Author: Johnny Green

Thailand Has Granted 80 Cannabis Licenses

Written by Johnny Green on May 2, 2022. Posted in Archives, Policy.

Thailand is getting ready to embark on a unique public policy journey with plans to officially launch a nationwide, every-household-eligible cannabis program this summer.

As of June 9th, every household in Thailand will be able to cultivate low-THC cannabis if they choose to, and according to prior coverage provided on this website, there will be no limit to the number of plants that someone can cultivate as long as they are registered with the government.

People and entities are already applying for licenses, with some already being granted by Thailand’s government. Per Bangkok Post:

The general public and organisations have filed 4,712 applications with the FDA, seeking licences related to the use of either as an ingredient or product.

So far, 80 licences have been granted for the production of cannabis, hemp and cannabidiol (CBD) products, including hemp seed oil, dietary supplements, beverages, seasoning sauce, jelly candy and instant food, said the FDA official.

In the grand scheme of things, 4,712 applications is a drop in the bucket for a country that has a population of roughly 70 million people. The granting of 80 licenses is an even smaller drop in the bucket.

However, every country has to start a new program somewhere, and with weeks to go before the program actually launches, it’s likely a safe bet that the number of applications will spike considerably between now and June 9, and along with it, a spike in the granting of licenses.

Hiccups and bumps along the way are to be expected given that Thailand is doing something that has essentially never been tried before. Hopefully the launch of home cultivation proves to be successful and it encourages other nations in Thailand’s region to reform their cannabis laws.

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55% Of Australians Want To Regulate Cannabis Like Alcohol According To New Poll

Written by Johnny Green on May 2, 2022. Posted in Archives, Policy.

Back in 2012, I was part of a network of activists pushing for legal cannabis at the state level here in the United States. We were able to get adult-use cannabis legalization on the ballot in three states that year – Colorado, Washington, and Oregon (Oregon is where I live).

The activists in Colorado had the best political messaging out of the three efforts, heavily relying on the ‘regulate cannabis like alcohol’ talking point. It proved to be a tremendously successful way to frame legalization with voters. Much better than the ‘regulate cannabis like tomatoes’ talking point that many activists (not me) were promoting here in Oregon as part of what would prove to be a losing effort for us on Election Day in 2012.

Alcohol is common in society, and unlike tomatoes it induces intoxication. Yet, people are able to consume it responsibly and governments are able to regulate it. Given that alcohol is exponentially more harmful than cannabis, the ‘regulate cannabis like alcohol’ message resonated with a wide voter base because it was a logical approach to implementing sensible public policy.

It’s a concept that has since expanded well beyond the borders of the State of Colorado, and it’s still something that resonates with voters, as proven by a recent poll conducted in Australia. Below is more information about the poll via an excerpt from Cannabiz:

The online survey of 1,086 adults aged 18-plus, conducted by polling company Essential Research from March 30 to April 2, found 50% of respondents support making cannabis use legal, double the number recorded in the 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey.

And a majority — 55% — favour regulating and taxing cannabis sales like alcohol or tobacco.

Meanwhile, 58% want medicinal cannabis made more affordable and accessible by allowing people with prescriptions to grow their own, and 62% support scrapping current drug-driving laws.

All of the poll’s results are insightful. However, the 50% level of support for ‘making cannabis legal’ compared to the 55% level of support for ‘regulating and taxing cannabis sales like alcohol’ really stood out to me. It demonstrates how many more people will support reform when there is a regulated industry component being proposed, and that it would be based on a similar regulatory structure as alcohol.

In years past, the concept of regulating cannabis like alcohol was just a theory. Now that a number of jurisdictions have implemented the practice, including Canada at a national level, places like Australia can see it working in real-time.

Legalization works. Regulation works. Hopefully lawmakers in Australia see these poll results and work to get their country on the right side of history sooner rather than later.

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Researchers In Korea Make Surprising Discovery Involving Cannabis Stems

Written by Johnny Green on May 2, 2022. Posted in Archives, Science.

The cannabis plant is arguably the most useful plant on earth. Cannabis enthusiasts throughout human history have used it for countless purposes, including medicine and sacrament.

It’s also no secret that the cannabis plant has been used by humans for personal enjoyment as well. When cannabis buds are smoked, vaporized, and/or infused into consumables it can yield euphoric effects.

Cannabis plants are comprised of dozens of cannabinoids, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Cannabinoids are the subject of numerous studies, including studies focused on cannabis’ ability to battle inflammation.

But what about the stems of the cannabis plant? Are they useful for battling inflammation in any meaningful way? Researchers in Korea set out to answer that question via a recent study, the results of which were made public earlier this month.

A team of researchers from the Gyeongbuk Institute for Bio-industry, the Biomaterials Research Institute, and Andong National University in Korea examined shelled seeds, roots, and stems from cannabis plants. The researchers looked at non-cannabinoid phytochemicals in those parts of the cannabis plant to see if they possessed any anti-inflammation properties.

“Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of Cannabis extracts from plant parts of shelled seeds, roots, and stems containing no or trace amounts of cannabinoids.” the researchers stated.

“Among water and ethanol extracts from three plant parts, Cannabis stem ethanol extract (CSE) had the most potent free radical scavenging activities and suppressive effects on the production of nitric oxide from macrophages. In further studies using macrophages, CSE effectively inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses by suppressing proinflammatory cytokines, nuclear factor-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylations, and cellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species.” the researchers concluded.

“Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analyses of CSE showed several active compounds that might be associated with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Collectively, these findings indicate that CSE counteracts LPS-induced acute inflammation and apoptosis, suggesting pharmaceutical applications for the stem part of C. sativa.” the researchers went on to state.

These findings are significant given the fact that so much medical cannabis product creation is focused on the buds of the cannabis plant. For many producers, the stems are just a useless byproduct nuisance that often gets discarded. In the future, it’s possible that the stems could prove to be just as valuable from a profit and wellness standpoint as the cannabis buds themselves.

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Religious Cannabis Use Provisions Are Creating Confusion In Trinidad And Tobago

Written by Johnny Green on May 2, 2022. Posted in Archives, Policy.

Trinidad and Tobago is a dual-island Caribbean nation that is home to roughly 1.4 million people, some of which use cannabis for religious purposes. The most well-known religious group in the nation that uses cannabis for sacramental purposes is the Rastafarians.

The Caribbean nation is currently working to ramp up its medical cannabis industry, with a bill working its way through the House of Representatives. The provisions specific to religious use seem to be causing quite a bit of confusion.

There are five cannabis licences that people who use cannabis for religious purposes can apply for:

a cultivator licence
dispensary
import licence
export licence
transport licence

The licenses can only be obtained after the organization they are a part of is registered per the Non-Profit Organisations Act, and the organization attests that its members use cannabis for religious purposes. However, getting a license apparently creates additional issues under the provisions of the proposed measure in the House, as described by Chaguanas West MP Dinesh Rambally earlier this month. Per Newsday:

He said while only a specific amount of marijuana for sacramental or religious purposes would be available, it did not address how religious leaders would be expected to get it as the sale of marijuana was prohibited under the bill.

“When we look at Clause 47, we are told that there must be no commercial benefit, no sale, supply or any transaction involving cannabis for sale, profit, monetary gain or compensation. But not even water which falls from the sky is free, so how then are we expecting the religious groups to procure, store, maintain and dispense cannabis, completely devoid of any cash flow, to facilitate a basic access to cannabis for religious use?

“Anyone who contravenes the section, that is to say engages in handling cannabis for money not necessarily for profit because it can be for mere reimbursement of monies used in acquisition, can be liable to stiff penalties.”

Members of Trinidad and Tobago’s Rastafarian community are pointing out that if getting a license doesn’t allow them to possess more cannabis, then why go through the trouble of obtaining a license?

Cannabis was decriminalized in Trinidad and Tobago in 2019, and people can possess up to 30 grams of cannabis and cultivate up to 4 plants on their own property.

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International Cannabis Business Conference Berlin 2022 Preview

Written by Johnny Green on April 27, 2022. Posted in Business.

The International Cannabis Business Conference is coming back to Berlin, Germany on July 19-20, 2022. Offering world-class industry networking opportunities, the Berlin International Cannabis Business Conference is the largest B2B cannabis trade event in Europe and is also the longest-running cannabis B2B conference on the continent. The conference will once again feature a unique blend of cannabis policy, advocacy, industry, and networking.

Germany is home to the largest economy in the European Union and is poised to serve as the cannabis industry capital of Europe going forward. The cannabis industry is evolving rapidly in Germany, with the country’s medical cannabis program increasing in size with every passing day.

The International Cannabis Business Conference is the leading B2B cannabis event series on earth. Events have been held in the United States, Canada, Spain, Germany, and Switzerland. Additional locations in other countries are being identified and will be announced in the future. Over 5,000 attendees and 350 companies sponsors and exhibitors are expected at the Berlin International Cannabis Business B2B Conference in 2022.

International Cannabis Business Conference events are attended by leading policymakers, executives, and entrepreneurs from all over the world, with over 80 countries being represented at previous events. The event series is the best way for innovators and inventors to get their products or services in front of the top influencers and decision-makers in the cannabis space, as well as for investors to network with aspiring entrepreneurs.

The conference series consistently features world-class speakers that cannabis entrepreneurs, advocates, and consumers from all backgrounds can learn from and be entertained by. At the conclusion of the 2022 B2B event, attendees will be able to enjoy one of the International Cannabis Business Conference’s famous after-parties. This year’s B2B event after-party in Berlin will feature the multi-Grammy award-winning reggae band Morgan Heritage. After a conference of learning from true-cannabis experts and networking with cannabis enthusiasts from around the globe, the after-party featuring Morgan Heritage is the perfect way to unwind.

A cannabis industry revolution is sweeping Europe, and Germany is at the center of it. If you’re serious about succeeding in the cannabis industry, check out the International Cannabis Business Conference’s flagship program in Berlin in July. Leading cannabis entrepreneurs and policymakers from around the world will be in attendance and the networking and educational opportunities will be unparalleled.

You can secure tickets now and take advantage of the early bird pricing discount (expires June 22nd). Below is a preview video of what attendees can expect in Berlin:

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Australian Researchers Examine Motivation Behind Increased Support For Legalization

Written by Johnny Green on April 27, 2022. Posted in Politics.

Support for adult-use cannabis legalization is stronger now at the global level than at any other time since the start of international cannabis prohibition. Now that Uruguay, Canada, and Malta have passed national cannabis legalization measures and the sky didn’t fall, that should only further add to the momentum for legalization in other countries.

Researchers in Australia recently examined survey data in an attempt to try to identify why support for cannabis legalization has risen in recent decades, specifically in the United States. The researchers leading the study were all affiliated with The University of Queensland, and they examined, “historical changes in legalization attitudes and the period-specific individual and external influences on these.”

“A systematic search was conducted for publications in PubMed, EMBASE, and PsycINFO up to October 2019. Six studies with a regionally or nationally representative adult US-based populations were included.” the researchers stated regarding their methodology.

“A secondary analysis was conducted using data from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health. Hierarchical age-period-cohort analysis assessed the trends in perceived harmfulness and availability of cannabis between 1996 and 2018. Ecological comparisons were made between these perceptions and support for cannabis legalization over time.” the researchers went on to state.

The researchers determined that support for adult-use cannabis legalization started to increase considerably in the 1990s, and that the increase continued in a linear fashion until 2019. That is reflected in the results of Gallup’s annual cannabis legalization poll, a graph of which can be seen below:

Gallup’s polling is particularly useful because they have asked the same question every year since 1969. As you can clearly see, support for legalization was a dismal 25% in the mid-1990s, and it continued to rise nearly every year through 2020 when it leveled off at 68%.

“Most people developed more liberal views, with no evidence that changes within any one sociodemographic group was disproportionately responsible for the overall attitudinal change. Increases in the proportion of people who use cannabis, non-religious population and political liberalism may partially explain the increased support for legalization.” the researchers determined.

“The decline in perceived harmfulness of cannabis, as reflected in the media, may have contributed to the increased support for legalization.” the researchers stated.

“The US population has become more accepting of cannabis legalization. The attitudinal change is related to changes in the perceived risks and benefits of cannabis use, influenced by broader political and cultural changes over the study period.” the researchers concluded.

The researchers obviously have their views regarding why cannabis legalization has increased, however, I don’t necessarily agree with all of their conclusions. I definitely do not think that there was a ‘decline in the perceived harmfulness of cannabis reflected in the media.’

To back up that personal belief, I would point to the ongoing ‘coverage’ by media companies that are blatant reefer madness propaganda. Mainstream media outlets still regularly provide cannabis opponents access to their platforms and allow them to publish nonsense without any attempt to fact-check it from what I can tell. What has changed is the increased volume of peer-reviewed studies regarding cannabis, and the increased availability and awareness of the results of those studies, many of which directly refute long-standing anti-cannabis talking points.

I also don’t think that increasing support for cannabis legalization is the direct result of an increase in ‘political liberalism’ being that support for cannabis legalization has increased among voters from all major political parties. I personally believe that there are two major factors at play in the recorded increase in support for legalization, and this goes for polling data in the United States and everywhere else.

First, many people have always supported legalization and are only now willing to admit it since prohibition is crumbling and the stigma is reducing. Secondly, people that were on the fence about cannabis legalization quickly move to the ‘supporter’ category when they see that legalization is working wherever it is allowed.

Once legalization goes from a hypothetical to implementation, and it works, many cannabis prohibition talking points instantly die in the minds of many voters. The legalization supporter base expands to non-consumers that just want to see sensible public policy enacted. It also expands to people that want to see society reap the economic benefits of a regulated industry. That is likely why you see polling results continue to improve as legalization continues to spread, at least in my opinion.

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Which Country Has ‘The Best’ Cannabis Legalization Model?

Written by Johnny Green on April 27, 2022. Posted in Politics.

Cannabis prohibition, thankfully, has not always existed. For thousands of years, humans used the cannabis plant for various purposes, and it was only in the 1900s that cannabis prohibition first became a widespread public policy around the globe.

As I have said many times and will say until the day that I die, cannabis prohibition is one of the most harmful public policies in the history of humans. Countless people have had their lives needlessly ruined because of the cannabis plant, despite the fact that cannabis is safer than many of the products people have in their homes.

Fortunately, the walls of cannabis prohibition are slowly but surely crumbling, and now there are multiple countries within the global community that have legalized cannabis for adult use. Lawmakers in Uruguay, Canada, and Malta have all passed adult-use legalization measures, and all three countries have different legalization models.

Buying And Cultivating

All three countries that have legalized cannabis at the national level currently have the same legal age, 18 years old, and all three countries permit adults of legal age to cultivate cannabis at home, although Canada has seen some local bans that are working their way through various legal challenges.

The real difference between Uruguay, Canada, and Malta’s legalization models can be found in how people legally purchase cannabis for adult use. Uruguay, the first country to ever legalize cannabis for adult use, limits purchases to clubs and pharmacies, and only citizens and permanent residents can make purchases (although that is changing at some point).

Malta is still setting up rules and regulations after becoming the first country in Europe to legalize cannabis for adult use late last year. When sales do begin in Malta, they will only occur via private clubs – no dispensaries. From a purely purchasing standpoint, Canada has the best legalization model in that anyone from anywhere can make a purchase as long as they are of legal age, and those purchases can be made through the mail, via storefronts, and virtually any other way that people can buy cannabis.

More Legalization On The Horizon

Uruguay was the first country to ever legalize cannabis at a national level. Canada was the first G-7 country to legalize cannabis for adult use. Malta was the first country in Europe to pass an adult-use legalization measure. All three of those countries have a claim to being the first to legalize cannabis in some manner, however, none of them will be the last.

Multiple countries (Denmark, Switzerland, the Netherlands) are launching or expanding adult-use legalization pilot programs that create localized legalization. Multiple other countries (Mexico, Italy, South Africa) have had their top courts render decisions against cannabis prohibition policies and lawmakers there are working to fully implement legalization.

Germany, which is home to one of the largest economies on planet earth, is trending closer to legalization every month. The largest prohibition domino, the United States, is witnessing the continued spread of legalization at the state level with every passing year either via the election process or the legislative process. With that in mind, more legalization models are on the horizon and while all of them are likely to incorporate some policy components that are already implemented in current legalized nations, there will be new policy components introduced as well as more countries get on the right side of history, with some new policies being more nuanced than others.

Trying to determine what is ‘the best’ is a subjective measurement, and largely in the eye of the beholder. That is true of cannabis legalization policies just as it is with virtually anything else. What is considered to be ‘the best’ cannabis policy in one region may not work at all in different regions. With that being said, every legalization model is better than locking humans in prison cells due to them being caught with cannabis.

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Putting ‘Europe’s Biggest Cannabis Farm’ Bust Into Context

Written by Johnny Green on April 27, 2022. Posted in Politics.

Historically, I have always shied away from writing about cannabis busts. Having been present at no less than 3 no-knock raids in my youth, and having guns pointed at my face during the course of the raids, I know firsthand how traumatic the experience can be. Many members of my family have also been subjected to the practice due to cannabis prohibition.

With that being said, there was a recent cannabis bust in Europe that I felt was worthy of discussion. The bust occurred in rural Spain, and international media coverage ran with the claim that it was the ‘biggest cannabis farm’ in Europe. The numbers involved were definitely significant – over 415,000 plants ‘worth up to €100m.’ Per Sky News:

Police have raided what is believed to be Europe’s biggest cannabis farm in Spain.

Officers destroyed 415,000 hemp plants, worth up to €100m (more than £83m) at a plantation in the rural northern region of Navarre.

Around 50 tonnes of the plant were being dried in a warehouse to be processed into cannabidiol (CBD) – a non-psychoactive compound increasingly used to treat health conditions including anxiety and insomnia.

If you are like me, then you locked in on that last sentence in the cited media coverage. The plants involved were not high-THC strains. Rather, they were hemp plants and were being cultivated for the sole purpose of producing CBD products.

CBD is legal in Spain, yet, cultivating cannabis outside of very limited circumstances is still prohibited. Cannabis can be cultivated for making textiles, producing seeds, and for medical research purposes in Spain. In all of those instances, a government license is required, and it appears that the farm where this bust occurred did not have a license.

The number of plants involved in this case in Spain may seem like an enormous amount, however, it’s important to put the operation into context. The entire operation was roughly 166 acres in size. As far back as 2015, at least one farm in the United States had an operation that was nearly twice the size of this one in Spain, and it was operating legally.

According to data from 2019, at that time nearly two dozen countries in Europe had legal hemp industries that cultivated more than 166 acres. France alone had over 44,000 acres (converted from hectares) of agricultural land dedicated to cultivating hemp according to the previously cited data. If the people in Spain operating the farm at the heart of this article were doing so without a license, so be it.

However, when people read sensational headlines involving hundreds of thousands of plants ‘worth up to 100 million euros’ it’s important for people to keep in mind that it was hemp plants being cultivated for CBD purposes and that there are legal hemp farms out there that completely dwarf the size of the farm in question in Spain. Always make sure to sidestep the reefer madness propaganda and keep things in perspective when reading media coverage.

Taiwan’s Lowered Cannabis Penalty Does Not Go Nearly Far Enough

Written by Johnny Green on April 27, 2022. Posted in Politics.

Lawmakers in Taiwan moved this week to lower the mandatory sentence for people convicted of cultivating cannabis for personal use from five years to one year. The previous fine, NT$5 million (roughly $170,000 USD), was also lowered to NT$1 million. People cultivating cannabis for personal use can still receive a prison sentence of up to seven years depending on the circumstances under the new public policy.

When you look at the mandatory sentencing change from a purely mathematical perspective, receiving a one-year mandatory sentence is obviously better than receiving a five-year mandatory sentence. However, from a human perspective, incarcerating a person due to them cultivating the cannabis plant is ridiculous and shameful. It’s even more outrageous being that the amount involved with this particular policy change is a personal amount.

Intimidating Activists

Days prior to the mandatory sentencing change, cannabis activists calling themselves ‘Green Sensation’ rallied in Taiwan, calling for cannabis to be decriminalized and for low-THC products to be completely legalized. The activists held an event at Liberty Square under the theme “End the War on Cannabis.” The event portion was originally planned to coincide with 4:20 PM in Taiwan, after which the activists planned to go to the Ministry of Justice and deliver over 14,000 petitions and hold a rally.

Unfortunately, the time of the press conference had to be moved to earlier in the day after authorities deemed at least part of the rally to be illegal, even before anything took place. It was blatant government intimidation. Green Sensation ultimately decided to hold the press conference at the Ministry of Justice at 10:30 a.m., before the start of the other activities according to a social media post by the organizers.

Even when a handful of activists were holding signs in front of the Ministry of Justice and speaking, law enforcement was right next to them demanding that they disperse. The demands for dispersal came despite the fact that the activists were doing nothing more than advocating for sensible cannabis policy. Below is video footage of the intimidating encounter:

A Reminder That We Have Work To Do

The cannabis industry is experiencing exponential growth in many parts of the globe right now, and that is an amazing thing. As someone that lives where cannabis is legal, I can tell you firsthand how amazing it feels every day to be able to purchase legal cannabis. Today is 4/20, and after posting this article I will be going to the dispensary to do exactly that.

However, people that are lucky enough to experience cannabis freedom need to always remember that there are still many, many people around the world that live under prohibition policies, such as in Taiwan. Not only do they risk their own freedom if they are trying to treat themselves with cannabis or help someone do so, they can also be put in tense situations just for speaking out, as seen in the video above.

Until everyone across the globe is free of prohibition, there will always be work to do for activists inside and outside of the jurisdictions where cannabis prohibition still exists. No one should ever have one year of their life taken from them simply because they were cultivating cannabis for personal use. Anyone that says otherwise lacks compassion for other humans. I tip my hat to the activists in Taiwan who are showing the world what courage and compassion in action look like, and I am hopeful that their efforts will not be in vain.