Author: Hazel Norman

Advocates Rally In Mexico City To Demand Cannabis Reform

Written by Hazel Norman on May 5, 2025. Posted in Policy.

Cannabis reform advocates held a rally in Mexico City, Mexico over the weekend, demanding that the nation’s government modernize Mexico’s cannabis policies and regulations to expressly permit personal recreational cannabis activity.

“Thousands of people flooded the streets of Mexico City this weekend demanding free access to marijuana and cannabis.” reported 7 News Miami in its original coverage. “Protesters who took part in Saturday’s demonstration also demanded having the ability to grow it for personal use and for legal harassment of using it to end.”

The effort to modernize Mexico’s cannabis policies has taken many turns in recent years. Back in June 2021, Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled in an 8-3 decision that the prohibition of private recreational use of cannabis by adults was unconstitutional.

“Today is a historic day for liberties,” Supreme Court president Arturo Zaldívar said at the time. The Court’s decision did not extend to recreational cannabis commerce, and consuming cannabis in public remained prohibited in Mexico.

Part of the Court’s decision tasked lawmakers in Mexico with introducing, approving, and implementing an adult-use cannabis legalization model that included expressed limits for private adult-use activity and regulated sales. However, political leaders in Mexico have continued to fail to codify those public policy changes.

UK Epilepsy Patients Improve Following Medical Cannabis Therapy

Written by Hazel Norman on May 4, 2025. Posted in Science.

A growing list of peer-reviewed studies and personal medical cannabis patient testimonials demonstrates that cannabis is medicine, and it can be effectively used to treat a wide range of health conditions.

Suffering patients of one serious health condition in particular, epilepsy, seem to greatly benefit from the incorporation of medical cannabis therapies in treatment regimens. Epilepsy patients from around the globe have reportedly experienced dramatic improvements following medical cannabis use.

A team of researchers in the United Kingdom recently conducted a study involving patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy and medical cannabis, and the results of their research found that the patients experienced significant improvements. Below is more information about the study via a news release from NORML:

London, United Kingdom: Patients with refractory epilepsy report sustained improvements in their symptoms following the use of medical cannabis preparations, according to observational data published in the journal Brain and Behavior.

British investigators assessed the use of cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) in a cohort of 134 patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy. (British health care providers may prescribe cannabis-based medicinal products to patients unresponsive to conventional medications.) Patients’ outcomes were assessed at one, three, and six months.

Medical cannabis treatment was associated with improvements in patient‐reported epilepsy‐specific outcomes, alongside improvements in anxiety, sleep quality, and health-related quality of life. Over 96 percent of study subjects reported no adverse events from cannabis treatment.

“Treatment with CBMPs was associated with an improvement in both epilepsy‐specific and general HRQoL [health-related quality of life] outcomes at one, three, and six months,” the study’s authors concluded. “This study shows the promising potential of CBMPs as an adjunctive treatment option in the management of TRE [treatment-resistant epilepsy.]”

In 2018, regulators at the US Food and Drug Administration granted market approval to Epidiolex, a prescription medicine containing a standardized formulation of plant-derived cannabidiol (CBD) for the treatment of two rare forms of epilepsy: Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome.

Other observational studies assessing the use of cannabis products among those enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry have reported them to be effective for patients diagnosed with cancer-related pain, anxiety, fibromyalgia, inflammatory bowel disease, hypermobility disorders, depression, migraine, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, and inflammatory arthritis, among other conditions.

Full text of the study, “UK Medical Cannabis Registry: A clinical outcomes analysis for epilepsy,” appears in Brain and Behavior. Additional information on cannabis and epilepsy is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids.

Portugal’s Cannabis Exports Have Nearly Tripled

Written by Hazel Norman on May 4, 2025. Posted in Business.

The legal medical cannabis industry has experienced tremendous growth in recent years, particularly in Europe. One country that is witnessing substantial growth of its emerging medical cannabis industry is Portugal, where cannabis exports are booming.

“According to data provided to ECO by the National Authority for Medicines and Health Products (Infarmed), sales abroad totalled 32,558 kilos, covering cultivation, manufacturing and wholesale trade activities.” reported The Portugal News in its local coverage (translated to English).

“Germany, Spain, Poland, the United Kingdom and Australia were the top five destinations for medical cannabis exports last year. With this year-on-year growth of 172%, which made the volume exceed 65 tons in 2019, the country consolidated its status as the largest European exporter and second in the world, a ranking in which it appears behind only Canada.” the outlet also reported.

One factor that people should have on their radars is the rise of domestic medical cannabis production in major markets, particularly in Germany. As part of the nation’s 2024 CanG law, caps on domestic medical cannabis production were removed in Germany.

It will take time for domestic production to significantly ramp up in Germany, which is Europe’s largest legal medical cannabis market, but once it does, it could impact imports from other countries such as Portugal.

Cannabis is now legal in some form, whether it be for medical use, adult use, or in the form of industrial hemp, in over 115 countries. According to a recent study conducted by researchers from Ukraine and France, and published by the U.S. National Institute of Health, 57 countries have adopted medical cannabis legalization measures.

Austria’s CBD Flower Ban Faces Legal Challenges

Written by Hazel Norman on April 27, 2025. Posted in Business, Policy.

Months after it was reportedly determined that dried hemp flowers in Austria with a THC content of up to 0.3% are subject to the country’s tobacco tax and monopoly, the nation’s government is facing ongoing legal challenges from cannabis industry members.

“The Austrian cannabis industry is breathing a sigh of relief after the publication of a constitutional opinion by leading jurist Dr. Heinz Mayer. According to Mayer, the sale of CBD weed with less than 0.3% THC is not subject to the tobacco monopoly, despite earlier reports from the Ministry of Finance. This would allow CBD shops to legally resume the sale of smokable cannabis products.” reported Cannabis Industrie in its original coverage (translated to English).

“Mayer argues that the ruling of the highest administrative court only confirms that CBD weed falls under tobacco excise duty, not under the monopoly itself. According to him, an extension of the tobacco monopoly to cannabis would be in conflict with the Austrian constitution and European law.” the outlet also reported.

According to a previous analysis by the Tax Foundation, Austria places a €3.32 excise duty per 20-pack of tobacco cigarettes. An additional ‘value added tax’ or VAT is also placed on tobacco products, raising the total tax per pack of tobacco cigarettes to €4.23. The Tax Foundation estimates that tax as a share of the final selling price per pack of tobacco cigarettes is 77%.

Regulators across Europe, and many other parts of the world, are struggling to rectify the inconsistencies in laws and regulations on consumable hemp products. For many years, hemp products were largely limited to textiles. However, many savvy entrepreneurs are bringing more consumable hemp products to emerging markets, often referred to as ‘cannabis light,’ and policymakers are scrambling to try to catch up.

According to the Austrian government, sales of cannabis light products must exclusively go through official tobacco shops as long as the sales ban remains in force. Vending machine sales are also prohibited according to the Austrian government.

Budapest March Protests Against Cannabis Prohibition

Written by Hazel Norman on April 22, 2025. Posted in Policy.

Over the weekend, the internationally recognized cannabis holiday 4/20 took place worldwide, with events, gatherings, and demonstrations occurring in several jurisdictions. One such gathering was held in Budapest, Hungary, where cannabis advocates protested the nation’s cannabis prohibition policies.

“The event was held by Hungarian political party ‘Two-Tailed Dog’, with participants pointing out that alcohol has a far more serious negative effect and causes greater social harm than marijuana, the consumption of which is criminalised.” reported EuroNews in its coverage.

“At the Million Marijuana March event, MKKP co-chair Zsuzsanna Döme argued that alcohol and designer drugs cause much greater social harm, yet the government criminalises the usage of marijuana by young people.” the outlet also reported.

Whereas numerous European nations have modernized their cannabis policies to permit safe access to medical cannabis, and in some cases recreational cannabis, Hungary has seemingly trended in the opposite direction.

Currently, most European countries have operational medical cannabis programs. Cannabis is legal for adult use in Malta, Luxembourg, and Germany, and regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot trials are operating in the Netherlands and Switzerland.

“A demonstration for legalising marijuana held on Easter Sunday “is a shameless provocation”, László Horváth, the government commissioner for eliminating drug dealing, has said, vowing that the protest would be “the last” of its kind.” reported Daily News Hungary about Sunday’s protest.

Italian Court Upholds Classification Of CBD As A Narcotic

Written by Hazel Norman on April 21, 2025. Posted in Business, Policy.

Italy’s emerging cannabis industry was dealt another major setback recently, with an Italian court ruling that cannabidiol’s (CBD) classification as a narcotic is permissible. A previously approved measure in Italy equated floral hemp with cannabis flower that is high in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content.

“In yet another blow to Italy’s beleaguered hemp sector, the Lazio Regional Administrative Court (TAR) has rejected an appeal by stakeholders challenging the government’s restriction of oral CBD products, solidifying a ban that has drawn sharp criticism from legal and trade experts.” reported HempToday in its coverage.

“Italy has now effectively banned all oral compositions of CBD derived from the cannabis plant, including extracts from flowers, leaves, or stalks, limiting them strictly to prescription-only pharmaceutical use. The decision expands prior restrictions, which only applied to flower-derived CBD.” the outlet also stated.

According to a recent economic report, Italy’s cannabis light industry employs over 20,000 people.

“The light cannabis sector has a direct economic impact of almost one billion euros, with another additional billion of indirect impact, and the creation of 22 thousand full-time jobs.” reported Dolce Vita in its original coverage.

“These are the recently updated estimates of the Italian light cannabis market, therefore relating only to inflorescences (without CBD oils and shredded) developed in a study by MPG Consulting, led by the specialized economist Davide Fortin together with the lawyer Maria Paola Liotti and commissioned by the Canapa Sativa Italia association.” the outlet also stated.

Israel Announces 165% Tariffs On Canadian Cannabis

Written by Hazel Norman on April 14, 2025. Posted in Business, Policy.

Israel is an international leader in medical cannabis in many ways, having allowed legal medical cannabis activity by patients going back to the 1990s. It is also considered the birthplace of modern medical cannabis research.

The Israeli medical cannabis market is large in size and scope, which makes it a popular destination for medical cannabis product imports and exports. Historically, medical cannabis products from Canada have been popular in Israel. However, that could be changing in the future, with Israel announcing stiff tariffs on Canadian cannabis.

“Israel’s Minister of Economy and Industry has announced the nation will impose tariffs on Canadian cannabis at rates as high as 165% for the next four years.” StratCann reported. “The decision still needs to be approved by the country’s Knesset Finance Committee and Finance Minister.”

“In its adoption of the Minister of Economy’s Advisory Committee recommendations, the new levy tariffs will be 165% on all Canadian cannabis imported into Israel, except for Decibel (12%), Village Farms (28%), Organigram (53%), and Tilray (70%).” the outlet also reported.

Persistence Market Research estimates that “the global medical marijuana market is expected to grow from USD 33.1 Bn in 2025 to USD 83.1 Bn by 2032, registering a CAGR of 14.0% during the forecast period.”

Chile Is Considering Legalizing Adult-Use Cannabis

Written by Hazel Norman on April 12, 2025. Posted in Policy.

Currently, cannabis is legal for adult use at a national level in Uruguay, Canada, Malta, Luxembourg, Germany, and South Africa. Additionally, two dozen states in the U.S. have adopted recreational cannabis measures, regional adult-use pilot trials are operating in the Netherlands and Switzerland, and top courts in multiple other countries have ruled against adult-use prohibition policies.

Chile is another country that may join the list of legalized nations, with lawmakers having recently introduced a measure that would legalize cannabis for adult use in the South American country if approved.

“Chile is entering a new chapter in its cannabis policy. Lawmakers have introduced a comprehensive bill to regulate adult-use cannabis, advocacy groups are rallying behind it and one of the country’s top presidential candidates has pledged to push for legalization if elected.” stated Benzinga in its original coverage.

“The bill outlines several major changes: adults would be allowed to cultivate up to six flowering plants, store up to 800 grams annually and carry up to 40 grams in public. Consumption would remain restricted to private spaces; public use—including in schools, transport or around minors—would be prohibited. Cultivation collectives of up to 500 members would be legal as long as distribution is limited to members and not commercialized.” the outlet also reported.

Cannabis legalization models differ across the globe, with no two jurisdictions having the exact same legalization model. Canada has the most robust adult-use commerce system, with sales permitted nationwide, including sales to non-residents. Uruguay also permits adult-use sales, yet they are limited to residents only.

What is being proposed in Chile is more akin to legalization models in Germany and Malta, both of which permit home cultivation, personal possession, and cultivation associations. However, the cultivation and possession limits being proposed in Chile are considerably greater than what is currently permitted in Germany and Malta.

Brazil Supreme Court Issues Major Cannabis Decision

Written by Hazel Norman on April 7, 2025. Posted in Policy.

Currently, cannabis is legal for adult use at a national level in Uruguay, Canada, Malta, Luxembourg, Germany, and South Africa. Additionally, two dozen states in the U.S. have adopted recreational cannabis legalization measures, and adult-use pilot trials are operating in multiple jurisdictions in the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Another area of emerging cannabis policy can be found via court decisions. Landmark court decisions have been handed down in such nations as Spain, Italy, and Mexico. South Africa’s top court struck down cannabis prohibition laws before the African nation’s lawmakers eventually adopted a legalization measure to further codify the court’s previous decision.

Brazil is the latest country to experience a landmark court ruling in favor of adult-use cannabis consumers. Below is more information about what the court decided and its potential impact via a news release from NORML:

Brasilia, Brazil: Brazilians may possess up to 40 grams of cannabis and home-cultivate up to six marijuana plants without the threat of arrest or incarceration, according to a determination by members of the Supreme Federal Court.

The decision affirms and clarifies an earlier decision depenalizing low-level marijuana possession. The use of cannabis in public remains subject to administrative penalties. Cannabis trafficking remains punishable by criminal penalties.

An estimated 25 percent of Brazilian prisoners are serving time for minor drug possession offenses.

In 2018, South Africa’s highest court similarly determined that the use of marijuana by adults in private is constitutionally protected behavior. Lawmakers eventually signed legislation into law in 2024, codifying the personal use of marijuana by adults.