Author: Hazel Norman

Cannabis Pilot Trial Program Expands In The Netherlands

Written by Hazel Norman on June 24, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Regional cannabis commerce pilot trials are popping up in Europe, including in the Netherlands where the official launch of more pilot trials occurred in several municipalities this week. Trials first launched in Breda and Tilburg back in December.

The municipalities of Groningen, Zaanstad, Almere, Arnhem, Nijmegen, Voorne aan Zee, Heerlen, and Maastricht were previously announced for pilot trial locations, and as of today, consumers registered as pilot participants can make legal purchases at 80 coffee shops in those jurisdictions.

The coffee shops are supplied by three domestic producers, with two more producers expected to enter the fold by September according to domestic reporting by Dutch News. Cannabis pilot trials were first proposed in the Netherlands in 2017 as part of a governing coalition agreement, but a series of delays prevented the program from launching until late 2023.

“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.

A proposal to expand the cannabis trials to the Amsterdam-Oost district was denied in March 2024 by members of the Netherlands Parliament. Amsterdam has long served as a top international cannabis destination.

According to a recent poll, a strong majority of residents in the Netherlands (60%) want to install regulations around the country’s cannabis industry. Regional cannabis commerce pilot trials are also operating in Switzerland, and pilot trials are expected to launch in Germany by the end of the year.

Adult-use legalization in Germany is already having a butterfly effect in the Netherlands. A survey of adults in Germany recently found that 7% reported having already purchased cannabis seeds, with another 11% indicating that they plan to in the future.

Seed banks in the Netherlands have reported significant upticks in seed orders since Germany legalized and home cultivation became permitted.

Italy’s Hemp Industry Seeks European Commission Intervention

Written by Hazel Norman on June 17, 2024. Posted in Business, Policy.

Much of Italy’s public cannabis policies are shaped by legal decisions. In late 2019, Italy’s Supreme Court ruled that laws against ‘small-scale domestic cultivation of cannabis’ were unconstitutional, providing some level of legal protection for consumers and patients.

In 2021, cannabis activists in Italy successfully collected hundreds of thousands of signatures to place a cannabis referendum measure on the ballot for voters to decide. However, in 2022 the nation’s Supreme Court deemed the measure’s language to be unconstitutional.

A decree was issued in 2020 to classify CBD as a narcotic in Italy, but shortly after it was issued, the decree was temporarily suspended. That temporary suspension was then lifted via yet another decree in 2023, just to also be temporarily suspended.

Efforts to shut down Italy’s emerging hemp-derived industry have picked up recently, resulting in Italian trade groups seeking an intervention by the European Commission.

“The Italian hemp supply chain receives important news from the European Commission. Our complaint against amendment 13.6 to the Security Bill (Security Bill) has been officially examined.” the Canapa Sativa Italia trade organization stated in a news release (translated from Italian to English).

“This amendment, which introduces restrictions on the cultivation and trade of hemp inflorescences and derived products, has been contested because it could violate European Union law on free competition and movement of goods. The complaint, registered under number CPLT(2024)01387, represents a positive signal for the sector, which has over 15 thousand workers and a turnover of 500 million euros.” the organization also stated.

If the European Commission determines that there is a violation of Union law, it could send a “letter of formal notice” to Italy’s government. The notice would compel Italy’s government to submit various information by a set deadline.

From there, if the returned information is not deemed to be satisfactory, the European Commission may issue a “reasoned opinion” and possibly refer the matter to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

“This process, although it may take years, is essential to ensure that national regulations comply with EU law.” stated Canapa Sativa Italia.

An estimated 5% of adults in Italy report having consumed cannabis within the last month, 10.8% report having consumed it at least once in the last year, and 34.8% of adults in Italy have consumed cannabis at least once in their lifetime.

Thailand Issues Draft Regulation To Reclassify Cannabis As A Narcotic

Written by Hazel Norman on June 17, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Lawmakers in Thailand continue to move forward with their plan to reclassify cannabis as a narcotic, unveiling a draft regulation this week that would change the cannabis plant’s legal status. Thailand removed cannabis from its national narcotics list in June 2022.

Thailand’s historic cannabis policy shift in 2022 was supposed to pave the way for the nation’s emerging cannabis industry to become a regional and international powerhouse. Every household in the entire country could sign up initially to legally cultivate low-THC cannabis plants, which a reported 1.1 million citizens of Thailand have done.

At the time of Thailand’s historic change in 2022, the nation’s Public Health Minister indicated that there would be no plant limit for the government’s cannabis cultivation program. Thailand’s government also gave away over 1 million cannabis seeds directly to households that signed up for the program.

A broad spectrum of government agencies in Thailand agreed to do their part to push Thailand’s emerging cannabis industry forward after the 2022 policy change. However, times have clearly changed, and Thailand is set to make a dramatic U-turn on cannabis policy. Per the Yahoo News:

The Ministry of Public Health will re-list cannabis buds as a “category five” narcotic from Jan. 1, according to the draft rules published on Tuesday. But the use of various other parts of the plant, including roots and leaves, will however remain legal.

The ministry will receive public feedback on the proposal until June 25. Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin said on Tuesday he will listen to suggestions from both cannabis advocates and opponents.

Researchers estimate that Thailand’s 2022 policy change resulted in roughly 12,000 cannabis dispensaries opening across the country. The dispensaries operate on three-year licenses from the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicines and employ an estimated 60,000 people.

The current draft regulation that was published earlier this week does not include any grace period for cannabis businesses in Thailand, and the industry will presumably be brought to a grinding halt. Medical cannabis will still be permitted in Thailand, although details about what that will ultimately look like remain elusive.

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EMCDDA Releases The ‘European Drug Report 2024’

Written by Hazel Norman on June 17, 2024. Posted in Policy.

The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction has released its annual European Drug Report, in which it determines that cannabis “remains by far the most commonly consumed illicit drug in Europe.”

“National surveys of cannabis use would suggest that, overall, an estimated 8 % of European adults (22.8 million aged 15 to 64) have used cannabis in the last year.” the authors of the report stated.

Currently, Europe is home to multiple countries that have modernized their cannabis policies to permit adults to use cannabis. Malta became the first European nation to do so in 2021, followed by Luxembourg in 2023.

On April 1st, 2024, Germany became the largest country in Europe (and the entire planet) to implement a national recreational cannabis legalization measure. Adults in Germany can now cultivate up to three plants in their private residences and possess a personal amount of cannabis both in their homes and when away from their homes.

Slovenia became the latest European country to see its voters approve an adult-use cannabis legalization measure. Over the weekend, voters in Slovenia approved an adult-use legalization referendum measure in addition to also approving a domestic medical cannabis production measure. Both cannabis consultation referendum measures will now be considered by Slovenia’s lawmakers.

According to the recent report by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, “around 1.3 % of adults in the European Union (3.7 million people) are estimated to be daily or almost daily users of cannabis.”

The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction report also determined that “of the 51 cities with comparable data, 20 reported an annual increase in the cannabis metabolite THC-COOH in wastewater samples, while 15 reported a decrease.”

The report also determined the following:

In 2022, EU member nations reported 243,000 seizures of cannabis concentrate amounting to 468 tonnes (816 tonnes in 2021), and 234,000 seizures of floral cannabis amounting to 265 tonnes (256 tonnes in 2021). The overall quantity of cannabis concentrate seized in the European Union decreased by 43% in 2022.
Approximately 609,000 cannabis use or possession offenses were reported in the European Union in 2022 (566,000 in 2021), in addition to roughly 98,000 supply offenses (100,000 in 2021).
In 2022, the average THC content of cannabis concentrates in the European Union was 24.8% and cannabis flower was 10.1 %.

According to a recent market analysis, the legal European medical cannabis market is projected to be worth over $9.7 billion by 2028, with the United Kingdom and Germany projected to gain a 77% market share by the end of the forecast period.

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South Africa’s President Signs ‘Private Setting’ Cannabis Legalization Measure

Written by Hazel Norman on June 17, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Back in 2018, South Africa’s Constitutional Court issued a landmark ruling that deemed cannabis prohibition as it pertained to adult individuals to be unconstitutional. The 2018 decision stemmed from a lower court decision in Western Cape in March 2017 which determined that a ban on cannabis use by adults at home was unconstitutional.

The 2018 decision in South Africa left many unknowns, including how much cannabis a person could cultivate and possess in a private setting. The Court largely punted many policy decisions to lawmakers, who then proceeded to drag their feet for several years. Today, after a long delay, South Africa’s President signed a measure to codify the Court’s 2018 decision.

“President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed into law the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act (“CfPPA”). The CfPPA regulates the cultivation, possession, and use of cannabis by adults in a private setting.” The President’s office stated in a press release.

“The consequent regulatory reform enabled by the CfPPA will, amongst others, entirely remove cannabis from the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act. This will further enable amendment of the Schedules to the Medicines and Related Substances Act and provide for targeted regulatory reform of the Plant Breeders Rights Act and the Plant Improvement Act, as well as other pieces of legislation that require amendment to allow for the industrialisation of the cannabis sector.” the press release also stated.

South Africa joins a growing list of nations that have adopted modernized adult-use cannabis policies. Uruguay legalized cannabis nationally for adults in 2013, with national product sales launching in 2017.

Canada became the second nation to adopt adult-use cannabis legalization in 2018, making it the first G-7 nation to adopt recreational reform. Malta legalized in 2021 followed by Luxembourg in 2023.

Germany is the largest nation to pass a national adult-use legalization measure, with the first provisions of the nation’s CanG law taking effect on April 1st. Social cannabis clubs are expected in Germany in July, and regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot trials are expected to launch by the end of the year.

South Africa’s recently approved measure does not legalize adult-use cannabis product sales. However, the removal of cannabis from the nation’s Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act is significant.

Somewhat similar to Germany’s recent removal of cannabis from its national Narcotics List, the removal in South Africa will likely have a dramatic impact on its national medical cannabis industry. Researchers estimate that South Africa’s medical cannabis industry has the potential to create a R100 billion-a-year boost to the nation’s economy and create over 130,000 jobs.

Today’s cannabis measure signing in South Africa adds to the growing momentum for global reform.

Cannabis Shops In Thailand Expected To Close By April 2025

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

Thailand made a historic shift in cannabis policy in June 2022 by becoming the first country in the Southeast Asia region to remove cannabis from its national narcotics listing. It appears that policy change will be short-lived, with the nation’s prime minister declaring that cannabis will be reclassified as a narcotic by the end of 2024 and that the country’s cannabis shops will be closed by April 2025.

The announcement was not surprising given the number of anti-cannabis talking points that Thailand Prime Minster Srettha Thavisin has offered up since taking office. While not surprising, it is still defeating news for Thailand’s emerging cannabis industry, which has thrived in recent years thanks in large part to the Thailand government’s help.

Every household in the entire country could sign up initially to legally cultivate low-THC cannabis plants, which a reported 1.1 million citizens of Thailand have done. 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 of Thailand’s historic change in 2022, the 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.

Unfortunately, major changes appear to be on the way. Per Thai Examiner:

An order given by the Prime Minister on Wednesday would close cannabis shops in Thailand by April 1st, 2025. On Wednesday, Srettha Thavisin made it clear he wanted cannabis reclassified as a scheduled narcotic by the end of 2024. It came as a high-powered working group zeroed in on firm plans for a drug crackdown in Thailand. The meeting was attended by three senior ministers, the Prime Minister, and the secretary to the Defence Minister. In short, one of the proposals agreed upon was the internment of drug addicts at a military base. In addition, discretion given to police in relation to small-time users was tightened. The Prime Minister said he wanted to see more vigorous police action in wiping out illegal drug use.

The region in which Thailand is located is home to some of the harshest cannabis public policies and penalties on Earth, with several Southeastern Asian countries still issuing the death penalty for certain cannabis-only offenses.

Thailand’s emerging cannabis industry was estimated to be worth 28 billion Thai baht (€728 million) within the first year of the historic 2022 policy change and was projected to increase to 336 billion baht (€8.7 billion) by 2030 prior to the prime minister’s announcement.

Signature Drive In Switzerland Seeks To Legalize Cannabis For Adult-Use

Written by Hazel Norman on May 6, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Europe is currently home to three nations that have adopted a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure, and if cannabis advocates in Switzerland succeed in their effort, their country could become the fourth.

Currently, Malta, Luxembourg, and Germany have approved legalization measures. Malta did so in 2021, Luxembourg did it in 2023, and Germany’s legalization measure officially came into effect on April 1st, 2024.

Out of the three nations, Germany’s legalization model is the best. All three legal European countries permit cannabis cultivation, possession, and use. However, Luxembourg does not permit adult-use commerce in any form, and in Malta commerce is limited to noncommercial cannabis clubs. In addition to clubs, Germany will also allow regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot trials.

Switzerland currently has cannabis trials underway, and according to domestic reporting, the signature-gathering effort seeks to take sales nationally. Per Swiss Info:

The people’s initiative, “Cannabis legalisation: opportunities for the economy, health and equality”, wants a new article on cannabis enshrined in the constitution. According to the text of the initiative published in the Swiss Federal Gazette, citizens should be allowed to grow and possess cannabis from the age of 18 for their personal use.

Commercial cannabis growers and sales outlets would require a licence and be subject to strict quality and safety regulations. The proceeds from the taxation of cannabis products would be channelled into drug education, addiction prevention and awareness.

The effort needs to successfully gather 100,000 valid signatures by October 30th, 2025 to trigger a vote. It is worth noting that a similar effort occurred in Italy in recent years, with advocates gathering the necessary signatures. However, Italy’s top court ultimately ruled that the measure was unconstitutional before voters got to decide on it.

If the effort does succeed in getting enough signatures in Switzerland, in addition to being reviewed by Swiss courts, the measure will presumably also be reviewed by the European Union. The European Union indicated in its discussions with Germany that nationwide adult-use cannabis sales are not permitted by current EU agreements.

Canada Received $1.9 Billion From Legal Cannabis Sales In 2022/2023

Written by Hazel Norman on May 6, 2024. Posted in Business, Policy.

Canada became the first G-7 nation on the planet to pass a national adult-use legalization measure in 2018, and only the second country to ever do so. The only country to have passed a national adult-use legalization measure before Canada was Uruguay, which legalized cannabis for adult use in 2013.

However, unlike Uruguay, which limits legal adult-use sales to residents, anyone of legal age (18 years old) can make recreational cannabis purchases from retailers in Canada. Canada remains the largest adult-use policy and industry experiment on Earth.

Statistics Canada recently released new cannabis industry and consumer data, including how much money the legal industry generated for Canadian governments during the 2022/2023 fiscal period. Per excerpts from Statistics Canada:

Sales of recreational cannabis by provincial cannabis authorities and other retail outlets increased 15.8% to $4.7 billion in the 2022/2023 fiscal year. Most of the increase was due to higher sales of inhaled extracts (+59.0%), which accounted for one-quarter of total cannabis sales.

Federal and provincial governments received $1.9 billion from the control and sale of recreational cannabis in 2022/2023, up by almost one-quarter (+24.2%) from a year earlier.

With more than 3,000 legal cannabis stores in Canada, over two in three cannabis consumers bought from the legal market. Among those who used cannabis in the 12 months before the survey, just over 7 out of 10 (71.7%) bought exclusively from legal sources.

Cannabis legalization is succeeding in Canada by every reasonable measure, as demonstrated by the new consumer and industry data from Statistics Canada. In addition to the revenue generated by Canada’s legal industry for public coffers, governments have also saved a considerable amount of public resources by no longer arresting consumers for cannabis activity.

Canada is a glowing example of what is possible when lawmakers take a sensible approach toward cannabis. The nation’s cannabis law is not perfect, however, it is undeniably better than cannabis prohibition and countries would be wise to follow in Canada’s footsteps.

Germany Imported A Record Amount Of Cannabis In 2023

Written by Hazel Norman on May 6, 2024. Posted in Business.

Germany continues to serve as the largest legal medical cannabis market in Europe, and not just for domestically produced medical cannabis products. Germany reportedly imported a record amount of medical cannabis products from other countries in 2023.

In 2023, Germany imported 31,398 kilograms of medical cannabis products according to data from Germany’s Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), a 26.2% increase compared to last year’s medical cannabis imports.

In 2022 Germany imported 24,876 kilograms, compared to 20,771 kilograms in 2021, 11,746 kilograms in 2020, and 8,057 kilograms in 2019. Canada was the top source of imported medical cannabis in Germany followed by Portugal and the Netherlands. Roughly 50% of imported cannabis to Germany in 2023 originated in Canada compared to 40% the previous year.

Starting in 2017, Germany legalized the use of 14 different varieties of cannabis flower for patients with severe debilitating diseases and no other treatment options. The legal medical cannabis products have been distributed through German pharmacies ever since.

However, it wasn’t until 2019 that Germany allowed medical cannabis to be produced domestically, with the European nation’s medical cannabis industry initially relying solely on medical cannabis imports. Domestic production has ramped up since 2019, yet, medical cannabis imports have remained strong.

With the new German adult-use cannabis legalization law (CanG) taking effect on April 1, 2024, Germany’s medical cannabis industry is set to undergo a fairly substantial evolution going forward.

Three companies were chosen in 2019 to produce medical cannabis in Germany. The companies were capped at 10,400 kilograms of product production over the course of a four-year span. With the new CanG law taking effect, that quota system is going away. More companies can now apply to cultivate medical cannabis within Germany’s borders.

Furthermore, a major component of the new CanG law involves cannabis being removed from Germany’s Narcotics List, which will have a significant impact on patient access to medical cannabis. Germany’s medical cannabis program will no longer require a narcotic prescription form. The policy change will likely result in a dramatic increase in Germany’s legal medical cannabis base.