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Attend Cannabis Europa 2024 In London In June

Written by Johnny Green on May 20, 2024. Posted in Business, Policy.

The emerging legal cannabis industry in Europe continues to experience exponential growth as more nations modernize their cannabis policies and regulations. Germany recently enacted the first provisions of its adult-use legalization measure and more European countries are expected to do the same in the coming years.

In addition to adult-use reform, the legal medical cannabis industry is also continuing to expand across the European continent. The rise of adult-use legalization will obviously impact Europe’s medical cannabis industry to some extent, however, much is still unclear regarding how both sectors of the industry will operate alongside each other in the future.

The remaining years of this decade in Europe will be pivotal for the emerging legal cannabis industry. Now is the time for entrepreneurs and investors to work to gain a meaningful footprint in Europe’s cannabis space.

Industry policies, rules, regulations, and other framework components that are being created and implemented during this crucial period will largely determine what the future of Europe’s cannabis industry looks like for decades to follow.

That is why it is so important for cannabis entrepreneurs, policymakers, and other leaders to network and learn from each other as much as they can right now. A great opportunity to do exactly that is coming to London on June 25-26, 2024, when Cannabis Europa’s flagship event comes back to London.

“We are ultimately trying to change society by bringing about acceptance and accessibility to cannabis in Europe,” stated Stephen Murphy, Co-Founder and CEO of Prohibition Partners at last year’s Cannabis Europa event. It’s a mission that remains true for this year’s event as well.

The venue for the event, the Barbican Centre, is a return to Cannabis Europa’s roots, with the location previously serving as the venue for the first-ever Cannabis Europa conference back in 2018 and the 2023 installment of the conference. The event’s two-day agenda will cover a range of topics. Below is a sampling of the event’s speakers:

Boris Jordan – Executive Chairman, Curaleaf
Pat Cash – Former Wimbledon Champion
Adonis Georgiadis – Minister of Health, Hellenic Republic (Greece)
Paul Depla – Mayor of Breda
Nikos Beis – CEO & Vice President of the Board, Tikun Olam Europe
Katrina Ffrench – Founder & Director, Unjust C.I.C.
Dr. Dylan Said – Senior Head, Malta Medicines Authority

Join 1,500+ influential leaders from thriving cannabis companies, investors actively deploying capital into the market, plus key politicians — the crucial combination needed to drive the European cannabis industry and your business forward.

The event will once again be holding a boutique industry expo, showcasing more than 50 leading businesses as the cream of the European cannabis crop, acting as a jumping off point for growing your business in Europe and beyond.

You can find more information about Cannabis Europa, including how to register for the event, at: www.cannabis-europa.com.

Cannabis Shops In Thailand Expected To Close By April 2025

Written by Hazel Norman on May 13, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Thailand made a historic shift in cannabis policy in June 2022 by becoming the first country in the Southeast Asia region to remove cannabis from its national narcotics listing. It appears that policy change will be short-lived, with the nation’s prime minister declaring that cannabis will be reclassified as a narcotic by the end of 2024 and that the country’s cannabis shops will be closed by April 2025.

The announcement was not surprising given the number of anti-cannabis talking points that Thailand Prime Minster Srettha Thavisin has offered up since taking office. While not surprising, it is still defeating news for Thailand’s emerging cannabis industry, which has thrived in recent years thanks in large part to the Thailand government’s help.

Every household in the entire country could sign up initially to legally cultivate low-THC cannabis plants, which a reported 1.1 million citizens of Thailand have done. It was the first time in the history of the world that such a public policy was implemented at a national level.

At the time of Thailand’s historic change in 2022, the Public Health Minister indicated that there would be no plant limit for the government’s cultivation program. Thailand’s government also gave away over 1 million cannabis seeds directly to households that signed up. Additionally, the government gave out low-interest loans to help aspiring cultivators get their operations started.

Thailand’s government also launched an app to help streamline the process of people signing up their households to cultivate cannabis. An FAQ public service announcement effort was launched to help people understand the law and cultivation program back then.

A broad spectrum of government agencies in Thailand previously agreed to do their part to push Thailand’s emerging cannabis industry forward. Thailand also released thousands of people serving time for cannabis offenses.

Unfortunately, major changes appear to be on the way. Per Thai Examiner:

An order given by the Prime Minister on Wednesday would close cannabis shops in Thailand by April 1st, 2025. On Wednesday, Srettha Thavisin made it clear he wanted cannabis reclassified as a scheduled narcotic by the end of 2024. It came as a high-powered working group zeroed in on firm plans for a drug crackdown in Thailand. The meeting was attended by three senior ministers, the Prime Minister, and the secretary to the Defence Minister. In short, one of the proposals agreed upon was the internment of drug addicts at a military base. In addition, discretion given to police in relation to small-time users was tightened. The Prime Minister said he wanted to see more vigorous police action in wiping out illegal drug use.

The region in which Thailand is located is home to some of the harshest cannabis public policies and penalties on Earth, with several Southeastern Asian countries still issuing the death penalty for certain cannabis-only offenses.

Thailand’s emerging cannabis industry was estimated to be worth 28 billion Thai baht (€728 million) within the first year of the historic 2022 policy change and was projected to increase to 336 billion baht (€8.7 billion) by 2030 prior to the prime minister’s announcement.

Second Pillar Of German Cannabis Legalization Inches Forward

Written by Johnny Green on May 13, 2024. Posted in Policy.

When lawmakers in Germany agreed to legalize cannabis for adult use they planned on rolling out German legalization in two phases, or ‘pillars.’ The first pillar involved legalizing the cultivation, possession, and consumption of cannabis by adults along with permitting noncommercial cannabis clubs.

The second pillar will involve launching regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot trials, and according to domestic reporting in Germany, the regulatory body that will oversee the pilot trials was recently identified in a circulated proposal.

A draft regulation is being circulated in German cannabis association circles, and the ministry led by Cem Özdemir (Greens) is proposing that the enforcement authority for the “authorization and monitoring of the use of cannabis for scientific purposes” be vested in the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food.

“We are hopeful that a practical way will be created to legally sell cannabis products in Germany – at least in some scientific projects,” stated Jürgen Neumeyer from the Cannabis Industry Association according to initial reporting by Spiegel.

“There is great interest among our members,” Neumeyer also stated, “without an opportunity to sell cannabis directly to consumers, we will not be able to push back the black market.”

Whereas the European Union prohibits nationwide recreational cannabis sales, regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot trials are permitted by the European Union because they are focused on research. Such pilot trials are already underway in Switzerland and the Netherlands, although they are more limited in size and scope compared to what is expected in Germany.

Germany’s regional adult-use cannabis pilot programs cannot launch until rules and regulations are in place, and that cannot happen without a regulatory entity overseeing the nation’s cannabis pilot programs. With that in mind, the proposal for the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food to be that entity is a significant milestone for Germany’s continued legalization implementation effort.

Cannabis supporters in Germany’s government appear to be pursuing the regulatory route through the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food rather than pursuing a separate piece of legislation to launch pilot programs. Government officials seem convinced that the agency’s regulatory authority is already established, and that going this route will expedite the launch of pilot trials in Germany.

Meanwhile, the first reading of a ‘readjustment’ measure will occur in the Bundestag this week, with the reading set to occur on Thursday, May 16th, 9:10 p.m.

“Just a few weeks after the adoption of the consumer cannabis law, the coalition factions of the SPD, Alliance 90/The Greens and FDP want to readjust the regulation. The draft law “to amend the Consumer Cannabis Act and the Medical Cannabis Act” is to be discussed in the first reading on Thursday, May 16, 2024 and, after a 30-minute debate, will be referred to the lead health committee for further discussion.” states an announcement on the Bundestag website.

“The coalition factions’ bill “to amend the Road Traffic Act and other road traffic regulations”, which is not yet available but is also up for discussion and is intended to set a cannabis limit in road traffic, should be referred to the Transport Committee.” the Bundestag announcement also states. The announcement also lists the following:

Amendment to the Consumer Cannabis Act
The background to the readjustment is the protocol statement that the federal government made on the Cannabis Act at the meeting of the Federal Council on March 22, 2024. It is said that the changes should take into account the concerns and wishes of the countries. The evaluation provided for in the Consumer Cannabis Act is to be expanded and the control of cultivation associations by the states is to be made more flexible.

In addition, the states should be given room for maneuver when dealing with large-scale cultivation areas. In addition, the Federal Center for Health Education is planning to develop a further training program for addiction prevention specialists in the states and municipalities.

Amendment to the Road Traffic Act
The amendment to the Road Traffic Act is intended to introduce a THC limit (tetrahydrocannabinol) in road traffic and a ban on alcohol for cannabis users.

According to the new regulations, the limit value should in future be 3.5 nanograms per milliliter. If you exceed the limit for the first time, you risk a fine of 500 euros and a one-month driving ban. (hau/04/29/2024)

Noncommercial cannabis clubs, which are part of the first pillar of Germany’s new cannabis law, are still expected to launch in July of this year. A year ago, proposed regulations pertaining to German cannabis clubs were leaked, and included the following:

All club properties where cannabis is cultivated and/or stored have to be tightly secured
Every club has to have a ‘trained addiction and prevention officer’
Must comply with residue limits for pesticides and fertilizers
Must track cannabis from seed
Annual reporting of crop amounts, including cannabinoid percentage (THC and CBD)
Club members only
50 grams per month limit for over 21 years old
30 grams per month limit for 18-20 years old
THC percentage cap for 18-20 years old (ten percent THC)
Neutral packaging
Labeled with specific harvest information

In addition to club provisions, items pertaining to individual use were also reportedly included in the previously leaked draft. Consumption would be prohibited “within a radius of 250 meters from schools, daycare centers, playgrounds, youth facilities or sports facilities” according to the leaked draft regulations. Also, consumption “should also not be permitted in pedestrian zones between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.”

Recapping The Historic 2024 International Cannabis Business Conference In Berlin

Written by Johnny Green on May 7, 2024. Posted in Business, Entertainment, Policy, Science.

Thousands of leading international cannabis investors, entrepreneurs, inventors, policymakers, regulators, and industry service providers descended upon Berlin, Germany for the annual International Cannabis Business Conference on April 16th-17th, 2024. This year’s two-day International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin took place at the iconic Estrel Berlin Hotel and was the first major cannabis event to occur after Germany’s new adult-use legalization law took effect.

Germany’s recent adoption of its CanG law loomed large over the event, and rightfully so. Germany became the largest country to ever adopt a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure on April 1st, 2024, and the significance of the policy change cannot be overstated. Germany has ushered in a new era for cannabis policy on the European continent, and the International Cannabis Business Conference continues to be at the heart of it all.

Georg Wurth, leader of the German Hemp Association (DHV), kicked off the two-day conference by providing background information about Germany’s history with cannabis policy, how the cannabis movement arrived at where it is currently, and what people can expect in Germany going forward. Wurth also explained what components are involved in Germany’s legalization model, and what advocates can do to help ensure that Germany has the best cannabis policies possible.

Yoko Miyashita, CEO of Leafly, also provided a keynote address at the event. Miyashita shared observations from Leafly’s 13-year history of tracking and operating in jurisdictions that have modernized their cannabis policies to permit adult use. Yoko Miyashita also discussed what lessons other nations can learn from North America’s legalization journey.

Internationally renowned cannabis expert Peter Homberg, a partner at leading business law firm Dentons, provided an update regarding current cannabis policy modernization efforts underway in European Union member nations. Homberg examined major economic developments in Europe’s emerging legal cannabis industry and provided prognostic outlooks on significant legal trends arising from the continent’s cannabis movement.

Rounding out the rest of the Day 1 curriculum for the event was a series of panel discussions on important topics within the emerging global cannabis industry. Videos of each panel discussion from the Berlin event, as well as videos for past International Cannabis Business Conference events, can be viewed on the International Cannabis Business Conference’s YouTube channel.

In addition to the event’s curriculum, the International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin featured an exhibition floor where cannabis companies displayed their products and services. The event’s expo floor facilitated a significant amount of industry networking. Against the historical backdrop of legalization in Germany, the excitement level on the expo floor was considerable throughout the two-day event.

No International Cannabis Business Conference event in Berlin would be complete without an after-party, and this year’s conference in Berlin was no exception. The after-party for the International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin was headlined by Reggae pioneer Rocker-T. It made for the perfect evening for conference participants after a day full of learning and networking.

Day 2 of the conference kicked off with a keynote address by Barinder S. Bhullar, Senior Vice President of Brains Bioceutical Corp. Bhullar discussed advancing the cannabinoid scientific landscape and the challenges and rewards involved. Bhullar provided strategies and necessary considerations to help minimize risk for sound investment decision-making.

A series of expert panel discussions followed throughout Day 2, with topics ranging from regulations and pharmaceuticals to technological advancements, cultivation, and emerging markets. Videos of each panel discussion from day 2 of the Berlin event can be viewed on the International Cannabis Business Conference’s YouTube channel.

The next International Cannabis Business Conference event will be held in Bled, Slovenia on September 13th, 2024 and anyone interested in emerging cannabis science and technology is encouraged to attend. The next International Cannabis Business Conference event in Berlin will be held on April 29th-30th, 2025. Tickets go on sale starting May 22nd, 2024.

Signature Drive In Switzerland Seeks To Legalize Cannabis For Adult-Use

Written by Hazel Norman on May 6, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Europe is currently home to three nations that have adopted a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure, and if cannabis advocates in Switzerland succeed in their effort, their country could become the fourth.

Currently, Malta, Luxembourg, and Germany have approved legalization measures. Malta did so in 2021, Luxembourg did it in 2023, and Germany’s legalization measure officially came into effect on April 1st, 2024.

Out of the three nations, Germany’s legalization model is the best. All three legal European countries permit cannabis cultivation, possession, and use. However, Luxembourg does not permit adult-use commerce in any form, and in Malta commerce is limited to noncommercial cannabis clubs. In addition to clubs, Germany will also allow regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot trials.

Switzerland currently has cannabis trials underway, and according to domestic reporting, the signature-gathering effort seeks to take sales nationally. Per Swiss Info:

The people’s initiative, “Cannabis legalisation: opportunities for the economy, health and equality”, wants a new article on cannabis enshrined in the constitution. According to the text of the initiative published in the Swiss Federal Gazette, citizens should be allowed to grow and possess cannabis from the age of 18 for their personal use.

Commercial cannabis growers and sales outlets would require a licence and be subject to strict quality and safety regulations. The proceeds from the taxation of cannabis products would be channelled into drug education, addiction prevention and awareness.

The effort needs to successfully gather 100,000 valid signatures by October 30th, 2025 to trigger a vote. It is worth noting that a similar effort occurred in Italy in recent years, with advocates gathering the necessary signatures. However, Italy’s top court ultimately ruled that the measure was unconstitutional before voters got to decide on it.

If the effort does succeed in getting enough signatures in Switzerland, in addition to being reviewed by Swiss courts, the measure will presumably also be reviewed by the European Union. The European Union indicated in its discussions with Germany that nationwide adult-use cannabis sales are not permitted by current EU agreements.

Will Cannabis Rescheduling In The U.S. Impact The International Cannabis Industry?

Written by Johnny Green on May 6, 2024. Posted in Policy.

News broke yesterday in the United States regarding the cannabis plant’s status at the federal level. After decades of outright cannabis prohibition at the national level in the U.S., the DEA agreed to reschedule cannabis from its current Schedule I status to Schedule III.

Arguably the most significant domestic impact that should arise out of the rescheduling if/when it is implemented is the end of the 280E issue that most cannabis companies face in the United States. A provision of U.S. tax law (280E) prohibits businesses from leveraging many basic tax write-offs if a Schedule I substance is part of their business.

U.S. businesses that ‘touch the plant,’ such as cannabis cultivators and cannabis retailers, pay significantly more in federal taxes every year compared to other agricultural and retail businesses because of 280E. For U.S. businesses that are subjected to 280E, rescheduling to Schedule III may be like winning a lottery. Researchers estimate that ending 280E for the United States cannabis industry would lower the industry’s federal tax burden by over $2 billion per year.

“Today, the Attorney General circulated a proposal to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III,” Justice Department Director of Public Affairs Xochitl Hinojosa said in a statement to Marijuana Moment on Tuesday evening. “Once published by the Federal Register, it will initiate a formal rulemaking process as prescribed by Congress in the Controlled Substances Act.”

“Facilitating research and reducing burdens on medical cannabis patients, providers, and the businesses that serve them” are other benefits of the proposed policy change according to the Marijuana Policy Project.

Cannabis advocates in the United States were hopeful that cannabis would be de-scheduled completely, removing all federal criminal penalties for cannabis and leaving the issue largely up to individual states. A move to Schedule III would still keep state-level businesses in the U.S. in conflict with federal policy, and federal criminal penalties for cannabis activity would remain in place.

The emerging international cannabis industry will be a big winner if/when the United States reschedules cannabis, albeit perhaps not in direct ways. Rescheduling in the United States does not replace international agreements that prohibit certain forms of cannabis commerce, including the same type of commerce that is occurring in much of the U.S. However, the butterfly effect of U.S. rescheduling could be substantial.

First and foremost, the symbolism of the United States updating its federal cannabis policy for the first time in over 50 years is significant. The United States once led the charge at the global level to prohibit cannabis in the first place, with many nations adopting parts of the United States’ harmful policies decades ago. The U.S. rescheduling to Schedule III will never right all of the wrongs of prohibition, but it does send a very loud message to the entire world that prohibition is a failed public policy, that it is a new era, and that it’s time for a more sensible approach.

The United States is obviously an important player in the world banking system, and as the cannabis industry continues to go global, entities will need proper access to that system. Jamaica’s Trade Minister previously indicated that his nation’s medical cannabis export industry was experiencing “major roadblocks” when trying to gain access to banking, pointing to federal policy in the United States as contributing to the issues. Perhaps financial institutions will be less hesitant to work with cannabis companies once the U.S. reschedules cannabis. Only time will tell.

Cannabis stocks in North America could be in for a wild ride in the coming years, particularly in the case of Canada. The entire landscape for Canadian and U.S. stocks could be overhauled because U.S. cannabis companies that ‘touch the plant’ are currently prevented from being listed in major U.S. exchanges due to cannabis’ Schedule I status.

Additionally, since cannabis is legal at the national level in Canada, Canadian companies are allowed to be listed on major U.S. exchanges, and many of them also have footprints in other countries. Will a North American stock listing shuffle occur due to rescheduling? A lot of things are still murky, but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on, as a tectonic shift could be coming in the not-so-distant future.

United States cannabis companies may still be hindered in many ways if/when cannabis is rescheduled to Schedule III. However, if 280E goes away, and if more U.S. cannabis companies can be listed on major exchanges, some U.S.-based companies will presumably turn their eyes toward the emerging international cannabis industry and develop plans for expansion. For years Canada has held a clear advantage over the United States and other countries on the global stage, but that could be changing to some degree with so much more money flowing through the U.S. industry.

An undeniable winner for everyone across the planet is a looming boost in cannabis research in the United States. Cannabis research in the United States was always hindered by the Schedule I status, presumably by design. A move to Schedule III would remove some of the hurdles that researchers and scientists have historically come up against. Research that is conducted anywhere on Earth, including in the United States, benefits people everywhere by increasing our collective understanding of the cannabis plant and how it can be best utilized by humans.

Canada Received $1.9 Billion From Legal Cannabis Sales In 2022/2023

Written by Hazel Norman on May 6, 2024. Posted in Business, Policy.

Canada became the first G-7 nation on the planet to pass a national adult-use legalization measure in 2018, and only the second country to ever do so. The only country to have passed a national adult-use legalization measure before Canada was Uruguay, which legalized cannabis for adult use in 2013.

However, unlike Uruguay, which limits legal adult-use sales to residents, anyone of legal age (18 years old) can make recreational cannabis purchases from retailers in Canada. Canada remains the largest adult-use policy and industry experiment on Earth.

Statistics Canada recently released new cannabis industry and consumer data, including how much money the legal industry generated for Canadian governments during the 2022/2023 fiscal period. Per excerpts from Statistics Canada:

Sales of recreational cannabis by provincial cannabis authorities and other retail outlets increased 15.8% to $4.7 billion in the 2022/2023 fiscal year. Most of the increase was due to higher sales of inhaled extracts (+59.0%), which accounted for one-quarter of total cannabis sales.

Federal and provincial governments received $1.9 billion from the control and sale of recreational cannabis in 2022/2023, up by almost one-quarter (+24.2%) from a year earlier.

With more than 3,000 legal cannabis stores in Canada, over two in three cannabis consumers bought from the legal market. Among those who used cannabis in the 12 months before the survey, just over 7 out of 10 (71.7%) bought exclusively from legal sources.

Cannabis legalization is succeeding in Canada by every reasonable measure, as demonstrated by the new consumer and industry data from Statistics Canada. In addition to the revenue generated by Canada’s legal industry for public coffers, governments have also saved a considerable amount of public resources by no longer arresting consumers for cannabis activity.

Canada is a glowing example of what is possible when lawmakers take a sensible approach toward cannabis. The nation’s cannabis law is not perfect, however, it is undeniably better than cannabis prohibition and countries would be wise to follow in Canada’s footsteps.

German Patients Report Improvements Following Use Of High-THC Flower

Written by Frank Schuler on May 6, 2024. Posted in Science.

Doctors in Germany started legally prescribing cannabis to suffering patients in 2017, and since that time the nation’s medical cannabis program has grown in size by a considerable amount. Germany is now home to the largest legal medical cannabis program in Europe.

Unlike many other nations that only permit access to limited medical cannabis products, such as cannabis-derived pharmaceuticals, Germany allows patients to consume cannabis flower for therapeutic purposes.

An international team of researchers recently conducted a survey of German medical cannabis patients, focusing on the reported effects and benefits of high-THC cannabis flower consumption. Below is information about the survey’s findings via a news release from NORML:

Hannover, Germany: Patients prescribed high-THC prescription-grade cannabis chemovars report them to be safe and effective, according to data published in the journal Pharmacopsychiatry.

An international team of investigators surveyed more than 1,000 German patients authorized to use medical cannabis. (Plant cannabis and cannabinoid treatments, such as dronabinol, were legalized by prescription use in Germany in 2017.) Survey respondents obtained lab-tested cannabis flower from regional pharmacies. Potency of the most frequently used chemovar was 22 percent.

The overwhelming majority of patients surveyed reported medical cannabis to be effective at treating their symptoms. Patients reported no significant differences between chemovars, most of which were dominant in THC and low in CBD content. The most commonly reported side effects were dry mouth, increased appetite, and somnolence.

“Patients self-reported very good efficacy and tolerability [to] medical cannabis,” the study’s authors concluded.

Pharmaceutical-grade cannabis flower in Europe, Israel, and elsewhere typically contain THC levels of 20 percent or greater.

The study’s findings push back against claims that cannabis strains higher in THC pose unique risks to health or that there is an absence of research supporting the efficacy of medical cannabis chemovars above 10 percent THC.

Full text of the study, “Medical use of different cannabis strains: results from a large prospective study in Germany,” appears in Pharmacopsychiatry.

Slovenia Cannabis Referendum Votes Set For June 9th

Written by Johnny Green on May 6, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Slovenia’s Freedom Movement, the largest party of the current ruling coalition, was successful in its push to place consulting referendums related to medical and non-medical cannabis use before Slovenian voters. Slovenia’s voters will decide on a medical cannabis referendum question and a “cultivation and possession of cannabis for limited personal use” question on June 9th.

The referendum questions were approved by Slovenia’s National Assembly on April 25th and voting on them will occur alongside the vote for the European Parliament. Opponents of the referendum sought to delay the votes until November, however, the push to delay the vote was unsuccessful.

According to initial domestic reporting by The Slovenia Times, the cannabis referendum questions evolved during the parliamentary process, “from the initial proposal to inquire about support for the cultivation, processing, sale and use of cannabis for medicinal purposes” to two separate questions.

“The question was changed after the parliamentary legal service reminded the initiators that the sale and use of cannabis for medicinal purposes is allowed already, but not the cultivation.” The Slovenia Times reported in its coverage.

It is worth noting that the referendum questions are not legally binding, and even if the votes are successful, it’s possible that Slovenia’s governing coalition will not adopt them. However, approval of one or both referendum questions would place considerable political pressure on Slovenia’s lawmakers to respect the will of its constituents.

Per an analysis conducted by Marihuana Marš, Študentska Organizacija Univerze v Ljubljani and published in November 2023, Slovenia is home to over 200,000 cannabis consumers. The same researchers determined that roughly 2,000 criminal offenses involving cannabis occur every year in Slovenia.

Slovenia’s recent cannabis referendum vote approval comes amidst a renewed push by local cannabis advocates to work with lawmakers to modernize Slovenia’s cannabis policies. Slovenia is already an international research and development hub for several industries, including the pharmaceutical industry, and local advocates believe that the same could be true for the emerging global cannabis industry.

“Slovenia has a research and development sector framework in place that few other countries have,” stated Alex Rogers, CEO of the International Cannabis Business Conference and co-founder of the Talman Group. “Slovenia’s research facilities, academic institutions, and product development experts are unrivaled, making Slovenia the perfect place for international cannabis entities to conduct their research and development. It’s a matter of modernizing the nation’s policies and regulations to permit such activity for the legal international cannabis industry.”

Medical cannabis is currently permitted in Slovenia, although domestic production is not allowed, as previously noted in coverage by The Slovenia Times. Still, despite Slovenia’s current limited medical cannabis policies, the use of medical cannabis in Slovenia is already proving to be successful in some cases.

“For the past ten years, we have been treating more than 300 children and adolescents with resistant epilepsies/encephalopathies with add-on cannabidiol and medicinal cannabis with great success, as nearly half of them are seizure-free and the rest reduced the number and severity of their seizures thus improving the quality of life of these patients and their families,” stated Dr. David Neubauer who works at the Department of Child, Adolescent and Developmental Neurology at the University of Ljubljana.

The referendum votes in Slovenia come at a time when many nations in Europe are working to reform their cannabis policies and regulations, with the most noteworthy example being in Germany where a new adult-use cannabis legalization measure took effect on April 1st, 2024.

As of April 1st, adults in Germany can cultivate up to three plants in their private residences and possess up to 25 grams of cannabis while away from their homes. Noncommercial cannabis clubs are expected to launch in Germany in July, and eventually, the nation will also be home to regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot projects.

Regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot projects are already in operation in Switzerland and the Netherlands, and cannabis cultivation, possession, and consumption are currently legal in Malta and Luxembourg. Only time will tell if the same eventually proves to be true for consumers in Slovenia.