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Medical Cannabis Approved For Production And Sales In Greece

Written by Marguerite Arnold on . Posted in Medical.

The sunny, Mediterranean country holds great promise for the cultivation and extraction of cannabis products bound for the rest of Europe.

Move over Portugal! According to local English-language media, The Greek Reporter, the Greek Parliament finally approved a bill to legalize the cultivation and sale of medical marijuana in Greece (on Friday). The bill passed 158 to 33 with opposition only from the Communist Party of Greece, the Greek Solution and the MeRA 25 Party (supported by Greek superstar economist Yanis Varoufakis).

The bill, called the “Production, extraction and distribution of final products of pharmaceutical cannabis of the species Cannabis Sativa L (with over 0.2% THC)” was submitted initially by the Greek department of Development and Investment and has ticked along all spring.

What Happens Now?

For those who might be confused (since Greece initially passed a medical marijuana bill in 2018 to begin to allow medical cultivation), this new bill is intended to expedite the process for obtaining licenses for medical marijuana production and facilitate investment in the domestic industry. Indeed, government spokespersons have commented already that the intent of the law is to create an integrated framework for the development of the cannabis industry in Greece – specifically for the purpose of job creation and by encouraging investment in the country.

However, beyond this, there are still outlying issues that need to be fixed. Specifically, as of Friday, there were already domestic critics who were calling foul – namely that the process of reform has been “incomplete.” Namely, the Syriza Party is going to attempt to amend the bill to propose that the application process for a license should also enable producers to sell to domestic patients and further, provide products in both raw flower and extract form.

The Greek Domino and Its Impact on Europe

With Greece now officially moving forward with cannabis as a tool of economic development, it is unlikely that other European governments will sit on the sidelines for long. Indeed, even France is moving forward on a CBD cultivation bill.

The days of Prohibition are indeed coming to an end in Europe. And it is also very likely that, just like Greece, a formerly verboten plant will become instead a tool of governments to make lives better.

If there is a cannabis theme of the 2020’s it is likely to be this, particularly in Europe. Cannabis is being reintegrated into the continent. And the economies of its countries, as well as its peoples, will never be the same again.

Be sure to book your tickets now to the International Cannabis Business Conference when it returns to Europe in August.

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Innovative Cannabis Ready-To-Use Drug: World’s Largest Registration Trial By German Company Vertanical Has Started

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Medical.

  • Biopharmaceutical company Vertanical from Bavaria is testing an innovative finished drug based on a unique cannabis extract in the final clinical phase
  • Goal: Establishing an effective painkiller for millions of patients with chronic back pain

Hundreds of millions of people worldwide suffer from some type of back pain, including in Europe where an estimated 25 million people suffer from chronic lower back pain.

Chronic lower back pain is one of the most common reasons why adults visit the doctor and is responsible for a significant amount of lost productivity across the globe.

For instance, back pain is the second most common cause of sick leave and incapacity for work in Germany, second only to respiratory infections. Unfortunately, the problem is only getting worse with numbers rising year after year.

The causes of lower back pain are numerous, which makes prevention efforts very difficult. It’s estimated that as many as 80% of adults worldwide will develop back pain at some point in their lives, many instances of which result in several doctor visits prior to the patient receiving a sufficient diagnosis.

Current Treatments Are Problematic

When it comes to treating chronic lower back pain, doctors currently do not have that many options. Some people go the route of doing physical therapy, which can help mitigate future pain yet typically doesn’t provide any immediate relief.

The most common medical treatment for chronic lower back pain is opioid painkillers, which do provide immediate relief, however, that relief often comes with additional issues for many patients.

Common side effects for opioids include (but are not limited to):

  • Fatigue
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Constipation
  • Respiratory Depression

Any one of those side effects are undesirable on their own, but all of them pale in comparison to the most problematic opioid side effect of them all – dependency.

It’s no secret that opioids are very addictive and that opioid addiction is a major public health issue. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 115,000 people died in 2017 from opioids.

New Therapy Option Will Revolutionize Back Pain Treatment

Opioids and cannabis have been the subject of a number of studies, however, most of them are very general and don’t necessarily focus on one type of condition and how certain terpenes interact with those conditions.

To say that ‘cannabis helps pain’ is much different from ‘this specific dose of this specific cannabis medicine has been proven to help this specific condition, as backed up by scientific data.’ With that in mind, the results of a new study are going to be very significant for patients that suffer from chronic lower back pain.

A Munich-based biopharmaceutical company named Vertanical started the last clinical phase this month for a study that focuses on chronic lower back pain and a very specific terpene profile. The study involves 800 patients in approximately 100 qualified and renowned medical pain centers in Germany and Austria and is the largest, most comprehensive double-blind, placebo-controlled study of its kind. Some study participants will receive a placebo while others receive a specially designed medical cannabis product created by Vertanical.

Vertanical conducted extensive research with 500 different genetic types to develop a medicinal therapeutic product based on cannabis extracts with a terpene profile designed to successfully treat chronic low back pain and other chronic pain. The product and study’s creators seek to replace opioids with a much safer, effective, proven medicine.

“With the results of this study and the goal of approval as a finished medicinal product, we want to show the positive dimensions of effect that this unique cannabis-based medicine has for people with this condition. We want to establish a painkiller that is a potent and tolerable alternative to treatment with opioids,” says Dr. med. Clemens Fischer, founder of Vertanical, explaining the therapeutic goals.

Learn More About Vertanical At Our Upcoming Event In Berlin

Dr. med. Clemens Fischer, founder of Vertanical, will be presenting on this very topic at our upcoming International Cannabis Business Conference event in Berlin, which is taking place August 26-27.

Vertanical maintains one of the world’s most modern research facilities and plantations for the cultivation of medicinal cannabis in Denmark. Years of intensive and highly invested research have led to the development of a unique medicine that is expected to replace opioid analgesics worldwide in the future.

The company advises doctors and pharmacists on questions about cannabis therapy; in-depth knowledge is imparted in seminars in Germany and Denmark. The phase III study on the use of a cannabis extract for chronic low back pain heralds another chapter in the company’s history.

In the meantime, find out more about Vertanical via their website, and make sure to grab your tickets to see their team and many other industry-leading professionals and policy makers in Berlin in August!

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The Dutch Medical Cannabis Industry Bands Together To Counter Misinformation

Written by Marguerite Arnold on . Posted in Medical.

A new website, launched to counter myths in the industry, is being supported by the official Dutch medical supply chain. Why can’t this happen in other places?

Click on the website of the Institut of Medicinale Cannabis and you know you have encountered a “serious” website for the industry. For one thing, its sponsors are some of the best-known cannabis names both globally and more locally, starting with Bedrocan.

The second is that it translates to English smoothly.

All jokes aside, it is clear that the coalition of companies and non-profits behind the site mean business. Namely that they want to dispel myths about what medical cannabis is – and is not. Including the assertion that GMP grade (or pharmaceutical standard) cannabis is NOT like what you are likely to encounter in coffee shops.

It is an interesting campaign, coming as it does on the heels of a federal attempt to finally regulate the coffee shop grows domestically. And certainly, given the importance of Holland as the go-to source of exported cannabis (from Israel to Germany and the UK).

The information on the site is valid and necessary (indeed it is a wonder why the German industry has not done a similar thing yet). 

Regardless, it is a site that has its work cut out for it. 

To the average consumer, including patients, the concept of GMP is an amorphous one. So is the idea of “controlled dosing” – no matter how much that conversation is now absolutely in the room, and in a big way.

Medical or Recreational ish?

The reality is in Holland that this discussion is hard to have. That starts with the fact that the average patient, who, thanks to a reform in Dutch law as of 2017, cannot get their medical cannabis reimbursed via health insurance (as theoretically is possible at least in Germany next door). 

Faced with the prospect of potential mold or contaminants, or constant pain because GMP grade meds are either too expensive or too inconvenient (or both), it is not hard to understand that the average patient will find another safer source or grow themselves.

However, Holland is just a testing ground for what is about to start happening across the rest of Europe as both Luxembourg and Switzerland embark on their own recreational experiments. And as Germany re-examines the success (and many fails) so far of its medical one.

And as a result, this is a conversation if not party that at heart, is actually just getting started.

Be sure to book your tickets for the International Cannabis Business Conference when it returns to Berlin in August, 2021!

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Luxembourg Wrestles With The Particulars Of Rec Legalization

Written by Marguerite Arnold on . Posted in Politics.

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has a date with destiny – namely recreational reform by the fall of this year (legislatively at least). But the devil is, as always, in the details.

Here is the intriguing development. Theoretically, or at least legislatively, Luxembourg is supposed to approve a recreational cannabis market this fall. 

Where has this been heard before? Ah, yes, Canada, circa 2018. 

Indeed, according to insiders, the country has been looking abroad for examples of how to proceed. An article in a French pro cannabis zine reports this week that the Parliament continues to debate the topic. The pressure is certainly on. This one small country of 600,000 in the heart of the EU is due to have an outsize impact on the conversation – and everyone knows it.

While Covid has clearly delayed the debate (everywhere), in Luxembourg the stakes are high – starting for the political party (the Greens) who promised to make this all happen back in 2018 when they got elected. How time flies.

Indeed, Luxembourg is likely less to be like “Canada” and more like Colorado in the ongoing European model. Holland is currently playing the part of California, sans raids by the federales. 

No matter the analogy, and from where it is drawn, politicians of the “left” persuasion are now in the political hot seat to deliver. Reform in the Duchy must be passed.

A Tipping Point European State?

Luxembourg, no matter the particulars of its reform, and how to control and regulate the sales of cannabis, is clearly a tipping point moment in the entire debate for the European Union if not Europe – particularly with Switzerland lining up to follow suit just next year.

Once there is a test model, there will be something for (at least) the Germans to debate. However, reform in Luxembourg is not even what it was pre-pandemic. The hit to every European economy from the shutdowns is massive. Further, it is inevitable that there will be both societal as well as political shifting – including on the entire topic – almost exactly like there was in the Roaring Twenties of the last century.

Just because Luxembourg is doing it, however, is not going to be an excuse that is likely to fly smoothly at the Bundestag (for one). That said, Germany, Italy, and other countries where medical reform has now come will be in the front lines of the debate in a way that has not happened here, yet.

Be sure to book your tickets to the International Cannabis Business Conference when it returns to Berlin this August!

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Spanish Government Moves To Formally Consider Medical Efficacy Of Cannabis

Written by Marguerite Arnold on . Posted in Medical.

Last week, the Spanish Congressional Health and Consumer Affairs Commission Committee met to consider exploring the medical efficacy of cannabis. Will this finally move the needle on some type of formal, final Spanish reform?

It is odd looking at the developments in Spain with an American perspective but on the European side of the discussion. In some ways, the situation in the country is analogous to the period of reform that began to percolate about 2014. Namely, two American states had voted to change their state constitutions to make recreational cannabis legal. In the meantime, federal reform of even the medical kind remained elusive. To some extent this is the impact of the lobbying power of the recreational movement in the United States and the lack of a formal underlying federal healthcare system. However, it is also a testament to the general reluctance of federal level authorities to even acknowledge the same.

In Spain, a similar kind of situation is brewing. 

The club movement really began picking up steam along with the American recreational movement. The two main Spanish states in which clubs are found today are the two most independent. Basque country and the Catalan (Barcelona). 

The club movement has been hurt by Covid, but it is still operating, around the edges of “the law.” In the meantime, one of the organizers of the same must report to jail nightly after his human rights case was refused by the court in Strasbourg. However, moving events across the EU (see medical reform in Germany, and now France) as well as Albert Tió’s struggle domestically has ignited, finally, a desire on the federal level in Spain to address the overall issue.

Could Federal Reform Help Solve the Club Problem?

It appears that the powers that be in Spain might have gotten the memo that the entire situation as it stands, is more than a bit ridiculous. The Comision de Sanidad y Consumo has ample evidence, including at this point many European countries that have recognized the drug as having medical efficacy. At the EU level, CBD is no longer considered even a narcotic.

While it is unlikely that the Spanish government will move quickly, it is unlikely that Spanish authorities will not push the issue forward, finally, within the next 12 months. And by tipping a hand to modern science it is also likely that the entire club conversation will also then get added to the mix. Currently, there is no reliable data on what percentage of club clients are patients.

There is already a rec market in Holland. Within a year there will be two more (in Luxembourg and Switzerland).

While it is unlikely in other words that anything on a federal level will be transformative by the admission of medical efficacy by the Spanish government, it appears that the time has come, finally, for Spain to enter the 21st century on the basic issue of federal medical reform. It is unlikely that the clubs will be closed when that happens. And further, very possible that this will be the final trigger to push for regulation of the club system (like what has been seen in Holland).

Be sure to book your tickets to the International Cannabis Business Conference when it returns to Europe this summer.

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It’s Critical That German CBD Law Matches EU Law

Written by Marguerite Arnold on . Posted in Medical.

After a brew ha ha over hemp tea that made its way to federal court, there is a renewed call domestically to homogenize German law with European ruling. Is “Trickle Down Reform” from the EU a better way to handle cannabis reform?

In an indeterminate case in March, a case involving hemp tea made its way to the German federal court but the ruling did not clear up the status of hemp in the country. It is still considered a “narcotic” under German law (even though on a European level this has now been cleared up).

The case however is indicative of a larger problem that exists across Europe. The first is that the status of cannabis generally has not been determined across the region. The ruling on CBD by the European Commission last fall may have given the EU its “2018 Farm Bill” but there are much bigger issues to deal with still in the room. Think, for example, how largely ineffective the U.S. legislation has been with dealing with the vast majority of problems facing just the American industry.

This is why the European Cannabis Association was formed (to begin to move the bigger ticket items forward from cultivation through end distribution). There is an urgent need to do the same as even the Spanish government is finally moving (as the last larger economy in Europe) to recognize the medical efficacy of the plant.

Beyond that, however, there is then the problem of adoption of sovereign states of any European-wide decision on cannabis. In this case, the cry has been taken up by the hemp company involved in the German case as well as the German Cannabis Industry Association.

It is clear that it is critical that German law be in alignment with EU-wide decrees on cannabis – but what is the best approach to make this happen? Is hemp the real door opener, or rather cannabis generally? And further, now that EU policy has been set on the same, why focus on anything other than comprehensive reform and policies?

If the US is any indication, it is discussions about the entire plant which make a real difference. Without regulation on a federal level, the U.S. states are proceeding on policies that themselves will have to be changed again with a national policy change. The “hemp exception” made zero difference in any state in the U.S. when it has come to actual reform. Indeed, this has been used as window dressing to stave off the larger discussions – namely all of the ones involved in comprehensive regulation except for the level of THC allowed in hemp.

This means that in Europe, it is critical for sovereign organizations and groups to begin to unite under a single umbrella to push reform at a regional level, and in Brussels. And for the whole plant, not just part of it.

Indeed, in the recent tea case, it was the EU decision that was the deciding case law, not the German Narcotics Act. While it is painful for individual members of the industry to get caught in changing gears of regulatory requirements, it is also critical for the companies within it to realize that organization in Europe must happen regionally first, not locally, for real change to come at a legislative and legal level now.

Be sure to book your tickets now to the International Cannabis Business Conference when it returns to Europe this summer.

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‘Cannabis Master Plan’ To Be Presented In South Africa

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

Cannabis reform is spreading across the African continent slowly but surely. There’s still a tremendous amount of work left to be done, but the momentum for the cannabis movement in Africa is greater than ever.

The country where that is most evident is probably South Africa. In 2018 South Africa’s top court issued a ruling that determined that cannabis prohibition was unconstitutional.

The Court’s ruling is similar to rulings that were issued in Mexico and Italy. Both of those countries have yet to fully implement the courts’ rulings via legislation.

The same is true for South Africa, although a ‘cannabis master plan’ is apparently on its way. Below is more information about it via a government press release:

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) is on the verge of presenting a Cannabis Master Plan to Nedlac.

DALRRD Minister Thoko Didiza says as the legalisation and the commercialisation of cannabis remains at the forefront of public debate and on top of the agenda for policymakers globally, the plan will be presented to the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) by the end of May 2021.

The Minister said this when she tabled the department’s budget vote in Parliament on Thursday.

She said this was one of several masterplans that the department will finalise as part of setting targets and implementing interventions to increase production in the sector.

“An inter-departmental team comprising representatives from various departments was established to guide the development of the National Cannabis Master Plan with [the department] as the convener.

“The Cannabis Master Plan is being presented to Nedlac before the end of May 2021.  The department will, as of October 2021, begin issuing and monitoring permits for the production of hemp in South Africa,” she said.

Interventions to bolster production

Didiza said in order to increase local production in the sector, a combination of interventions as well as different support systems will need to be implemented to realise this vision.

These includes:

  • Increasing land under production. This will mean cultivating land that has been given to individuals and communities through our land reform program and those in communal areas.
  • Strengthening the extension and advisory services by employing capable individual Officers;
  • Collaborating with the private sector and individuals who are willing to be mentors as well as able to give agreements to those who produce;
  • Strengthening government’s agri-financial services to support production;
  • Improving agricultural Research. The Agricultural Research Council will utilise the Parliamentary Grant to focus on the development of scientific solutions, inclusive of the development of new technologies and crop varieties, enhancing the quantity and quality of agricultural produce, devising climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, increasing sustainability, reducing consumer food prices.
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Rastafarians Petition Court In Kenya

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Cultural.

Humans have a long history with the cannabis plant. It is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the Eastern Asia region, being initially used for grain and fiber.

The oldest known use of the cannabis plant for the purpose of fiber and grains is in Japan on the Oki Islands, dating all of the way back to 8000 BCE.

Chinese Emperor Shen Nung, known as the ‘Father of Chinese Medicine’ included medical cannabis in written medical writings back in 2727 BCE. Evidence of cannabis being used for textile purposes dates back even farther in China’s history.

The oldest known evidence of cannabis use for intoxication purposes is found in Central Asia in roughly 2500 BCE, although, cannabis could have certainly been used for that purpose previously, we just haven’t discovered evidence of it yet.

Cannabis has also been used for religious purposes for many years, most notably by Rastafarians. Cannabis use plays a very big role in the Rastafarian religion.

Rastafarianism started in Jamaica and has spread to parts of Africa, including in Kenya where Rastafarians are petitioning to get an exemption from cannabis laws to be able to use cannabis for religious purposes. Per Tuko:

The Rastafarian Society of Kenya and one of their prophets, Mwenda Wambua, have moved to court seeking orders to decriminalise the use of Marijuana in their places of worship.

Through their lawyer Shadrack Wambui, the society sought the court to suspend Section 3 of the Narcotics Act which involves the arrest, prosecution and conviction of the members of the Rastafarian society for their spiritual and private growth and use of cannabis in their private homes or designated places of worship.

It’s unclear right now what the chances are of the petition being granted, but it’s certainly worth a shot. There’s a clear need for the exemption, being that Rastafarians have a legit religious need for it.

No one should be persecuted because of their cannabis use, and that includes cannabis use for religious purposes.

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The Unsung Hero Of Cannabis Compliance: Track-And-Trace

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business.

The legal cannabis industry is a two-way street. On one side you have cannabis regulators whose goal is to protect public safety, build the guardrails for a well-functioning market, and be good stewards of the freedoms that cannabis activists have fought so hard for.

On the other side you have cannabis companies that create and deliver innovative products while still complying with those regulatory guardrails. It only takes one cannabis company operating ‘out of bounds’ to sully the reputation of the entire industry, at least to some degree. Laws, rules, and regulations are in place for good reason in the legal cannabis industry – to mitigate public health issues (among other things).

One of the most vital components of an effective compliance strategy is seed-to-sale tracking software. For those that are not familiar with the concept, seed-to-sale tracking software is essentially exactly what it sounds like – it tracks cannabis from start to finish. A cannabis seed or clone is assigned a number and tracked throughout its life and the cannabis that the plant yields (and the products that are derived from it) is then tracked through the point of sale.

In the majority of states in the United States where the cannabis industry legally operates the use of seed-to-sale tracking software is required. It’s a requirement that will no doubt become a standard feature of the legal cannabis industry everywhere that it exists in the future.

“Cannabis legalization immediately tasks state governments with a host of challenging demands, including protecting public health, establishing new testing and tracking protocols, and securing the regulated market against illicit product.” says Lewis Koski, COO of Metrc, a leading cannabis industry tracking software company.

Metrc designed the first seed-to-sale tracking system in close collaboration with state regulators in Colorado in 2011, and now has over 220,000 users across the United States – more than any other vendor of its type. Metrc has tracked over $15 billion in legal cannabis sales.

“In states with legal sales, cannabis businesses are required to account for their inventory at every stage of its development and production. Metrc’s system tracks every legal product back to the original source plant, giving state cannabis agencies the tools to ensure no illicit cannabis enters the regulated market, and no cannabis products are diverted and sold unlawfully elsewhere. Product destruction and disposal are similarly monitored to prevent diversion and unlawful sale.” Koski went on to say.

As with any large industry, product recalls occur in the cannabis industry from time to time despite the best efforts by responsible cannabis companies. Just as unforeseen product safety issues can arise with lettuce and automobiles, so too can the same occur with cannabis flower and other cannabis products. It is extremely important that product recall efforts be as streamlined as possible for the sake of public health, and seed-to-sale tracking is at the heart of those efforts.

“Metrc’s centralized database allows regulators to quickly identify, isolate, and recall plants and packages that have tested positive for contamination and deemed unsafe.” points out Lewis Koski.

Seed-to-sale tracking software also serves another important role in the emerging cannabis industry, which is something that Lewis Koski of Metrc points out as well. Data from the software can be used by lawmakers, regulators, and industry members to make the cannabis industry better for everyone.

“Data from robust track-and-trace systems can also streamline compliance, support government agencies and their ability to keep up with the fast-paced cannabis industry, and offer insights on sales growth and tax revenue.” Koski said.

Find out more about seed-to-sale tracking software’s vital role in the emerging cannabis industry at our upcoming events in Berlin, Germany (August 25-27) and Zurich, Switzerland (August 31 – September 1). Grab your tickets now to take advantage of early-bird pricing!