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