannabis are within the parameters of continental agreements, as are noncommercial cannabis clubs and regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot programs.

Unfortunately, a recent scheduled vote for an adult-use legalization measure was delayed for at least nine months in Ireland, as originally reported by Marijuana Moment:

The Irish government is proposing to delay a vote on advancing a bill to legalize marijuana possession by nine months, asserting that the issue requires consideration by a special committee.

Ryan McHale Crainn, executive committee member of the Irish drug policy reform organization Crainn, told Marijuana Moment that the “delay tactic from the Irish Government on cannabis decriminalisation is disappointing given the clear calls from the Citizens’ Assembly and overwhelming public support for the measure.”

Cannabis reform is gaining momentum in many European nations, largely led by Germany. Germany recently announced that its governing coalition has reached a final agreement, with the first components of the nation’s legalization model set to start on April 1st.

Once Germany legalizes, the Czech Republic is set to follow, and it’s virtually guaranteed that other nations will follow suit. The premise behind German legalization is the same as the premise that the previous Oireachtas Justice Committee report recommended – to end cannabis prohibition for personal use and allow nonprofit sources to operate to help eliminate the use of unregulated cannabis products.

Unfortunately, that may not happen for some time in Ireland due to the ongoing delay tactics being incorporated by cannabis opponents.

Hemp cannabis plant leaf sungrown outdoors garden

Recreational Cannabis Ban Expected Next Week In Thailand

Written by Hazel Norman on February 7, 2024. Posted in Policy.

A lot can change in two years in the world of cannabis policy, and a great, and unfortunate, example of that can be found in Thailand. Less than two years ago, in June 2022, Thailand modernized its cannabis policies to permit adult-use cannabis cultivation and possession in instances involving cannabis varieties that are low in THC.

At the time, the measure was hailed as an amazing achievement for the global cannabis reform movement, with cannabis being removed from Thailand’s list of banned substances. The monumental policy shift served as a particularly big deal in the region where Thailand is located, with many countries in the area still having some of the harshest cannabis penalties on earth.

It is being reported that as early as next week a new cannabis measure will be introduced, with the goal of the measure being to make it clear that recreational cannabis use is strictly prohibited in Thailand. Per The Straits Times:

On Feb 6, Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew said the new Bill, which bans the recreational use of cannabis, will be proposed at the Cabinet meeting next week.

“The new Bill will be amended from the existing one to only allow the use of cannabis for health and medicinal purposes,” he told reporters. “The use for fun is considered wrong.”

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who took office in August 2023, has frequently voiced his opposition to the recreational use of the drug and said it should be allowed only for medicinal use.

It is no secret that cannabis has proliferated in Thailand, however, that was by design. The previous government in Thailand did everything imaginable to make cannabis production a priority, and to make cannabis widely available.

Yet, just because cannabis is more widespread in Thailand does not automatically mean that there are significant issues resulting from it. What is currently legal in Thailand, and soon to be prohibited, is cannabis which has a very low THC content.

Compared to the cannabis in other countries, such as Canada, the cannabis in Thailand is fairly benign. Unfortunately, lawmakers and regulators do not see it that way, and it is presumed at this point that Thailand is about to go backward on its cannabis policies.

Denmark Has Not Identified Any Major Safety Issues With Prescribed Cannabis

Written by Hazel Norman on January 29, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Denmark has conducted a medical cannabis pilot program since 2018 in which select doctors are permitted to prescribe medical cannabis products to suffering patients diagnosed with certain medical conditions.

It is not the same as medical programs in other countries that have adopted nationwide programs, such as what is found in Germany. What is found in Denmark is much more limited. However, it does provide safe access to medical cannabis for the program’s participants.

Switzerland is an example of a country that has taken a similar approach but for adult-use cannabis commerce. Germany’s proposed legalization model that Bundestag members are considering also includes regional adult-use cannabis pilot programs.

The goal of cannabis pilot programs is to gather research and data at a local level to help national lawmakers and regulators be better suited when crafting laws and rules at a larger level. Denmark recently published recent findings from its medical cannabis pilot program. Per Cannabis Health News:

Despite an increase in the number of prescriptions for cannabis products in 2021 and 2022, annual reports of adverse reactions decreased by half. The Danish Medicines Agency confirms that these reports did not reveal any safety concerns and that no batch-related side effects were identified during the period.

Denmark’s medical cannabis pilot program is expected to last until 2025. What happens at the end of the pilot program is up in the air right now, however, it would be logical that Denmark’s lawmakers would be able to implement a robust, nationwide medical cannabis program, relying on the pilot program’s research and data for guidance.

Medical cannabis legalization was once considered to be a ‘brand new’ area of public policy, however, with so many nations already having medical cannabis programs successfully in operation, Denmark passing such reform would not be considered to be as big of a leap as it would have been years ago.

South Korea Is Moving To Ban Cannabis References In Products And Brands

Written by Hazel Norman on January 29, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Legal cannabis products are more widely available now in many markets around the world than at any other time since the dawn of global cannabis prohibition. To be fair, not as many markets feature legal products that are high in THC content. However, consumers and patients have a lot more options now than in past decades.

Uruguay and Canada remain the only two countries where sales of high-THC products are permitted nationwide. Uruguay continues to limit legal product sales to residents of the South American nation, while Canada permits legal sales to anyone of legal age regardless of residency status.

Malta and Luxembourg are in separate categories, with Malta only permitting personal cannabis cultivation and noncommercial clubs from which to source legal cannabis, and Luxembourg’s legalization model only permits limited home cultivation.

Products containing little to no amounts of THC, yet containing other cannabinoids, can be found on every continent now. Sometimes those products are regulated, but a vast majority of the time the products are poorly regulated or not regulated at all.

CBD products are particularly popular among patients and consumers, even though they are often shrouded in mystery as far as where the ingredients were sourced from, who the company is that sells them, and several other consumer concerns. It has created a lot of confusion in many markets.

Some countries are working to provide more consistency by drafting sensible policies and regulations. Other countries are taking more extreme measures, with South Korea’s government being a prime example. South Korea is moving to ban all cannabis references in food products and other brands. Per The Korea Times:

Starting July, references to narcotics in food products and brand names will be prohibited so as to discourage people from making light of drugs and drug use.

Business owners who fail to comply may face the suspension of their business, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

The region in which South Korea is located is known for having some of the harshest cannabis policies on earth, with multiple nations in the region still issuing the death penalty for certain cannabis offenses.

Cannabis prohibition is a failed public policy that shows no evidence of working, and it is unfortunate that South Korea is choosing to go in the wrong direction with this latest cannabis policy move.

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Czech Republic Doctors Prescribed 210 Kilograms Of Medical Cannabis In 2023

Written by Hazel Norman on January 22, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Medical doctors in the Czech Republic prescribed roughly 210 kilograms of medical cannabis products last year according to new data from the nation’s State Agency for Medicinal Cannabis. That is reportedly 43 times more medical cannabis compared to what was prescribed just five years ago.

Currently, six companies hold medical cannabis production licenses in the Czech Republic where medical cannabis prescriptions are covered by public health insurance. Germany is the only other European nation where public health insurance covers medical cannabis prescriptions.

Medical cannabis was first legalized in the Czech Republic in 2013, with the first patients receiving safe access to medical cannabis in 2014. The Czech Republic’s State Agency for Medicinal Cannabis has medical cannabis sales data publicly available going back to 2015.

Advocates in the Czech Republic are also pushing for adult-use legalization, in line with Germany’s legalization effort. Per BRNO Daily:

According to a study prepared by the Pirate Party, the state could raise between CZK 650 million and CZK 1.8 billion annually by legalising marijuana and taxing it. The Pirates also see savings in the prison and judicial systems if cannabis is legalised.

Other European countries, including Germany, are preparing similar legalisation plans.

An estimated 125,000 people use marijuana illegally in the Czech Republic.

In April 2023, when Germany’s adult-use legalization measure was formally introduced by German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, lawmakers in the Czech Republic made it clear that they would be pursuing legalization too.

Per Expats CZ, an online poll they conducted at the time regarding adult-use cannabis reform in the Czech Republic found that 92% of survey respondents answered ‘yes’ to the question, “Do you agree with the government’s plans to regulate the recreational cannabis market?”

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Thailand Expected To Go Backwards On Cannabis Policy

Written by Hazel Norman on January 21, 2024. Posted in Policy.

In June 2022, Thailand reformed its cannabis policies to permit adult-use cannabis cultivation and possession in instances involving cannabis varieties low in THC. At the time it was hailed as an amazing achievement for the global cannabis reform movement, and it served as a particularly big deal in the region where Thailand is located.

It really seemed that Thailand’s government was fully invested in pursuing cannabis reform and making cannabis a national product. Every household in the entire country could sign up initially to legally cultivate low-THC cannabis plants. It was the first time in the history of the world that such a public policy was implemented at a national level.

At the time Thailand’s Public Health Minister indicated that there would be no plant limit for the government’s cultivation program. Thailand’s government also gave away over 1 million cannabis seeds directly to households that signed up. Additionally, the government gave out low-interest loans to help aspiring cultivators get their operations started.

Thailand’s government also launched an app to help streamline the process of people signing up their households to cultivate cannabis. An FAQ public service announcement effort was launched to help people understand the law and cultivation program back then.

A broad spectrum of government agencies in Thailand previously agreed to do their part to push Thailand’s emerging cannabis industry forward. Thailand also released thousands of people serving time for cannabis offenses.

By every measure, Thailand was trying to become an international cannabis powerhouse back in 2022. However, that was then, and big changes appear to be on the way, with Thailand expected to regress on its national approach to cannabis policy. Per Bangkok Post:

Smoking cannabis is likely to require a permit from a doctor, according to Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew, who says his new cannabis bill differs from a failed predecessor as it will be very clear on how to use the plant for medical treatment.

Dr Cholnan insisted that the bill preserves a key point that cannabis is to be used for medical treatment only, and any use for recreational purposes will not be allowed.

It’s unfortunate that Thailand’s government is pursuing this new approach to cannabis. Cannabis use is widespread in Thailand, particularly after such a big push by the government itself in 2022. It’s going to be impossible to eliminate recreational use in Thailand, just as it is in every other nation, and Thailand would be wise to improve on its current model rather than scrap it.

Federal Cannabis Reform Inches Closer In The United States

Written by Hazel Norman on January 15, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Historically, the United States has led the charge in prohibiting cannabis in all of its forms. Starting in the 1930s, the United States prohibited cannabis, even for medical purposes, and imposed its will on other countries until they did the same.

What resulted is various international agreements containing prohibition provisions, many of which are still in place to this day. Meanwhile, other countries such as Uruguay and Canada have not only legalized cannabis at the national level for medical use but also for recreational use.

In the United States cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, however, nearly half of the states in the U.S. have now passed adult-use measures, and nearly every state has legalized cannabis for medical use to some degree. Support for national reform is greater than ever in the U.S., leading many advocates to believe that federal reform will finally happen this year.

One factor that many advocates attached their policy hopes to was possible rescheduling by the DEA. Cannabis is currently classified as a Schedule I substance, which is defined as “drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”

Other substances on the federal Schedule I list in the United States include “heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), marijuana (cannabis), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy), methaqualone, and peyote.”

Obviously, cannabis should not be on the same list as those other substances. According to documents that recently surfaced, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is recommending that cannabis be re-scheduled to Schedule III and has conveyed that to the DEA. Per Marijuana Moment:

The head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says his agency has “communicated” the agency’s “position” on marijuana rescheduling to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and has continued to offer additional information to assist with the final determination.

HHS for the first time confirmed that it had recommended moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) on Friday, releasing a trove of documents it submitted to DEA last year amid a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit initiated by attorney Matt Zorn.

According to the DEA, “Schedule III drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. Schedule III drugs abuse potential is less than Schedule I and Schedule II drugs but more than Schedule IV.”

“Some examples of Schedule III drugs are: products containing less than 90 milligrams of codeine per dosage unit (Tylenol with codeine), ketamine, anabolic steroids, testosterone.” the DEA states on its website.

For comparison purposes, the DEA currently lists “Xanax, Soma, Darvon, Darvocet, Valium, Ativan, Talwin, Ambien, Tramadol” as Schedule IV substances.

Many cannabis advocates had hoped that cannabis would be descheduled completely. Tobacco and alcohol are not part of the federal controlled substances scheduling lists, and both substances are responsible for considerably more health issues in the United States compared to cannabis.

It is unclear at this time whether the DEA will follow the recommendation from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Will 2024 Be An Active Year For German Cannabis Reform?

Written by Hazel Norman on January 14, 2024. Posted in Policy.

With 2024 now in full swing, the eyes of the international cannabis community remain fixed on Germany where lawmakers continue to work to pass the nation’s adult-use CanG cannabis law, an effort that has seemingly languished since it started back in 2021.

Last year was full of ups and downs in Germany, with a Bundestag vote expected, just to then be unceremoniously dashed, multiple times during 2023. According to Deutscher Hanfverband (DHV), a Bundestag vote is still expected later this month:

Nach diesem Leak berät die @spdbt diese Woche über das #CanG!
Heute und morgen tagt der Geschäftsführende Vorstand und Donnerstag/Freitag der Fraktionsvorstand.
In dieser Vorlage für diese Sitzungen wird Januar24 für die Entscheidung über das #CanG im Bundestag vorgeschlagen! https://t.co/WCuav2Tdbe

— Hanfverband (@hanfverband) January 9, 2024

DHV reached out to factions from Germany’s coalition government earlier this month, and while members of the Greens and FDP responded, members of the SPD parliamentary group did not. The SPD parliamentary group has received considerable blame for ongoing legalization delays.

“Due to the postponement of the CanG from the Bundestag agenda and the ongoing debates in the SPD parliamentary group, we asked all traffic light factions about the status of things. The Greens and FDP responded, the SPD parliamentary group did not.” DHV stated.

“In a joint press release on November 27th, 2023, the traffic light factions announced that they had “agreed in the negotiations on a paradigm shift in cannabis policy”. (https://www.gruene-bundestag.de/presse/pressemitigungen/ampel-ein-sich-auf-cannabis-gesetz). The subsequent reporting was accurate and the agreement stands. The substantive negotiations have been completed. Since then, no other negotiations, including at a higher level, have taken place between the traffic light factions. The changes must now be decided by the Health Committee and the law must be passed in an amended version by the Bundestag. This can take place within one week of the meeting. We Greens are striving for a timely adoption.” Green Party’s spokesperson Kirsten Kappert-Gonther told DHV.

“It is a common goal of our coalition to pass the cannabis law in the German Bundestag as quickly as possible. Thoroughness is more important than speed. A practical and sensible law is more important to us than a hasty law. In the negotiations between the political groups, we are always careful to take all interests into account. On the one hand, the protection of minors and health, security and criminal prosecution must be ensured; on the other hand, social realities and the right to self-determination must not be neglected. Despite internal coordination problems within the SPD parliamentary group, we are extremely confident that we will be able to complete the legislative process with our coalition partners in the near future. Our aim is to enable responsible and legal use of cannabis.” Christine Aschenberg-Dugnus, Parliamentary Managing Director of the Free Democrats Group told DHV.

Bundestag member Dr. Rolf Mützenich (SPD) was previously asked by a constituent in recent weeks, “Dear Mr. Mützenich, are you worried about the citizens’ severe loss of trust in the SPD due to the repeated postponement of the vote on the CanG or does it not matter to you?”

Dr. Mützenich replied publicly with, “The SPD parliamentary group continues to support the bill to decriminalize cannabis. It is regrettable that other reports spread a false impression – perhaps deliberately. The SPD has long campaigned for a liberal drug policy and failed to do so due to the Union under Chancellor Merkel.”

“We are now committed to ensuring that the law will, above all, take health protection into account; final discussions are still being held on this matter. The law is scheduled to be passed at the beginning of next year and, we intend, to come into force in April 2024 as planned.” Dr. Mützenich also stated.

Further changes to CanG appear to be on the way, although it remains unclear what those changes are. Still, the timeline for approval appears to be on pace:

4) Die Arbeitsgruppe Gesundheit der @spdbt hat mehrheitlich entschieden, der Fraktion das nun geänderte #CanG zur Annahme zu empfehlen. Diese Debatte in der Gesamtfraktion steht für das nun neue Jahr an.

— Dr. Christos Pantazis MdB (@Dr_Pantazis) January 2, 2024

Meanwhile, adult-use cannabis or not, members of Germany’s established medical cannabis industry are calling for wider regulatory reform in the nation’s medical sector. All of it is adding to what will likely be a very busy year for cannabis policy modernization efforts in Germany in 2024.

Medical Cannabis Legalization Stalls In Ukraine

Written by Hazel Norman on December 30, 2023. Posted in Policy.

Roughly a week ago lawmakers in Ukraine passed a measure that would legalize cannabis for medical use in the country under certain circumstances. Unfortunately, before the nation’s president could sign the measure procedural actions taken by the opposition party Batkivshchyna have delayed the process.

Cannabis opponents in the Verkhovna Rada made significant efforts leading up to the successful vote for medical cannabis to try to prevent a vote from happening via the classic political tactic of introducing needless amendments to the measure being considered.

Those tactics may have failed at the time, however, the recent actions by members of the Batkivshchyna party make the future of medical cannabis in Ukraine murkier, to say the least. Per Marijuana Moment:

The leader of the Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party, Yulia Tymoshenko, who has consistently opposed the measure, said recently that her party intends to appeal to the Constitutional Court to cancel the legislative vote because “the amendments to the bill were considered in a half-empty chamber,” according to a report in the New Voice of Ukraine.

Tymoshenko, a former prime minister of the country, claimed that the proposal would legalize “drug trafficking and the drug mafia in the country,” though the local news outlet said she failed to provide any evidence for those claims.

The recently passed measure, if it is ever signed into law by President Volodymyr Zelensky, would legalize medical cannabis for suffering patients diagnosed with ‘severe illnesses’ and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Cannabis is currently classified as a List I substance in Ukraine, and if the new measure becomes law, it would reschedule cannabis to List II. That rescheduling would allow cannabis to be prescribed for medical purposes.

Ukraine’s Agrarian Policy Ministry would regulate the nation’s medical cannabis program along with Ukraine’s Police and State Agency on Medicines according to the bill. Medical cannabis imports would be permitted, which would help increase the speed at which the nation’s medical cannabis program could become operational.

Japanese Health Ministry Bans Six Synthetic Cannabinoids

Written by Hazel Norman on December 30, 2023. Posted in Policy.

Japan’s Health Ministry moved to pass a ban on certain synthetic cannabinoids this week, citing reported illnesses by consumers who stated they consumed gummy products infused with synthetic cannabinoids.

All of the cannabinoids in question, which will be banned starting January 6, 2024, have a similar structure as hexahydrocannabihexol (HHCH). Japan’s Health Ministry implemented a ban on HHCH and any products infused with it earlier this month.

Back in November, five individuals reportedly became ill after “consuming gummies distributed by a man at a festival in western Tokyo.” Those reported illnesses were cited as the reason for banning HHCH earlier this month.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was already banned in Japan, however, lawmakers recently passed a measure to close a perceived loophole in the law. THC consumption was not expressly prohibited in Japan until earlier this month. People in Japan caught having consumed cannabis now face up to seven years in prison.

Products containing synthetic cannabinoids are popular with consumers in jurisdictions that prohibit THC, serving as an alternative to non-synthetic cannabis products. Multiple outlets in Japan were reportedly selling synthetic cannabis products such as gummies and cookies before the passage of the ban.

Synthetic cannabis products are almost always unregulated, and thus, not always safe for human consumption. Growing demand for synthetic cannabis products is a byproduct of cannabis prohibition, as demonstrated by the fact that synthetic cannabis products are not nearly as popular, nor as widely available, in jurisdictions where adult-use cannabis commerce is permitted compared to where it is prohibited.

Regulated THC products are demonstrably safer than unregulated synthetic cannabinoid products, which is why governments around the world would be wise to modernize their cannabis policies to permit adult-use cannabis commerce to boost public health outcomes.

In addition to banning HHCH earlier this month, lawmakers in Japan lifted a ban on cannabis-derived medications to permit the importation of such medical cannabis products as Epidiolex. Epidiolex is often prescribed for patients diagnosed with intractable epilepsy.

Ukrainian Medical Cannabis Legalization Awaits Presidential Signature

Written by Hazel Norman on December 25, 2023. Posted in Policy.

Lawmakers in Ukraine gave final approval this week to a measure that would legalize cannabis for medical purposes in certain instances. The medical cannabis legalization measure now awaits the signature of President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is expected to sign it into law.

Ukraine’s legislative body, the Verkhovna Rada, approved the bill on Thursday with 248 ‘yes’ votes. The favorable vote comes after years of Ukrainian advocates pushing for medical cannabis legalization. Per Kyiv Post:

In the second reading, the Verkhovna Rada voted in favor of legalizing medical cannabis in Ukraine, passing the new law with a total of 248 votes, as reported by People’s Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak on Telegram.

The Servant of the People pro-presidential faction cast 178 votes in support of the bill, draft law No. 7457. However, the European Solidarity faction, led by former President Petro Poroshenko, and the Batkivshchyna faction, led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, did not support the document.

Cannabis opponents in the Verkhovna Rada made significant efforts in recent weeks to try to prevent a vote from happening via the classic political tactic of introducing needless amendments to the measure being considered.

The recently passed measure, if signed into law by President Volodymyr Zelensky, would legalize medical cannabis for suffering patients diagnosed with ‘severe illnesses’ and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Cannabis is currently classified as a List I substance in Ukraine, and if this new measure becomes law, it will reschedule cannabis to List II. That rescheduling will allow cannabis to be prescribed for medical purposes.

Ukraine’s Agrarian Policy Ministry will regulate the nation’s medical cannabis program along with Ukraine’s Police and State Agency on Medicines. Medical cannabis imports will be permitted, which should help increase the rate at which the nation’s medical cannabis program is operational.

The measure is scheduled to be implemented six months after it receives President Volodymyr Zelensky’s signature.

Guernsey Cannabis Prescriptions Top 13,000 In Last Year

Written by Hazel Norman on December 17, 2023. Posted in Policy.

Guernsey, a self-governing British Crown dependency island in the English Channel near the French coast, only has a population of roughly 65,000 people. Yet, three private clinics on the island have reportedly issued over 13,000 medical cannabis prescriptions over the course of the last year.

Medical cannabis reform was first implemented in Guernsey in 2019, with the British Crown dependency issuing its first medical cannabis cultivation license in November 2021. Momentum for adult-use reform picked up in recent years, however, actual passage and implementation of an adult-use cannabis measure seems unlikely for the foreseeable future.

Lawmakers in Guernsey agreed in 2022 to explore the idea of adult-use cannabis reform. Unfortunately, all laws passed by Guernsey’s government must also be approved by the United Kingdom’s Privy Council – a concept known as ‘royal assent.’

“One of the hurdles we’ve encountered as we have looked more deeply in cannabis legalisation is getting royal assent in the UK [passed by the King’s Privy Council, which, at the moment, appears very unlikely.” stated Policy & Resources Committee member Deputy Bob Murray earlier this year.

A survey of domestic lawmakers in Guernsey back in the summer of 2022 found that over half of them supported reviewing the nation’s cannabis policies, with 40% of survey respondents indicating that they supported rescheduling cannabis.

For now, Guernsey’s emerging medical cannabis industry will continue to serve patients via the prescription process. If local lawmakers and industry members have their way, Guernsey’s industry will increase in size and scope in the coming years, and serve patients in other jurisdictions.

The stated goal coming out of Guernsey is for companies to be able to import raw cannabis from other jurisdictions, make them into various products, and then export those finished products to large European markets such as Germany.

However, for that to happen a “massive investment” needs to be made into the industry according to Deputy Marc Leadbeater, and investors seem hesitant.

“The problem is a lot of the previous investors in medicinal cannabis are wary about investing in that area at the moment due to developments with cannabis legislation across the globe.” Deputy Leadbeater stated according to reporting by the BBC.

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Cannabis Trials Begin In The Netherlands After Long Delay

Written by Hazel Norman on December 17, 2023. Posted in Policy.

Limited adult-use cannabis commerce trials finally launched this week in the Netherlands after several delays. Cannabis trials, which permit consumers, growers, and retailers to participate in legal cannabis commerce for research purposes, were first proposed in the Netherlands in 2017 as part of a governing coalition agreement.

The push to launch cannabis trials in the Netherlands has experienced a series of setbacks. Back in September 2019, ten municipalities were selected for participation in the trials, although legislation was still needed to allow the trials to proceed.

At one point in 2023, it appeared that the whole year would be lost to more delays, with the nation’s Health Minister Ernst Kuipers indicating that they did not want to roll out the trials in phases. Fortunately, the trials did launch this week in Breda and Tilburg.

The public policy concept of cannabis trials is a key component of the legalization model being pursued in Germany. Germany’s Commissioner for Addiction and Drug Issues Burkhard Blienert recently traveled to The Netherlands to discuss the concept:

Zu Besuch bei @BMAlmere im niederländischen Almere: Seine Gemeinde nimmt an einem Modellprojekt für reguliertes Cannabis teil. Die Gespräche dort zeigen mir: Wir dürfen in Deutschland die Modellvorhaben zur kontrollierten Abgabe nicht auf die lange Bank schieben! pic.twitter.com/BHicKtgAmE

— Sucht- und Drogenbeauftragter der Bundesregierung (@BdB_SD_Blienert) December 6, 2023

Cannabis trials are expected to launch in other cities in the Netherlands, although it is still unclear when that will happen exactly. Arnhem, Almere, Groningen, Heerlen, Hellevoetsluis, Maastricht, Nijmegen, and Zaanstad are other municipalities in the Netherlands selected for cannabis trials.

Malta Approves More Noncommercial Cannabis Clubs

Written by Hazel Norman on December 16, 2023. Posted in Policy.

Malta became the first European nation to pass an adult-use cannabis legalization measure back in 2021. The passage of a national legalization measure in Malta made the country the third nation on earth to do so, following Uruguay and Canada.

Unlike Uruguay and Canada, adult-use sales in Malta are limited to noncommercial cannabis clubs. Dispensaries and adult-use sales at pharmacies are still prohibited in Malta, in addition to other forms of commerce.

Back in October Malta approved its first round of licenses for noncommercial cannabis clubs, and earlier this month it approved another round, with three more entities receiving approval. Per Cannabis Health News:

Malta’s Responsible Cannabis Use Authority (CURA) has issued three new licences to Cannabis Harm Reduction Associations (CHRAs).

This brings the total to five clubs which have now received approval, with Sprawt, Northern Lights and NEGE joining KDD Society and Ta’ Zelli which were licensed in early November.

Regulations state that only associations listed on the CURA website can cultivate and distribute cannabis to their members. Membership is limited to residents of Malta over the age of 18 and a copy of their identity card must be provided to the association as proof of age and address.

Unfortunately, the European Union does not permit its members to legalize national adult-use sales. Rather, all policy modernization has to be medical and/or research in nature, which is why Malta was permitted to proceed with licensing noncommercial cannabis clubs.

Such clubs are geared towards reducing the public health impact related to humans consuming unregulated products.

Another public policy experiment that is found in Europe involves the permitting of adult-use cannabis commerce pilot programs. As of right now, Malta does not have plans to launch such programs. Limited local pilot programs are one form of commerce that the European Union permits since they are geared toward research.

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Push For Legalization Continues In Costa Rica

Written by Hazel Norman on December 16, 2023. Posted in Policy.

Multiple countries on different continents are making meaningful pushes to modernize their cannabis policies in ways that would permit adults to cultivate, consume, and/or sell cannabis for recreational purposes.

One of those countries is Costa Rica, where lawmakers are divided over a recent effort to pass an adult-use cannabis legalization measure. This month the nation’s president once again called for adult-use cannabis legalization, and the call was received with mixed reactions. Per excerpts from Tico Times:

Several deputies across parties echoed Chaves’ perspective. Manuel Morales, President of the Environment Commission that oversees the stalled legalization bill, agrees the goal is regulating existing demand rather than promoting more usage.

However, some legislators remain fiercely opposed, especially from the opposition National Liberation Party (PLN). Deputy Dinorah Barquero alleged the bill lacks sufficient study of potential public health impacts from increased cannabis use. Meanwhile, fellow PLN member Gilbert Jiménez labeled Chaves’ legalization push as “inopportune” given the scale of Costa Rica’s security challenges with homicides and criminal groups.

Costa Rica’s Executive Branch previously introduced a cannabis legalization measure that would be later voted down by the nation’s Permanent Special Environment Commission in a 5-3 vote back in August. A major focus of the measure was to boost the nation’s tourism industry and to make Costa Rica a top global cannabis tourism destination.

In President Chaves’ recent call to renew the push to legalize cannabis for adult use in his country, he placed a heavy emphasis on modernizing the nation’s policies to help combat drug cartels and organized crime.

Costa Rica is reportedly experiencing an interesting phenomenon, with cannabis allegedly being smuggled into the country at an increasing rate. If so, Costa Rica would be wise to follow in Canada’s footsteps. Canada legalized cannabis in 2018 and consumers have largely transitioned their purchases to the regulated industry instead of buying from unregulated sources.

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German Commissioner Visits The Netherlands To Learn About Cannabis Trials

Written by Hazel Norman on December 11, 2023. Posted in Policy.

The European continent is home to a handful of interesting local cannabis public policy experiments often referred to as cannabis pilot trials or programs. The trials are designed, in theory, to collect consumer and commerce data at a local level to help national policymakers when they are crafting broader laws, rules, and regulations.

Switzerland has trials already in operation in multiple cities, each with its limits on the number of participants that can take part in the public policy experiment. The trials in Switzerland range in size from hundreds of consumers up to thousands, with each consumer being able to make legal purchases from regulated outlets that are also participating in the programs.

The adult-use legalization measure being considered in Germany also incorporates the concept of local cannabis commerce trials. Germany’s Commissioner for Addiction and Drug Issues Burkhard Blienert traveled to The Netherlands recently to discuss the concept:

Zu Besuch bei @BMAlmere im niederländischen Almere: Seine Gemeinde nimmt an einem Modellprojekt für reguliertes Cannabis teil. Die Gespräche dort zeigen mir: Wir dürfen in Deutschland die Modellvorhaben zur kontrollierten Abgabe nicht auf die lange Bank schieben! pic.twitter.com/BHicKtgAmE

— Sucht- und Drogenbeauftragter der Bundesregierung (@BdB_SD_Blienert) December 6, 2023

Cannabis trials are not a part of adult-use legalization models in the Western Hemisphere. In both Uruguay and Canada, the first two nations to pass national adult-use legalization measures, cannabis sales are permitted nationwide. It is worth noting that Uruguay limits legal purchases to residents only.

The only other two nations to pass adult-use legalization measures at a national level are Malta and Luxembourg, and in the case of Luxembourg, the nation’s legalization model is very restrictive. Sales of any kind are still prohibited in Luxembourg.

In Malta, personal cultivation, possession, and consumption are all legal for adults, as well as permitted purchases via the nation’s growing list of noncommercial cannabis clubs. Malta has no current plans to expand its legalization model.

Germany, on the other hand, does have expressed plans to launch cannabis trials eventually, and when that happens the size and scope of the cannabis trials will likely be much larger than what is currently found elsewhere on the European continent, albeit on a timeline that is still unclear.

Medical Cannabis Access Continues To Be Hindered In Greece

Written by Hazel Norman on December 10, 2023. Posted in Policy.

A Member of the European Parliament from Greece is urging the European Commission (EC) to adopt legislation that would bring some long-needed uniformity to medical cannabis access on the continent. Greek MEP Stelios Kouloglou recently appealed to the EC.

It is not the first time that MEP Kouloglou has sought clarity on this subject. Back in January 2022, MEP Kouloglou submitted a “Question for written answer” to the European Parliament which included the following language:

Many Member States have now legalised the medical use of cannabis and the circulation of EMA-approved and other prescription drugs. At the same time, the EP has adopted a resolution highlighting their therapeutic effects, possibly even in the case of COVID-19.

Since 2017, the cultivation of medicinal cannabis and the licensing and manufacture of finished products with a TCH (sic) content exceeding 2% have all been officially regulated in Greece.

On 2 December 2021, the Government banned the import of medical cannabis products in their final state for domestic consumption, making it impossible for Greek patients to obtain such products with a tetrahydrocannabinol content exceeding 2%, since they have not been licensed for domestic production and few companies will meet the necessary conditions any time soon. As a result, patients are resorting to illegally distributed preparations from unreliable sources.

In view of this:

1. Will the Commission seek to establish whether the principles of fair competition, which is essential for the free movement of goods, and the provisions of the European Medicines Regulatory System are being infringed?
2. How can it help Greek patients gain legal access to the treatment they need?

Earlier this month MEP Kouloglou submitted another question, the language of which is below:

The use of cannabis for medical purposes is accepted worldwide. The WHO recommends the use of prescriptions for a wide range of conditions, while the European Parliament has called on European and national authorities to address regulatory barriers, provide funding for research and innovation and inform healthcare professionals.

Greece legalised medical cannabis in 2017, allowing its cultivation and the production of cannabis products containing more than 0.3% THC. However, patients do not have access to these medical products and the little national investment in medical cannabis that exists, is slow.

In November 2021, the Greek Government banned the import of medical cannabis products, violating Article 28 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and creating a market situation in which supply was controlled by a few who influenced prices, leading to unfair competition. As a result, for the past two years patients have been forced to turn to the black market to get treatment for a range of conditions.

In view of this:

1. How does the Commission plan to address the shortage in medicines for patients, caused by national measures that violate the fundamental principle of the free movement of goods and create a breeding ground for unfair competition within the Single Market?
2. Does it plan to introduce an EU legal framework that comprehensively regulates the issue as a whole, preventing the existence of a black market, regulating quality and labelling accuracy and ensuring legal and safe access to cannabis products for medical purposes?

MEP Kouloglou’s questions are all valid, as Greece is not the only country in Europe struggling to navigate a patchwork of laws, rules, and regulations, with many of them seeming to conflict with each other at times.

If Europe’s cannabis industry is ever going to reach its full potential, both at the individual nation level as well as the continental level, there needs to be sensible uniformity to some degree. Suffering patients across Europe, including in Greece, are depending on it.

Japan Lifts Ban On Cannabis-Derived Medications

Written by Hazel Norman on December 6, 2023. Posted in Policy.

Japan’s parliament approved a reform measure on Wednesday that legalizes cannabis-derived medical products. The newly approved public policy measure also imposes stiff penalties for the use of non-approved cannabis products.

Last month lawmakers in the lower chamber of Japan’s parliament approved the measure, which seeks to permit the importation, prescription, and use of products like Epidiolex. Epidiolex is a cannabis-derived medical cannabis product that is currently available in pharmacies in several countries.

The medication is prescribed to treat severe cases of epilepsy. Many patients around the world report taking the medicine and experiencing significant relief. A study conducted in 2019 found that “6.9 per 1000 individuals have epilepsy in the general Japanese population, and that the prevalence of epilepsy increases with age, probably because of elderly onset cerebrovascular diseases.”

Lawmakers in the upper chamber of Japan’s parliament, the House of Councillors, approved the measure today. The other major component of the measure was explicitly codifying the prohibition of the use of non-approved cannabis products.

Once the measure goes into effect, someone caught consuming illegal cannabis products of any kind will face a penalty of up to seven years in prison. Possession of non-industrial hemp cannabis is already prohibited in Japan, and it is unclear how the new consumption law will be enforced.

A somewhat comparator law can be found in the United States in the State of Idaho, where “public intoxication” from cannabis is prohibited and punished by up to six months imprisonment and/or a $1,000 fine.

The way the law is enforced in that jurisdiction is based on ‘reasonable suspicion’ by the officer, meaning that if an officer has a ‘reasonable suspicion’ that someone has consumed cannabis and is now out in public, they can have them tested, even if it is determined that no actual cannabis was being possessed at the time of the interaction.

It’s a subjective standard that many cannabis advocates around the world try to prevent from being implemented, with advocates pointing out that subjective enforcement is nearly impossible to prevent when such a policy is in place.

The harsher consumer law in Japan is coming after concerns were expressed by lawmakers regarding a ‘spike’ in consumption rates in Japan and a rising rate of arrest for people caught possessing cannabis, particularly young adults.

In the most recent year for which data is available, Japan experienced a 21.5% increase in measured cannabis consumption compared to the previous year. While that may sound alarming to some lawmakers inside and outside of Japan, consider the fact that less than 2% of people in Japan report having consumed cannabis during their entire lives.

By comparison, 41.5% in Canada report having consumed cannabis during their lifetime, and 44.2% in the United States. The double-digit increase in the consumption rate in Japan is more indicative of how low the overall baseline consumption rate was to begin with than it is indicative of a cannabis use epidemic.

Grenada Expected To Pass Cannabis Decriminalization Measure In 2024

Written by Hazel Norman on December 6, 2023. Posted in Policy.

Grenada may not be the first nation that you think of when contemplating cannabis policy modernization efforts, however, the Caribbean nation is expected to pass a cannabis decriminalization measure next year.

#GRENADA: The Government plans to approve in the first months of 2024 a law on the decriminalization of marijuana to promote its therapeutic use, an official document stated today. pic.twitter.com/dhlL6bjs3Z

— CaribbeanNewsNetwork (@caribbeannewsuk) December 5, 2023

While the measure is being described domestically as ‘decriminalization,’ perhaps a more proper way to describe the measure is that Grenada is seeking to legalize the production of limited forms of medical cannabis products, in addition to decriminalizing personal possession and cultivation in some cases. Per Telesure English:

According to official reports, with this initiative, the Caribbean country seeks to diversify its economic base and create new engines to drive growth.

This should result in the elaboration and commercialization of products made with cannabis (as it is also known), but also allow the possession of only five plants or 24 grams, especially for members of the Rastafarian movement.

In many countries around the world, governments have launched robust medical cannabis programs that permit most or all forms of cannabis to be produced and sold via various means such as through dispensaries and/or pharmacies.

What is being proposed in Grenada on the medical side appears to be the legalization of pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis products involving isolated cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol. If that is the case, there are many nations around the world already doing that.

The personal possession and cultivation provisions, if implemented, would be more significant from a public policy standpoint. The cultivation of five plants and the permitted possession of 24 grams is more than what is currently in place in Luxembourg where adults are permitted to cultivate up to four plants and possess up to three grams.

Parliamentary Assembly Of Bosnia And Herzegovina Host Medical Cannabis Meeting

Written by Hazel Norman on November 27, 2023. Posted in Policy.

Medical cannabis reform has swept the European continent, with many countries already having medical cannabis programs up and running in some form. European medical cannabis programs fall on a spectrum ranging from limited access to CBD pharmaceutical products all the way up to robust high-THC options via various safe access points.

One region that has been slower to modernize its medical cannabis policies is the Balkan region. However, that is changing as lawmakers in the region are seemingly making a more concerted effort to catch up to some of their European counterparts.

Lawmakers in Bosnia And Herzegovina recently held a meeting dedicated to exploring medical cannabis policy modernization efforts, as well as the efficacy of cannabis as a medical treatment strategy. Per excerpts from Sarajevo Times:

The conference “Legalization of cannabis for medical purposes – how to speed up the process?” for the first time on this topic in the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina brought together representatives of numerous institutions in the country.

Saša Magazinović, a member of the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly and the strongest proponent of this initiative in that institution, said that all sick people who use cannabis oil expect to be able to use it in a legal way.

“They expect to be treated by doctors instead of dealers and to buy cannabis oil in pharmacies instead of in dark parks. If it is not clear to anyone, we are talking, and it is important to emphasize this, about a large number of people who suffer from great pain, who suffer from autoimmune diseases diseases, malignant diseases, neurological disorders… we are talking about people whose quality of life is significantly impaired. We are all here because of these people,” said Magazinović.

Cannabis opponents have spent a great deal of time and effort over the course of several decades convincing voters that cannabis reform is bad and that cannabis does not possess any meaningful medical value. That harmful rhetoric has prevented suffering patients from obtaining products that could very well help treat their condition(s).

Hopefully the meeting in Bosnia and Herzegovina that was hosted by the nation’s Parliamentary Assembly was productive and yields meaningful action sooner rather than later.

Venezuela’s AG Is Wrong To Criticize Cannabis Reform Efforts

Written by Hazel Norman on November 27, 2023. Posted in Policy.

Cannabis modernization efforts are spreading across the globe, and where adult-use policies are already in place cannabis legalization is succeeding by every measure. Humans will always consume cannabis, and regulating cannabis products is a superior approach to public policy compared to cannabis prohibition.

Unfortunately, not all elected officials see it that way. Many cannabis opponents who are in public office still cling to cannabis prohibition talking points, presumably to try to maintain the status quo and keep policy modernization efforts from succeeding.

One such official is Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek William Saab, who recently bashed lawmakers in other countries who are trying to modernize their nations’ cannabis policies. Per excerpts from World Nation News:

“Who will become a millionaire? Who gave the marijuana that was legalized? You are dividing the profit between a morally criminal group and a legitimately constituted Government,” said Saab during a forum held in Caracas on the prevention of use. on drugs in children and adolescents.

In his opinion, the global trend towards the decriminalization of marijuana consumption, in some cases only for therapeutic purposes, focuses on the legalization of other substances and the economic benefit of “world powers”, although he did not give details about it.

Tarek William Saab is not the only opponent of cannabis reform that is short on details. For decades all cannabis opponents had to do was toss around unfounded talking points that cannabis was bad and that was enough, as there was no counterbalance in the form of social media or elected officials favorable to cannabis reform.

Fortunately, those days are over. The truth about cannabis is now readily available via a number of platforms, peer-reviewed studies demonstrating cannabis’ wellness benefits are piling up, and regulated cannabis sales are generating revenue for public coffers and projects instead of funding criminal enterprises.

Registration Opens For Cannabis Pilot Projects In Bern And Biel

Written by Hazel Norman on November 26, 2023. Posted in Policy.

Switzerland is home to a very interesting public policy experiment. In May 2021, an amendment to Switzerland’s Federal Narcotics Act went into effect which permitted adult-use cannabis commerce pilot projects. Eventually, such projects would launch in Basel and Zurich.

In theory, adult-use cannabis commerce pilot projects are designed to serve as a study, gathering data about various consumer-focused areas of commerce at a local level to help national lawmakers and regulators be better suited to craft national policies and regulations.

The projects in Switzerland are limited in scope and size, although for program participants cannabis is effectively legal as long as they stay within the parameters of the adult-use cannabis commerce pilot program that they are enrolled in.

Pilots in Basel and Zurich have experienced no reported issues to date, and the nation’s network of pilot programs is set to expand with registrations opening up in Bern and Biel. Per Nau:

The cities of Biel and Bern have started the pilot project for cannabis distribution. Registration opened on Wednesday, as the University of Bern announced. The study participants are expected to be able to purchase various products such as cannabis flowers, cannabis resin or liquids with different THC and CBD content in selected pharmacies from February 2024.

According to the statement, the names of the pharmacies will not be published due to security reasons. The study will be carried out in the three cities of Bern, Biel and also in Lucerne. A total of around 1,000 participants will be accepted, including around 700 in Bern and 170 in Biel.

For a population of well over 8 million people, the number of participants in Switzerland’s pilot program is not substantial. However, the fact that at least some people are legally purchasing cannabis for recreational use in Switzerland is worth celebrating, and it is great to see that more pilot programs are on the way.

Pilot programs can be a two-edged sword, in that it gives lawmakers an excuse to drag their feet and delay taking meaningful action toward passing national legislation. Whether or not that proves to be the case in Switzerland will take some time to determine.