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Tilray Recalling Cannabis Extract From German Market

Written by Marguerite Arnold on . Posted in Business.

According to DAZ online, a German-language, pharmacy-oriented publication, Tilray has had to recall its cannabis extract in the German market because the THC in its products is lower than stated on the packaging.

There is no danger to patients, but the effect of the medication may be reduced.

Pharmacists must destroy the extract they have received if it is on-premises.

According to the company in a statement released via the German Pharmacists’ Medicines Commission (AMK), the initial batch of Tilray THC 10 CBD 10  tested within parameters of a release date. However, a continuous stability test revealed that the THC content was subsequently lower.

There is no danger to humans, however, a different than stated effect could occur when using the affected products.

The Impact On The German Market

This is now the second recall in the German market in the last year. Aurora cannabis also ran into trouble last fall.

At at time when German flower and other products made from the same are finally about to enter the market here, this is an embarrassing flub, but also a reminder that the industry is increasingly regulated across Europe and being fitted into existing pharmaceutical infrastructure and standards.

The industry has come a long way, however, it is clear there is room to grow.

In the meantime, Tilray is left without a strategical import product in the market, and a negative mark in the country’s main pharmaceutical trade zine.

The Good News? Whole Plant Cannabis Extracts Have Arrived

Beyond this temporary setback for perhaps the strongest company in a position to begin competing against dronabinol in its presence in the market (if not yet price), there has been a clear ramp-up in the entire German cannabis market conversation.

With only three firms growing the plant in Germany, it is inevitable that at least a part of this crop, certainly in the future, will be processed into extracts for the medical market.

In the meantime, the most widely available medical grade “cannabinoid extract” with THC in it, is dronabinol, produced both by a German and Israeli company. Both companies are likely to see an uptick in sales as a result of the Tilray fail, not just because of price but sheer availability.

However, it is also clear that this is only a temporary setback for the company as well as the entire medical extract discussion auf Deutschland.

The International Cannabis Business Conference will return to Europe in the spring of 2021. Stay tuned for more news from Europe by following our blog!

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Canada Grants Only 257 Cannabis Pardons In Program’s First Year

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

A cannabis offense on a person’s record can literally ruin their life. When someone is arrested and convicted of a cannabis offense, the initial punishment is the fine and/or incarceration. However, the punishment continues well after the offender has served their ‘debt to society.’

Cannabis offenders are essentially branded with the ‘cannabis scarlet letter’ and they carry it for as long as the offense pops up on background checks, which can prove to be the case for decades after the offense.

A cannabis offense on a record can result in someone being turned down for a job that they are otherwise qualified for. It can prevent people from receiving government assistance, including financial aid for college. People can lose out on housing opportunities and can even be prevented from volunteering for various organizations and causes.

No one should have to live like that – not for possessing a plant that is 114 times safer than alcohol. Canada, which legalized cannabis for adult use in 2018, launched a program roughly a year ago that was geared towards helping folks get cannabis offenses removed from their records. Unfortunately, it appears that the program has not helped enough people. Per CBC:

It has been one year since the government launched a program offering Canadians with a criminal record for simple pot possession a fast, free pardon — but only 257 people have been granted one so far.

Critics say the low number proves the program is “unconscionable” and a “total failure.” They’re calling on the government to deliver an automatic removal of those criminal records.

According to figures provided by the Parole Board of Canada (PBC), 458 people have applied to the program. Of those, 259 were accepted for consideration, with 257 granted and two discontinued. Another 194 applications were returned because the person was ineligible or the file was incomplete, while five more are still in the works.

It should be a standard feature of any legalization measure going forward, regardless of the country or jurisdiction, that past cannabis convictions get automatically expunged and the records sealed.

It makes zero sense for someone to continue to be punished, no matter how major or minor the punishment is, after the binding law is changed.

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South Africa Cabinet Approves Measure To Regulate Private Cannabis Use

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

As of right now, there are only two countries that have legalized cannabis for adult use. Uruguay was the first (2013) and Canada was second (2018).

Two other nations, Mexico and Italy, have court rulings in place that mandate the implementation of a regulated adult-use system, however, compliance with the court decisions has yet to occur in those countries.

A handful of other countries, including the Netherlands, are exploring pilot programs to ‘test the waters’ of cannabis legalization. Assuming that the pilot programs are launched and prove to be successful, those nations could end up legalizing cannabis for adult use sooner rather than later.

One nation that appears to be moving in the right direction is South Africa. South Africa’s cabinet recently approved a measure that would legalize personal cannabis consumption by adults. Per Business Tech:

“This Bill regulates the use and possession of cannabis and the cultivation of cannabis plants by an adult for personal use.

“It provides the limit of the quantity of cannabis that may be possessed by an adult and criminalizes the smoking of cannabis in public places. ”

The bill will have to face parliamentary consideration and a public consultation process before being signed into law.

Cannabis prohibition is a failed public policy no matter where it exists, including in South Africa. The cannabis plant has been found to be 114 times safer than alcohol, and if alcohol can be used responsibly and legally by adults in South Africa, the same activity should be allowed when it comes to cannabis.

The odds of the measure making it all the way to becoming law is unclear at this time. As previously noted, there are additional steps that have to be overcome in order for the measure to get to the finish line, and there will no doubt be hurdles that pop up. However, the measure moving forward via the recent vote is definitely encouraging.

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The United Kingdom Can Legalize Cannabis To Help Address Institutional Racism

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

Cannabis prohibition is a failed public policy no matter where it exists. It is often a form of institutional racism as well, which is often demonstrated in arrest statistics.

For instance, in the United States, African American individuals are nearly four times as likely to be arrested for cannabis compared to Caucasian individuals. There also seems to be a similar issue in the United Kingdom.

According to cannabis advocates lobbying lawmakers in the United Kingdom, cannabis prohibition has a disproportionate impact on Black people in the U.K. Per Independent:

One in five of those found guilty of cannabis possession in England and Wales last year was black, official figures show, prompting accusations of racial injustice at the heart of the UK’s drug laws.

Campaigners said the rate was grossly disproportionate when only an estimated 3 per cent of the population is black.

They also warned of a link between the convictions and the police stop and search policy, a central concern during the Black Lives Matter protests.

The math speaks for itself. Whenever a subpopulation only makes up 3 percent of the total population, yet is subjected to roughly 20 percent of public policy violation enforcement, it’s blatant institutional discrimination.

If the United Kingdom wants to address racial injustices in the U.K. then it clearly needs to address cannabis prohibition. If Canada and Uruguay can legalize cannabis for adult-use without any major issues then the United Kingdom should be able to do the same.

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Illinois Adult-Use Cannabis Sales Set A Record In July

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business.

The State of Illinois is one of the most populated states in the U.S. and is also home to a regulated adult-use cannabis industry. Illinois’ adult-use industry is one of the most regulated and limited models in the country.

With that being said, the model is still popular enough with consumers to generate sizable tax revenue. In fact, the month of July saw Illinois break a record for tax revenue, as outlined in a recent Chicago Tribune article:

Illinois marijuana shops sold almost $61 million in recreational weed in July, beating the previous record set in June by $13.4 million.

In all, dispensaries have sold about $300.1 million in recreational marijuana since sales started in Illinois Jan. 1.

Much like Washington State, Illinois does not permit adult-use cultivation, however, cultivating up to 5 plants for personal use is only punishable by a $200 fine, compared to cultivation still being a felony in Washington State.

Many lawmakers expressed concern regarding home cultivation when cannabis policies were being crafted which is presumably why it was left out of the model.

However, with personal cultivation not carrying a large penalty, and adult-use sales continuing to spike, it makes sense to remove the penalty for personal cultivation, as it will likely not have a significant impact on tax revenues.

Illinois’ legalization model is not perfect, however, it is better than prohibition and clearly the public policy change is benefiting the state. Hopefully, it builds momentum for other states, and for other nations, to get on the right side of history.

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U.S. House Votes To Protect Legal Marijuana States From Federal Interventions

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

Below is a press release from NORML containing breaking news:

Washington, DC: Today, the House of Representatives by voice vote passed a wide-ranging amendment restricting the Department of Justice from spending taxpayer dollars to enforce federal anti-marijuana laws in the majority of US states that regulate either the adult-use and/or medical use of cannabis.

A roll call will be made later today and published at NORML.org.

“This is the most significant vote on marijuana policy reform that the House of Representatives has taken this year,” said NORML Political Director Justin Strekal. “The importance of this bipartisan vote cannot be overstated as today; nearly one in four Americans reside in a jurisdiction where the adult use of cannabis is legal under state statute. It is time for Congress to acknowledge this reality and retain these protections in the final spending bill.”

“The next logical step for House Leadership is to bring legislation to the floor to end prohibition and demonstrate to the American people that the era of marijuana criminalization is drawing to a close,” Strekal concluded.

Since 2014, members of Congress have passed annual spending bills that have included language protecting those who engage in the state-sanctioned use, production, and dispensing of medical cannabis from undue prosecution by the Department of Justice. The Blumenauer-McClintock-Norton-Lee amendment expands these protections to also include activities specific to the production and sale of cannabis to adults in the eleven states that have legalized the plant for anyone age 21 or older.

Similar language was passed by the House last year, yet the provision was stripped out of the final appropriations package in the conference committee.

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NORML advocates for changes in public policy so that the responsible possession and use of marijuana by adults is no longer subject to criminal penalties. NORML further advocates for a regulated commercial cannabis market so that activities involving the for-profit production and retail sale of cannabis and cannabis products are safe, transparent, consumer-friendly, and are subject to state and/or local licensure. Finally, NORML advocates for additional changes in legal and regulatory policies so that those who use marijuana responsibly are no longer face either social stigma or workplace discrimination, and so that those with past criminal records for marijuana-related violations have the opportunity to have their records automatically expunged.

Find out more at norml.org and read our factsheets on the most common misconceptions and myths regarding reform efforts around the country at norml.org/marijuana/fact-sheets

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British Government Health Service Plans To Manufacture Cannabis Oil

Written by Marguerite Arnold on . Posted in Medical.

Ah, the irony. After decades of resisting cannabis reform, the British government-funded National Health Service (NHS) has established plans to manufacture CBD oil itself. Why? To prepare for a clinical trial to study the efficacy of medical CBD on children with severe epilepsy.

The ironies are indeed large.

For starters, the once-vaunted and now struggling British NHS has also not managed to issue any prescriptions that approvers have passed through the gate. This has in turn forced legitimate patients and their families to turn to a variety of highly unappealing, expensive and in some cases, still illegal options.

The one company which has benefited from this situation, GW Pharmaceuticals, and for over 20 years, has been forced to lower prices on their own CBD-based drugs in the last year as the NHS has been forced to deal with the issue of cannabis reform. However, this is not yet low enough, apparently, which is why the government itself is in effect nationalizing production to determine efficacy.

It is not an entirely unprecedented move. The German government has essentially “bought” the first cannabis cultivation crop in Germany and is using this to drop sky-high prices that have been a feature of the legitimate market since its kickoff in 2017.

However, like the German government, the attention, noise and fuss are still “just” on the CBD market. The issue of medical THC is still a highly controversial one, and so far, at least in the UK, one that the government does not yet seem to want to address.

German Vs. UK Market Development

In Germany, physicians are increasingly approving cannabinoid drugs, even though there is still a highly complex interplay between government price and cost controls and the companies that operate in this space. There is high THC medical-grade cannabis being grown here – even though it is not enough to meet demand. Thus the export market.

Unlike the UK, THC reform was included in government plans. This does not mean that things are “good” on the ground in Deutschland – indeed there are many issues on the ground here. However, unlike the UK, Germany at least has admitted that THC has medical efficacy.

Where Everything Gets Weird

As just about everyone in the industry knows at this point, the fact that the European Commission is considering reclassifying CBD as a “narcotic” is sending shock waves through an already strange discussion no matter what the UK is calling itself these days.

One thing is very clear. Nobody is sure what to do about cannabis. It’s not a bird, and it’s not a plane. 

Stay tuned for more intriguing, if decidedly strange, developments.

The International Cannabis Business Conference will be returning to Europe next year. In the meantime, stay tuned for the strangest twists and turns of the entire story yet by signing up for our newsletter!

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Will Cannabis Play A Big Role In The 2020 U.S. Election?

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

Cannabis policy in the United States has advanced by leaps and bounds in the last couple of decades. Non-hemp cannabis is still very much illegal at the federal level in the U.S., however, many states have reformed their cannabis laws, including a growing list of states that have legalized cannabis for adult use.

Support has never been greater for national cannabis legalization in the U.S. with the most recent Gallup poll (October 2019) finding that 66% of U.S. voters support adult-use legalization. That is up from 44% in 2010. The times are changing, and they are changing fast.

The 2020 Election in the United States is quickly approaching, and a number of states are likely to vote on adult-use and/or medical cannabis legalization. Below is a recap, taken from an outstanding summary published by our friends at Leafly:

  • *Arizona (adult-use)
  • *Montana (adult-use)
  • Mississippi (medical)
  • *Nebraska (medical)
  • New Jersey (adult-use)
  • South Dakota (medical and adult-use)

The states that have an asterisk by them have seen campaigns turn in enough signatures to make the ballot, however, final verification by state officials is still pending, so in theory, the measures could not actually make the ballot if enough signatures prove to be invalid. Hopefully, all of them will make the ballot.

Regardless, reform is already going to be on the ballot in at least Mississippi, New Jersey, and South Dakota, which is significant. Also, elected officials will be up for re-election in every state, and fresh faces are trying to become elected in November, and every one of them presumably has some stance on cannabis policy for better or worse.

Cannabis policy is a serious topic now in U.S. politics, and the years of expressing support for cannabis reform being considered ‘political suicide’ are long gone. Now, if a candidate is not on the right side of history, they receive significant push back because cannabis is such a popular and mainstream political issue. It can literally make the difference between someone being elected or not.

Studies have found that when cannabis reform is on the ballot it increases voter turnout because voters that normally don’t participate do so in order to vote for cannabis, and that has a butterfly effect on the rest of the election in the jurisdiction.

If cannabis reform actually makes the ballot in every state listed above and voter turnout spikes, it could have a significant impact on local, state, and even federal elections. Even in states where reform isn’t specifically on the ballot, cannabis voters will still have a significant impact on elections via their support of pro-cannabis candidates over anti-cannabis candidates. The cannabis community is a huge voting block now, thankfully.

The 2020 Election is arguably the most significant election in United States history, and all eyes will be on the results in November. All we can do is wait and watch as things develop and see how the dust settles, but it’s a safe bet that cannabis voters are going to heavily influence voting outcomes across the country.

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Ontario Regulators End Cannabis Delivery And Curbside Pickup Services

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business.

The ongoing pandemic has altered the way that most, if not all of us, live. All over the planet, people are adapting to the changes that local and national governments have put in place, and are continuing to adapt as those changes evolve (sometimes on a weekly basis).

COVID has also affected the way that entire industries operate, including the cannabis industry. From cultivation operations to distribution operations to retail outlets, cannabis regulators and entrepreneurs have jumped through many hoops to help maintain public safety.

In Ontario, regulators put in place temporary rules that allowed cannabis delivery and curbside pickup services for dispensaries. Unfortunately, it appears that those services will no longer be permitted:

Cannabis delivery and curbside pickup services are great options for customers and patients, and there’s no logical reason to prohibit those services even when a pandemic is not going on.

Safety concerns regarding COVID still exist, and therefore the delivery and curbside services should absolutely remain in place. As far as we can tell, there have been no reported issues related to either service in Ontario.

Regulators in Ontario should reconsider their decision and reinstate the temporary rules to allow delivery and curbside pickup services – or even better, make those rules permanent.