Author: Johnny Green

Low-Dose Cannabis Extracts Could Help Pain Patients

Written by Johnny Green on July 20, 2025. Posted in Science.

Chronic pain is one of the most common and serious health conditions around the world. International researchers estimate that as many as 20% of adults suffer from chronic pain globally, and that percentage could rise in the future with more adults being diagnosed every year.

Common treatments for pain include over-the-counter medications, prescription pharmaceutical painkillers, and, in more extreme cases of chronic pain, injections, nerve blocks, and radiofrequency ablation.

The potential side effects of the previously listed pain management options are numerous, including but not limited to: constipation, breathing issues, nausea, chest pains, drowsiness, diarrhea, headaches, and even death. Many pharmaceutical painkillers are very addictive.

A team of researchers affiliated with various academic and health institutions based in Argentina and Ecuador recently examined low-dose cannabis extracts as a treatment for chronic pain. Their findings were published in the Journal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy.

“The aim of this work was to assess the effectiveness of full-spectrum cannabis (THC and CBD) extracts as adjuvants in the treatment of chronic pain.” the researchers wrote. “This is a prospective, open label, longitudinal study. Major cannabinoids were analyzed in herbal preparations using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Subjects were included when chronic pain diagnosis criteria was met according to physicians’ diagnosis.”

“A patient stratification protocol was developed using a visual analogue scale to measure pain, a numerical scale for life quality parameters and a self-administered health survey. Eighty-eight patients aged between 35 and 88 years were included.” the researchers stated about their methodology.

“A significant decrease in both pain and other life quality parameters was observed between time zero and subsequent time intervals, excepting the “appetite” variable. Overall, 51 individuals reported a decrease in pain, 38 a decrease in anxiety and 48 in insomnia, with “decrease” defined as symptom reduction of 50% or more between the first and last consultation. In addition, 23 subjects reduced or discontinued other analgesics and/or anti-inflammatory drugs during the trial.” the researchers found.

“Adverse effects were mild and reversible. These results are consistent with previous studies, supporting effectiveness and safety of cannabis extracts as adjuvants in the treatment of chronic pain.” the researchers concluded.

Zurich Cannabis Pilot Trial Set For Expansion

Written by Johnny Green on July 16, 2025. Posted in Policy.

The regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot project “Züri Can – Cannabis with Responsibility” was launched in 2023. The pilot trial, operated by the City of Zurich, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and the University of Zurich, is described as “investigating the effects of purchasing selected cannabis products from controlled cultivation under regulated conditions on participants’ consumption and health.”

Slated to operate until autumn 2026, the trial has involved 2,100 study participants so far. However, the Züri Can pilot trial is reportedly expected to expand and include nearly a thousand more study participants.

“The city of Zurich continues to lead the way in Europe in piloting a model for the legal and controlled distribution of cannabis in Switzerland. After an initial phase launched in 2023, the pilot project ” Züri Can – Cannabis with Responsibility ” is preparing for significant expansion: applications are open this month for an additional 900 participants, joining the approximately 2,100 already involved.” reported DolceVita in its original coverage.

“Participants can purchase recreational cannabis from over 20 licensed retailers, including pharmacies, specialized dispensaries, and accredited social clubs, choosing from a range of products vetted for quality and provenance.” the outlet also reported.

The planned expansion of the pilot trial in Zurich was originally approved by the Federal Office of Public Health on November 20, 2024. Pilot trial participation requirements include subjects being of legal age (18 years old or older), being an ‘active user’, participants must be a resident of Zurich, and they cannot work as a ‘professional driver’, such as a bus or taxi driver.

Regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot trials are a public policy model that is unique to Europe. Whereas national adult-use cannabis sales are prohibited by current European Union agreements, pilot trials are research-based and are permitted by the EU.

Multiple jurisdictions in Switzerland now have operating pilot trials, and trials are also operating in several jurisdictions in the Netherlands. Pilot trials were also approved as part of Germany’s multi-phased CanG law in 2024, although no German jurisdictions have received official approval to proceed yet.

German Draft Medical Cannabis Amendment Would Harm Patients

Written by Johnny Green on July 15, 2025. Posted in Policy.

Longtime medical cannabis advocates, myself included, have pointed out for many years that a jurisdiction’s medical cannabis model is only as good as the level of safe access that it provides to suffering patients. That is a true statement, including in Germany, where a draft amendment to the country’s Medical Cannabis Act (MedCanG) was recently released.

As drafted, the amendment would negatively impact safe access in Germany, and the nation’s medical cannabis patients would suffer as a result. The proposed changes contained within the draft amendment include:

Mandatory in-person doctor consultations
A ban on mail-order medical cannabis dispensing
Stricter rules for medical cannabis prescriptions

The changes are being proposed by Germany’s Ministry of Health despite the effectiveness and safety of telemedicine services. Given German Health Minister Nina Warken’s recent negative comments about German medical cannabis since assuming her current position, what is being proposed is not surprising, but no less unfortunate.

German medical cannabis telemedicine services help the nation’s most vulnerable patients, including rural patients who live far away from doctors, disabled patients who often cannot travel to complete in-person consultations, and low income patients who may be able-bodied and yet cannot afford to travel to a physical doctors office or pay extra for a doctor to travel to them for in-person consultations.

All of those limitations also apply to the ongoing logistics of acquiring medical cannabis products for the suffering patients who can overcome the arbitrary additional hurdles and gain initial approval from a doctor.

What is being proposed will place significant burdens on patients who just want to have safe access to effective medications, and if the draft amendment provisions are approved, many will be forced to either go without medical cannabis altogether or seek out unregulated alternatives. According to a recent survey conducted by Bloomwell Group, many medical cannabis patients will choose the latter.

Frankfurt-based Bloomwell Group, Europe’s largest digital platform for medical cannabis-based therapies, surveyed more than 2,500 current medical cannabis patients in Germany. Below are some of the key findings from the survey results:

41.7% of patients would revert to the unregulated market if telemedicine were prohibited
Only 7% would consider joining one of Germany’s adult-use cannabis clubs
79% of patients previously relied on unregulated sources prior to benefitting from telemedicine options
47.5% of survey participants indicated that cannabis obtained from pharmacies is less expensive compared to unregulated sources
83% believe medical cannabis from pharmacies is of higher quality than unregulated alternatives

“Respondents in the latest survey have yet again voiced significant concerns about illegal products. However, the majority said that if digital access were restricted—as currently proposed by some politicians—they would have no alternative except to return to obtaining their cannabis from illicit sources.” stated Dr. Julian Wichmann, Co-Founder and CEO of Bloomwell GmbH.

“Ironically, the allegations of misuse relate to prescription medication, where limiting digital access would have only negative consequences—for patients, the economy, the justice system, the state, and public health.” Dr. Wichmann continued.

“At the same time, we see consistent, widespread misuse of numerous other prescription drugs with high dependency potential and serious side effects — but there is currently no comparable evidence that pharmacy-grade medical cannabis poses the same risks. From a medical perspective, a re-criminalization of hundreds of thousands of cannabis patients must be avoided at all costs.” Dr. Wichmann also stated.

“A majority of Germans now support full legalization, and the medical benefits of cannabis are widely accepted across all social strata. The premise that politicians are seriously considering slowing digital innovation in an already overburdened healthcare system, re-criminalizing patients, threatening jobs, and forfeiting tax revenue is beyond absurd—and would be laughable if the consequences for patients and public health weren’t so serious.” stated Niklas Kouparanis, Co-Founder and CEO of Bloomwell Group.

If there is one silver lining to be had right now, it is that the process is not over, and there currently is no final decision. There is still time for medical cannabis advocates to prevent the drastic changes from gaining final approval, which was touched on by leading German cannabis policy expert attorney Peter Homberg of gunnercooke in an interview this week with krautinvest (I encourage everyone to read the interview on krautinvest.de in its entirety).

“I can’t imagine this draft bill being passed in its current form. In my view, it represents the Federal Ministry of Health’s maximum demands, which go far beyond the actual goal.” Peter Homberg said (translated from German to English) in the interview in response to krautinvest’s question, “In your opinion, how realistic is it that these changes will be implemented?”

Mr. Homberg would go on to explain that some changes to Germany’s medical cannabis rules and regulations will likely occur, but not everything that is being proposed in the recently released draft amendment.

“I can imagine that the SPD, as part of the coalition, will work quite hard to prevent this law from being implemented in this form. After all, its contents are counterproductive to what the government implemented during the last legislative period: comprehensive patient care with high-quality cannabis products from pharmacies.” Mr. Homberg also stated in the interview.

The release of the Ministry of Health’s draft amendment comes on the heels of the first findings surfacing from the Evaluation of the Consumer Cannabis Act (EKOCAN) project. The project manager for the EKOCAN research effort, Dr. Jakob Manthey, indicated that many of the concerns expressed by cannabis opponents about cannabis legalization over the last year are proving to be unfounded, at least so far.

All medical cannabis advocates in Germany are encouraged to contact the lawmakers who represent them and let them know that these aggressions against medical cannabis patients will not stand. Educate them on the benefits of telemedicine and the negative impact the proposed changes will have on suffering patients.

If you are a suffering patient who benefits from Germany’s current medical cannabis model, tell your lawmaker that, and urge them to oppose the draft amendment. The future of safe access in Germany depends on it.

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Opportunities In New Global Cannabis Markets

Written by Johnny Green on July 15, 2025. Posted in Business.

As much as the emerging legal cannabis industry has grown in size and scope around the world in recent years, it is still young by many measures. The legal global cannabis industry’s market value is measured in the tens of billions right now, but the market value that is still unregulated is measured in the hundreds of billions, demonstrating that the emerging regulated industry is just scratching the surface of what is possible.

Every passing year seems to result in new jurisdictions being created, and/or already established and regulated markets increasing in size. Every policy and regulatory modernization measure that is adopted creates new opportunities for entrepreneurs, investors, and industry service providers.

New international markets were the focus of one of the panels at the recent International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin. The panel was moderated by Adi Rozenfeld, partner at Herzog Law. Ms. Rozenfeld was joined on the panel by:

Eidan Havas, Founder of The Entourage Effect
Natcha Klahan, COO of World Pharma Solutions and partner at Cannagen
Merlin MacDonald, Director of Business Development at Carbon Extracts
Omar Khan, Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer at High Tide Inc

Emerging regions like Africa, Asia, and Latin America are becoming key players in the cannabis industry. This panel explored market entry strategies, local regulations, and the potential for growth. Panelists also discussed the importance of creating and maintaining positive government relationships in emerging jurisdictions. Learn how businesses can navigate these markets while respecting cultural and regulatory nuances.

You can view the panel discussion at this link here.

Slovenia’s National Assembly Approves Historic Medical Cannabis Measure

Written by Johnny Green on July 15, 2025. Posted in Policy.

Nearly three months after Slovenia’s Parliament introduced a medical cannabis policy modernization measure, the European nation’s National Assembly voted to officially approve the measure.

Out of the 90 members of the legislative body, 81 lawmakers were present for the historic vote, with 50 voting in favor of the medical cannabis legalization measure, 29 voting against it, and 2 refraining from voting on the measure.

“Today, Slovenia stepped up on the international stage of cannabis by passing one of the most progressive national medical cannabis laws in the world.” stated International Cannabis Business Conference CEO Alex Rogers, who resides in Slovenia.

Those who voted in favor of the measure included members of the governing coalition, the representatives of the Italian and Hungarian national communities, and one unaffiliated MP (nepovezan poslanec). Below are the major components of the approved legislation:

The bill legalizes the cultivation, production, distribution, and use of Cannabis sativa L. for medical and scientific purposes, under a regulated and controlled system.
The measure introduces a non-restrictive licensing system: any individual or company that fulfills the conditions can obtain a license. There will be no public tender and no state monopoly. Both public and private entities can produce and distribute medical cannabis.
All cannabis for medical use must be grown and processed according to GACP (Good Agricultural and Collection Practice), GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice), and European Pharmacopoeia standards, ensuring high-quality, safe products for patients.
Cannabis (plant, resin, extracts) and THC will be removed from Slovenia’s list of prohibited substances within the regulated medical and scientific framework within 90 days as part of a government mandate.
Medical cannabis can be prescribed for any condition the doctor deems appropriate for the suffering patient.
Medical cannabis will be available on regular medical (MD and DMD) or veterinary prescriptions, like other medications. Special narcotic prescription protocols will no longer be required, and approved patients will be issued a ‘cannabis card’ when picking up their prescription in the pharmacy, which protects the patient from any police or other intervention.
The law ensures a stable and continuous supply of cannabis through pharmacies, licensed wholesalers, and healthcare providers, so that patients are not dependent on imports or irregular access.

The approval of the medical cannabis policy modernization measure comes after many years of hard work and dedication by Slovenian cannabis advocates. Slovenia’s patients will finally have improved safe access, and the nation’s reform victory will further similar efforts elsewhere in Europe and the rest of the world.

Slovenia’s medical cannabis market is projected to grow by 4% annually, reaching over €55 million by 2029. The bill opens the sector to domestic innovation, job creation, and export potential. Slovenia has long been home to a thriving scientific research and development community and an international hub for such activity, and now medical cannabis will be part of it.

(This is breaking news, and this article will be updated as any further details are identified.)

Study Finds That Hemp Fiber Possesses Antibacterial Properties

Written by Johnny Green on July 14, 2025. Posted in Science.

Bacterial infections are one of the top public health issues around the world, with bacterial infections being directly responsible for an estimated 1.27 million deaths annually around the globe, and contributing to another 4.95 million deaths.

Even in cases that do not tragically end in the patient dying, bacterial infections still cause a lot of pain and suffering, and in extreme cases have lasting effects on the suffering patient. Fortunately, the hemp plant may be able to help.

A team of researchers affiliated with Tarsus University in Türkiye recently conducted a study that examined hemp fiber’s potential antibacterial properties. The study’s findings were published in the academic journal Cellulose.

“This study focused on the extraction of cellulose from hemp fiber and production of carbonized nanocelluloses (CCN) from cellulose, characterization, antibiotic loading and investigation of antibacterial properties of cellulose and CCN.” the researchers stated about the focus of their study.

“Cellulose with a diameter of approximately 4.5 μm was successfully extracted from the untreated hemp fiber that had an average diameter of approximately 10 μm. After the acid hydrolysis, the dried hemp fiber powders were subjected to preoxidation and carbonization and then CCN with a diameter of 34.7 nm was produced. Ciprofloxacin (CIP) was selected as the model antibiotic for investigation of the antibacterial property of the cellulose and CCN.” the researchers stated about their methodology.

“The antibacterial activity studies showed that although pristine cellulose and CCN had considerable antibacterial property their modification with CIP (C + CIP and CCN + CIP) increased their activity. At 50 mg mL⁻¹ concentrations, the antibiofilm effectiveness for CCN and cellulose were found to be 52.38% and 4.28%, respectively. The antibiofilm activity of CCN + CIP was also found to be higher than that of cellulose + CIP against both P. aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus in the concentrations range studied and the antibiofilm activity was observed to be 94.74% and 86.62% for CCN + CIP and cellulose + CIP, respectively, at 50 mg mL⁻¹.” the researchers found.

“All these results showed that CIP could successfully be loaded onto carbonized nanocelluloses extracted from hemp fibers and they showed considerable antibacterial properties.” the researchers concluded.

The recent study conducted in Türkiye builds on previous research focused on the hemp plant’s antibacterial properties, which found that hemp oil “can inhibit or reduce bacterial growth.”

Britain’s Police Chiefs Urge Increased Cannabis Enforcement

Written by Johnny Green on July 13, 2025. Posted in Policy.

Cannabis remains prohibited in Great Britain, and cannabis for legal medical use continues to be limited to a large degree. Despite cannabis prohibition continuing to be a failed public policy approach by every meaningful measure, law enforcement leaders in Britain are urging a crackdown on personal cannabis possession and consumption.

“The country’s longest-serving chief constable admits the smell of the drug is a ‘sign of crime and disorder’ which makes even him ‘feel unsafe’.” reported Daily Mail. “Sir Andy Marsh, who leads the College of Policing, said frontline officers should ‘do something about it’.”

“Launching a new leadership programme for policing, they acknowledged forces were in a ‘foot race for public confidence’ and officers can no longer ignore what has traditionally been perceived as the ‘little stuff’.” the outlet also reported.

The comments made by Sir Andy Marsh were echoed by Greater Manchester Police Chief Sir Stephen Watson and Merseyside Chief Constable Serena Kennedy. Sir Andy Marsh reportedly also said that law enforcement “must listen to their communities and be prepared to take a tougher line.”

However, public opinion is not in line with the recent comments made by the law enforcement leaders. A recent YouGov UK poll asked adults in the United Kingdom, “Would you support or oppose decriminalising possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal use?”

A combined 54% of poll respondents expressed support for the public policy change. Only 34% of poll respondents directly opposed cannabis decriminalization in the United Kingdom, with 13% being undecided.

In 2022, London Mayor Sadiq Khan established the independent London Drugs Commission (LDC), tasking the Commission with examining cannabis policies in England’s capital city and other jurisdictions. The commission recently published its findings and recommended that personal cannabis possession be decriminalized, a recommendation that Mayor Khan reportedly supports.

“The report follows detailed analysis of written and oral evidence from over 200 experts and academics from London, the UK and around the world. Lord Falconer and his Deputies were assisted by leading experts from criminal justice, public health, community relations and drug policy and supported by academics from University College London (UCL).” The London Drugs Commission stated about its methodology.

“Inclusion of cannabis as a Class B drug in the Misuse of Drugs Act is disproportionate to the harms it can pose relative to other drugs controlled by the Act. The sentencing options currently available, especially for personal possession, cannot be justified when balanced against the longer-term impacts of experience of the justice system, including stop and search, or of serving a criminal sentence can have on a person.” The Commission stated about its report.

“Sir Sadiq Khan said current rules “cannot be justified”, adding that the commission’s findings had provided “a compelling, evidence-based case” for decriminalisation.” reported BBC in its local coverage.

Evaluating Germany’s Cannabis Legalization Law

Written by Johnny Green on July 13, 2025. Posted in Business, Policy, Science.

Germany remains the largest country, as measured by population size, to ever adopt a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure. Given Germany’s position as a continental and global political and economic leader, it is easy to make an argument that German legalization is the most significant cannabis policy modernization effort of its kind in history.

While there are various ongoing evaluations of Germany’s CanG law, the Evaluation of the Consumer Cannabis Act (EKOCAN) is a very prominent one that domestic lawmakers are following as they continue to consider potential updates to German cannabis public policy.

The project manager for the EKOCAN research effort is Dr. Jakob Manthey, and according to the Federal Ministry of Health’s website, the goals of the evaluation project are threefold. They include “investigating the impact of the Cannabis Act on”:

Child and youth protection
General health protection
Cannabis-related crime

“To this end, a wide variety of data will be compiled (e.g., from ongoing studies on the topic or from public administration), our own surveys will be conducted (e.g., with public organizations directly involved in the topic, as well as consumers and cultivation associations), and the data will finally be evaluated with regard to the aforementioned overarching objectives.” states the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) on its website (translated from German to English).

“The evaluation will make an important contribution to answering the question of how the law is being implemented in everyday life and whether the intended effects of the law are being achieved. Furthermore, the evaluation should provide reliable evidence for potentially necessary legislative adjustments.” BMG also states.

With that in mind, the initial findings of the EKOCAN project have surfaced via original reporting by krautinvest. I encourage everyone to read krautinvest’s article, which is very informative and insightful.

One of the major takeaways from the initial findings is that reported cannabis consumption rates were already on the rise in Germany leading up to the enactment of the CanG law, and Dr. Manthy determined that the rise was due to older individuals reporting cannabis use.

Regarding younger consumers, which is a demographic often focused on by cannabis opponents in their talking points, Dr. Manthy “sees no anomalies since the Cannabis Act came into force,” according to krautinvest’s reporting, and that Dr. Manthy doesn’t assume “that any changes can be attributed to the Cannabis Act.”

Other high-level takeaways from the initial evaluation findings are that there aren’t enough cannabis cultivation associations in Germany, that there are no “short-term changes” regarding public roadway safety, legalization has not increased reported mental illnesses, and that the CanG law has significantly lowered cannabis-related criminal offenses in Germany.

Unlocking The Hidden Potential Of Cannabis Genetics

Written by Johnny Green on July 12, 2025. Posted in Business, Science.

Cannabis and hemp genetics are the most foundational component of the entire cannabis industry. Everything else in the entire emerging cannabis and hemp industry flows from genetics, and nothing else is possible without it.

With that in mind, unlocking as much knowledge about cannabis and hemp genetics is paramount for the future of the industry. At a genetic level, cannabis and hemp are the same thing. I only refer to them as being separate in articles because there are two distinct global industries due to how hemp and non-hemp cannabis are regulated.

A panel of experts discussed some of the latest developments in the field of cannabis genetics at the recent International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin, from the science of breeding to the role of genetics in IP and branding. Biomolecular compounds and other characteristics sought after in new strains were also examined.

The panel was moderated by procurement and market specialist Bubba Nicholson. Mr. Nicholson was joined on the panel by:

Clinton Younge, Founder of Charlie’s Cannabis Co.
Alexandre Gauthier, Vice President of R&D at Origine Nature
Dave Auger, Commissioner of Big League Genetics
Matthew Don-Carolis, VP of sales at Segra International

You can view the panel discussion at this link here.