International Cannabis Business Conference Blog – Page 111 – International Cannabis Business Conference

Recreational Cannabis Trial Begins Selecting Participants In Basel, Switzerland

Written by Marguerite Arnold on August 29, 2022. Posted in Policy.

The Swiss pilot project is due to begin on September 15, allowing 370 people to access cannabis and hash through legal means

“Weed Care,” the first cannabis legalization trial in Switzerland, is a mere fortnight from kicking off. The program, located in the Swiss city of Basel, is now in the process of selecting participants. Authorities will begin contacting successful applicants over the next few weeks. More people have already shown an interest in participating than slots allocated for trial participants. In fact, after online registration was launched last week, close to 600 people signed up.

No matter who is finally selected, residents of the city can continue to register on the website of the pilot project. Prerequisites are that participants must be over 18, not pregnant and can prove that they already use cannabis.

Four tested strains of cannabis flower and two strains of hash will be made available starting on September 15.

Background on Basel’s Cannabis Legalization Trial

The trial is intended to provide information about the extent to which legalization and a move away from the black-market influences’ consumer behaviour and impacts consumer health. Participants will be subject to checks by officials running the experiment.

The Basel city director of Health, Lukas Engelberger has already said that while he would prefer a no-cannabis use policy, prohibition has clearly failed. As a result, the goal of the study is to create a “minimally harmful” regulatory model to create a market which is safe.

Basel is one of five Swiss cities to embark on such a trial. The southern town of Lausanne appears to be the second municipality on track to implement the same – although it will create a trial about three times larger that consists of 1,000 people.

Medical cannabis use became legal on a federal basis in Switzerland as of the end of July. The government made amendments to the national Narcotics Act in May 2021 to allow such trials to proceed.

Could The Swiss Experiment Impact European Reform?

While there have been many naysayers on the German side of the border, it is very likely that the Swiss recreational cannabis trial is likely to influence cannabis legalization discussions in other countries. This does not mean that it will be a carbon copy. For example, in Switzerland, the first distribution of recreational cannabis will happen through pharmacies. That is unlikely to happen in Germany.

However, the idea of starting with limited home grow options as well as specific city trials, albeit not necessarily with limited participation, is very likely to be adopted across borders – potentially starting in places like both Germany as well as Luxembourg and Malta.

Estonia To Allow Farmers To Cultivate Hemp With Higher THC

Written by Marguerite Arnold on August 29, 2022. Posted in Policy.

A regulatory amendment is now being drawn up by the Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs to allow hemp with higher THC limits to be cultivated in the country

In a major advance for the European hemp industry, Estonian regulators are planning to allow hemp farmers to grow crops with a THC level higher than the current 0.2%. By 2023, that limit will be at least .3%. This in turn will bring the country up to regional standards created by the EU last year.

The change will require an amendment to the country’s Narcotic Drugs schedule.

This new liberalized policy however is not a move to legalize recreational cannabis – but rather is being touted as a way to help domestic hemp farmers who have repeatedly complained about their limited cultivation options under the current regulations. Currently there are only two varieties of hemp that can be legally grown in Estonia. The proposed regulatory update would allow between three and five new varieties of hemp to be cultivated.

The difference will also certainly make the country a more competitive market for the burgeoning CBD industry. About 6,800 hectares (16,000 acres) are currently under hemp cultivation in Estonia. Farmers who cultivate hemp crops with THC under the set limits are eligible for agricultural subsidies.

Normalizing Regulations in the Hemp Industry

The EU regulations on hemp have now been set at 0.3% across the region. Switzerland, outside of the EU, allows for hemp varieties that contain up to 1% of THC. It is unlikely that the rest of Europe will follow in Swiss footsteps in this regard until full recreational legalization. However, what this development does do is move Estonia to the front of the line of European countries which are on the cusp of changing their national policies on cannabis to conform to EU rather than outdated national standards.

The lack of regulatory homogeneity across EU countries is one of the largest impediments to a regionally strong cannabis industry – of any kind.

What Impact Will Recreational Reform Have on THC Limits on Hemp?

Recreational cannabis reform may impact regional standards on the amount of THC allowed in hemp. In all likelihood, however, just as is the case in the United States and Canada, the European cannabis market is likely to remain stratified between “medical,” “recreational” and “industrial” in terms of licensing and specific cannabinoid limits after full legalization. Such regulations will define which verticals cultivators are allowed to operate – and come, almost undoubtedly, with additional levies and taxes based on the amount of THC in cultivated plants.

In the meantime, Estonia will be one of the first countries to formally implement “new” EU standards on THC levels allowed in hemp.

Is Costa Rica On Track For Recreational Cannabis Reform?

Written by Marguerite Arnold on August 29, 2022. Posted in Policy.

The newly elected president Rodrigo Chaves, has laid out a plan for full legalization within his first 100 days in office that he says should be presented to Congress by November

Costa Rica is now on a fast track to full cannabis reform. The country’s president, Rodrigo Chaves, who took office this April, has just announced exciting plans for the full and final legalization of cannabis.

Chaves said his administration is now preparing regulations for the implementation of medical cannabis and hemp cultivation (which became law before he took office). Beyond this, he is also on track to legalize recreational use, an issue which he discussed during his campaign in the run-up to the election.

A bill is now being prepared by his office for full legalization, which will be presented to the country’s congress by November 1 (at the latest).

On Track with Germany?

While it is not directly connected, it is clear that the German plan to move ahead with recreational cannabis reform is influencing the global discussion. While no definitive plans have been revealed yet, it is widely expected that the draft German legalization legislation will be presented to the Bundestag on about the same schedule as Costa Rica.

If that is the case, the discussion about how to implement recreational reform while still honouring the majority of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs will be undoubtedly broadened. Right now, this is the largest single roadblock to proceeding with adult use, according to the conventional wisdom coming out of Berlin this summer since the June hearings.

If Costa Rica becomes the first country in Central America to fully legalize cannabis, it will also almost certainly do three things. The first is that it will certainly galvanize the discussion in other neighbouring countries (starting with Mexico). The second is that this reform will undoubtedly attract even more American tourists if not expats frustrated with the slow pace of federal reform in the continental US. The third likely impact is that the country could stand poised to become a major exporter for recreational cannabis markets elsewhere. That starts with not only Germany, but other countries in Europe (like Luxembourg) now on the cusp of recreational change and where there is unlikely to be enough recreational cannabis grown domestically (at least at first).

In fact, international regulations for the export of recreational cannabis could be one of the first discussions of a growing club of nations who are now seriously contemplating such reform.

In the meantime, Costa Rica has indicated that it is certainly joining the club.

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Study Finds That CBD Oil Mitigates Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy

Written by Frank Schuler on August 29, 2022. Posted in Science.

I have said it before and I will say it again – cancer is one of the worst things on earth. If you or a loved one has ever battled cancer, then you know firsthand how awful cancer can be. Unfortunately, it’s something that millions of people die from every year, with millions more being diagnosed during the same duration of time.

The World Health Organization estimates that in 2020 alone, over 10 million people died from cancer around the world, with cancer being to blame for one out of every six deaths on earth.

Various treatments are currently incorporated into strategies to battle cancer, with one of the most common forms of treatment being chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is a drug treatment involving powerful chemicals that aim to kill fast-growing cells in the human body.

Chemotherapy can be effective in some cases, but it yields numerous side effects to some degree in all cases. One common side effect is neuropathy. Chemotherapy can damage the nervous system around the brain and spinal cord.

Fortunately for chemotherapy patients that must undergo the treatment, cannabidiol appears to help mitigate chemotherapy-induced neuropathy according to a recent study out of Denmark. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Roskilde, Denmark: The short-term administration of CBD oil extracts is safe and effective in patients suffering from chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), according to data published in the journal Supportive Care in Cancer.

Danish investigators assessed the twice daily administration of CBD oil (300 mg/daily) in patients receiving either oxaliplatin or paclitaxel-based chemotherapy. Subjects used CBD for a period of eight days immediately following their first cycle of chemotherapy. Patients outcomes were compared to those of similarly matched controls.

Researchers reported that the use of CBD was associated with pronounced improvements in patients’ pain-related outcomes, including cold sensitivity and throat discomfort.

“CBD attenuated early symptoms of CIPN with no major safety concerns,” they concluded. “Long-term follow-up is ongoing. Results should be confirmed in a larger, randomized study.”

Separate studies have identified an association between patients’ long-term use of cannabis products and statistical improvements in cancer-related symptoms as well as significant reductions in their use of prescription painkillers.

Full text of the study, “Oral cannabidiol for prevention of acute and transient chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy,” appears in Supportive Care in Cancer.

Study Finds Cannabis Extract Effective For Refractory Chronic Pain Patients

Written by Frank Schuler on August 29, 2022. Posted in Science.

The most common health condition that people use cannabis to treat is pain. Patients can experience pain for any number of reasons, and to varying degrees of severity. For some patients the pain is only temporary, and medical cannabis helps during flare ups.

For others, pain can be so common in their lives that the pain becomes chronic, and in the worst cases, the pain can prove to be completely debilitating and not able to be treated by pharmaceutical medications (refractory chronic pain).

Pharmaceutical medications geared towards treating pain, even when they work, are often extremely addictive and the use of them can cause major health issues, including death. Cannabinoids alone, on the other hand, have never killed anyone in recorded human history, and in the cases of some patients with refractory chronic pain, the use of medical cannabis is very effective.

That was demonstrated in a recent study focusing on medical cannabis and refractory chronic pain out of Australia. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Sydney, Australia: The administration of cannabis extracts containing equal quantities of THC and CBD is associated with reduced pain intensity and improved sleep in patients with chronic refractory pain conditions, according to data published in the journal Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids.

Australian investigators assessed the safety and efficacy of whole-plant cannabis oil in a cohort of 151 chronic pain patients. Participants in the trial used the extract daily for at least three months. All of the subjects in the trial suffered from conditions that were unresponsive to conventional analgesics, such as opioids and NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Trial subjects were most likely to be diagnosed with neuropathy, musculoskeletal pain, or arthritis.

Researchers reported, “Pain impact scores were significantly reduced across the cohort. Additionally, most subjects reported improvements in sleep disturbances and fatigue.” The majority of side-effects reported by patients were categorized as mild; these most frequently included sleepiness, dizziness, and dry-mouth.

They concluded: “This analysis presents real-world data collected as part of standard of care. … The results of this study demonstrated a significantly positive effect of [a proprietary formulation of] oral medicinal cannabis oil on the impact of pain. … Amelioration of the impact of pain confirms continued prescribing of this formulation and validates our observational methodology as a tool to determine the therapeutic potency of medicinal cannabinoids.”

Survey data estimate that nearly one-third of patients suffering from chronic pain conditions acknowledge using cannabis products. Among patients in US states where medical cannabis access is permitted, over 60 percent are qualified to use it to treat pain.

Full text of the study, “Medical cannabis for the treatment of chronic refractory pain: An investigation of the adverse event profile and health-related quality of life impact of an oral formulation,” appears in Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids. Additional information about marijuana for pain is available from NORML.

Malaysia To Decide On Medical Cannabis Reform By End Of Year

Written by Frank Schuler on August 29, 2022. Posted in Policy.

As we previously reported, government officials from Malaysia met with their counterparts from Thailand this week with the goal of determining what Malaysia can learn from Thailand’s current cannabis policies and the efforts to get Thailand’s policies to where they are at now.

Historically, the region that Thailand and Malaysia are located in is where some of the harshest cannabis laws on earth could be found, and in the case of Malaysia, can still be found. Malaysia is one of a handful of countries around the world, most of them located in the same region, that still issues the death penalty for cannabis-only offenses.

Malaysia is currently exploring ways that it can improve its cannabis laws for medical cannabis patients, and coming off of the heals of the recent meeting between Malaysia and Thailand dedicated to the topic of medical cannabis, Malaysia’s Health Minister has indicated that the country will decide on medical cannabis by the end of the year. Per The Star:

The government will take a stand on the use of cannabis for medical purposes before the end of the year, says Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Khairy who concluded a bilateral working visit to Bangkok, on Thursday (Aug 25) said Thailand had shared a lot of views and experiences during his visit on the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes and its cultivation.

“I am confident that we will be able to study Thailand’s experience to adapt it to the Malaysian context later when we will decide whether or not to allow the use of cannabis for medical purposes.

The effort in Malaysia is far from guaranteed to succeed, and even if something is eventually adopted, it will likely be a far cry compared to robust medical cannabis programs found in other countries in North America and Europe.

Still, it is very encouraging to see neighboring countries take notice of the shift in cannabis policy in Thailand, and for them to be seeking out advice from the regional cannabis leader. Hopefully more countries in the region follow suit.

Fair Trading Commission Recommends Government Funding For Jamaican Cannabis Pursuits

Written by Frank Schuler on August 29, 2022. Posted in Business, Policy.

Finding proper funding in the cannabis industry, including cannabis research, is not an easy task. Ask anyone involved in cannabis in any meaningful way, and they will likely be quick to tell you that they are either having a hard time finding proper funding, or in the cases in which fundraising already occurred, it proved to be a harder task than they initially expected.

That is certainly proving to be the case in Jamaica where members of the nation’s emerging cannabis industry are expressing frustration regarding finding proper cannabis funding for their projects, whether it be for their company or their research projects.

The cannabis industry’s cries for help in Jamaica seem to be moving the needle, at least to some degree, with the government’s administrative body responsible for overseeing the Fair Competition Act, the Fair Trading Commission, recently recommending that Jamaica create a funding mechanism to help the cannabis industry. Per Jamaica Observer:

The recommendation follows the completion of a market study of the cannabis industry which revealed that funding is one of the major impediments in the industry.

The FTC report, which was released in August, stated “policymakers should consider establishing [a] source of funding to encourage easier entry/expansion of the legitimate trade of cannabis”.

The agency said this is crucial as potential entrants may encounter difficulties accessing loans through local financial institutions given global efforts to limit the illegal trade of cannabis.

Much of what is going on in Jamaica is also going on elsewhere, due in large part to international banking regulations that make it very hard for traditional lending institutions to work with the emerging cannabis industry.

Banking legislation lagging in the United States is partially to blame for the problem, although, other countries also have many domestic hurdles that need to be overcome in order for the cannabis industry to gain full access to the international banking system and to ever reach its full potential.

Study Finds No Link Between In-Utero Cannabis Exposure And Elevated Risk Of ADHD In Children

Written by Frank Schuler on August 29, 2022. Posted in Science.

Few topics, if any, in the cannabis world are as sensitive as cannabis use during pregnancy, for obvious reasons. An expecting mother that consumes cannabis may be the most stigmatized type of cannabis consumer on earth.

If an expecting mother is suspected of consuming cannabis in any form in any manner, they run the risk of being put into a system that will likely have no mercy, and that is unfortunate for many reasons.

To be clear, I am not advocating for cannabis consumption during pregnancy. I am pointing out the obvious public health issues that arise from expecting mothers living in fear, and as a result, presumably being less-than-candid with their doctor(s) due to the fear of possible prosecution and/or eventually being separated from their child.

The fact of the matter is that some expecting moms consume cannabis for various reasons, often for medical reasons via smokeless consumption methods, and they should feel free to talk to their doctors about it in order to receive the best medical advice possible for themselves and their baby.

As with all things cannabis, science should lead the way and political hype and fearmongering should be avoided. Fortunately, cannabis use during pregnancy is being researched more often as cannabis reform spreads, with a recent example of that coming out of Canada. Below is more information about it via a NORML news release:

Quebec, Canada: Prenatal cannabis exposure is not associated with an increased risk of attention deficit disorders among children, according to data published in the journal BMJ Open.

Canadian investigators evaluated the relationship between in-utero marijuana exposure and attention deficit with or without hyperactivity disorder in a cohort of 2,408 children.

Researchers reported “no significant association” between either occasional or regular prenatal cannabis exposure and ADHD after adjusting for potential confounders.

“In our study, we did not find any association between in-utero occasional or regular exposure to cannabis and the risk of ADHD in children, as well as overall exposure to cannabis and the risk of ADHD in children,” authors concluded. “Further research focusing on the timing of exposure during pregnancy (e.g., first, second, third trimester), as well as using different methods for quantifying prenatal cannabis exposure (e.g., biological samples), is needed to better understand the impact of cannabis use during pregnancy and developmental outcomes in children.”

Full text of the study, “Is in-utero exposure to cannabis associated with the risk of attention deficit with or without hyperactivity disorder? A cohort study within the Quebec Pregnancy Cohort,” appears in BMJ Open. Additional information is available from NORML’s fact sheet, “Maternal Marijuana Use and Childhood Outcomes.”

Cannabis Industry Leaders And International Policymakers To Attend Croatia Retreat

Written by Johnny Green on August 22, 2022. Posted in Business, Entertainment, Policy, Science.

After a historic Global Investment Forum and B2B conference in Berlin in July, the International Cannabis Business Conference is hosting a Mediterranean retreat in Rovinj, Croatia at the stunning 5-star Grand Park Hotel on September 22-23, 2022.

“It’s a critical time for the international cannabis industry, including for the Balkan region. The emerging legal cannabis industry is expanding at an ever-increasing pace in virtually every corner of the planet right now. It’s extremely important for industry leaders and policymakers from around the world collaborate.” stated Alex Rogers, founder of the International Cannabis Business Conference.

“The cannabis industry is going global, and in order for the industry to reach its full potential and provide numerous benefits to society it is vital for leaders to meet, network, brainstorm, and compare ideas. That is why we created the retreat in Croatia. The retreat will certainly contain some of the elements that our events are famous for, however, it will be in a more intimate setting so that leaders from dozens of countries can dive deeper into the more granular aspects of creating the next great global industry.” Rogers went on to say.

Cannabis reform is spreading across the European continent. With Germany expected to launch a regulated adult-use industry in the near future, every European nation is trending closer to reforming its own cannabis laws, including Balkan nations. The Balkan region is already home to a number of ancillary industries that would greatly benefit from cannabis reform, including and especially the scientific research industry.

The International Cannabis Business Conference’s Mediterranean retreat in Croatia will be unlike any other cannabis event to-date. The retreat will feature a blend of education and networking, with topics for the retreat’s curriculum to include:

Current legalization efforts in Europe
Economic benefits of regulating cannabis
Embracing cannabis research
Product development for an international market
Sustainable industry strategies
Educating medical professionals
Reforming Balkan region cannabis policies
Raising capital for Balkan cannabis markets

Individual speakers and panelists have already been announced, with more expected to be announced in the near future. Of course, it would not be an International Cannabis Business Conference event without an after-party, and this particular event’s after-party will be unmatched. The one and only DJ Muggs will provide the music for the poolside after-party at the 5-star Grand Park Hotel to cap off a productive and historic retreat.

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.

International Cannabis Business Conference events are attended by leading policymakers, executives, and entrepreneurs from all over the world, with over 85 countries being represented at previous events.

You can secure your spot now and take advantage of the early bird pricing discount.

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About the International Cannabis Business Conference

The International Cannabis Business Conference is Europe’s longest-running and largest industry B2B tradeshow and conference series. For more information, including how to register for upcoming International Cannabis Business Conference events, please visit: Internationalcbc.com. Find out more on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

For more information or media inquiries, please email noelle@internationalcbc.com or call 541.864.0090.