International Cannabis Business Conference Blog – Page 50 – International Cannabis Business Conference

Germany Imported A Record Amount Of Cannabis In 2023

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

Germany continues to serve as the largest legal medical cannabis market in Europe, and not just for domestically produced medical cannabis products. Germany reportedly imported a record amount of medical cannabis products from other countries in 2023.

In 2023, Germany imported 31,398 kilograms of medical cannabis products according to data from Germany’s Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), a 26.2% increase compared to last year’s medical cannabis imports.

In 2022 Germany imported 24,876 kilograms, compared to 20,771 kilograms in 2021, 11,746 kilograms in 2020, and 8,057 kilograms in 2019. Canada was the top source of imported medical cannabis in Germany followed by Portugal and the Netherlands. Roughly 50% of imported cannabis to Germany in 2023 originated in Canada compared to 40% the previous year.

Starting in 2017, Germany legalized the use of 14 different varieties of cannabis flower for patients with severe debilitating diseases and no other treatment options. The legal medical cannabis products have been distributed through German pharmacies ever since.

However, it wasn’t until 2019 that Germany allowed medical cannabis to be produced domestically, with the European nation’s medical cannabis industry initially relying solely on medical cannabis imports. Domestic production has ramped up since 2019, yet, medical cannabis imports have remained strong.

With the new German adult-use cannabis legalization law (CanG) taking effect on April 1, 2024, Germany’s medical cannabis industry is set to undergo a fairly substantial evolution going forward.

Three companies were chosen in 2019 to produce medical cannabis in Germany. The companies were capped at 10,400 kilograms of product production over the course of a four-year span. With the new CanG law taking effect, that quota system is going away. More companies can now apply to cultivate medical cannabis within Germany’s borders.

Furthermore, a major component of the new CanG law involves cannabis being removed from Germany’s Narcotics List, which will have a significant impact on patient access to medical cannabis. Germany’s medical cannabis program will no longer require a narcotic prescription form. The policy change will likely result in a dramatic increase in Germany’s legal medical cannabis base.

Japan’s Cannabis Market Expanded Sixfold Between 2019-2023

Written by Hazel Norman on April 22, 2024. Posted in Business, Policy.

Japan’s emerging cannabis industry expanded sixfold during four years spanning from 2019 to 2023 according to a new report by Euromonitor International. Japan’s emerging legal cannabis industry currently largely revolves around the buying and selling of CBD products.

In December 2023, Japan’s government lifted a long-time ban on cannabis-derived medications. The approved measure legalized imported, regulated cannabis-derived medical products in Japan.

One such cannabis-derived medication, Epidiolex, has been found to help people who suffer from severe epilepsy. A study conducted in 2019 found that “6.9 per 1000 individuals have epilepsy in the general Japanese population, and that the prevalence of epilepsy increases with age, probably because of elderly onset cerebrovascular diseases.”

The new report by Euromonitor International regarding Japan’s emerging cannabis industry was insightful. Per excerpts from The Japan Times:

Japan’s cannabis market expanded sixfold over four years to ¥24 billion ($154 million) in 2023, a trend that is expected to accelerate with the amendment in December of cannabis laws, market research firm Euromonitor International said in a recent report.

The growing sales of products using CBD (cannabidiol), a compound found in marijuana, are attributed to the rising demand for products that offer relaxation, sleep and stress relief, the firm said, estimating the current number of CBD users in Japan at 588,000.

“The year 2023 marked a pivotal moment for cannabis in Japan, signaling a potential turning point for the country’s CBD market. Recent legal reforms have opened doors for further CBD establishment and development, with the sector gaining attention as a high-growth industry. The increasing utilization of CBD across various sectors, including health, beauty, beverages, and edibles, is expected to reshape societal perceptions of CBD and cannabis.” Euromonitor stated about its new report.

Back in December, the same month that Japan’s government lifted its ban on cannabis-derived medications, the nation’s Health Ministry banned products containing one or more specific synthetic cannabinoids. Six synthetic cannabinoids total were listed in the new ban.

A March 2023 analysis by Comprehensive Research Report found that the global CBD market is projected to reach $59.43 billion by 2030. The researchers estimated that the global CBD market was worth $18.43 billion in 2022.

Germany Celebrates Its First Legal 4/20

Written by Johnny Green on April 22, 2024. Posted in Entertainment, Policy.

History was made over the weekend in Germany where adults celebrated the nation’s first-ever legal April 20th (4/20) on Saturday. For decades the 20th of April has held a special meaning to the global cannabis movement, and that includes Germany’s thriving cannabis community.

Speaking from firsthand experience in the State of Oregon where we legalized cannabis for adult use roughly a decade ago, there are three dates that longtime cannabis advocates will always remember for the rest of their lives.

The first date is when legalization is first approved. In the case of Oregon, it’s when voters first approved a cannabis legalization measure that was on the ballot in November 2014. For Germany, February 23rd, 2024 will forever live in infamy, as it is the date that members of Germany’s Bundestag first approved the CanG bill.

A second date that will forever live in the minds and hearts of Germany’s cannabis community is, of course, April 1st, 2024 – the date that personal cannabis cultivation, possession, and consumption officially became legal.

The third memorable date for cannabis consumers in legal jurisdictions is the first April 20th after legalization has become effective. Longtime cannabis consumers have presumably celebrated on April 20th every year, however, the annual cannabis holiday holds an extra special meaning when people can consume cannabis without fear of incarceration.

To be fair public cannabis use remains prohibited in Germany, although that didn’t stop thousands of cannabis enthusiasts from collectively consuming cannabis on Saturday in the shadows of the iconic Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Subsequent 4/20s in Germany will likely yield less public fanfare.

The first-ever legal 4/20 in Germany was made possible by the tireless work of dedicated cannabis advocates in Germany over the course of many decades. Everyone who contributed to Germany’s successful cannabis policy modernization efforts deserves massive kudos, and the International Cannabis Business Conference team salutes them and hopes that they enjoyed their first 4/20 in a post-legalized Germany.

With all of that being said, there is still a lot of work left to be done in Germany and at the European Union level. National adult-use sales are still prohibited in Germany due to European Union agreements, and advocates need to keep working hard until EU agreements are amended to permit robust adult-use commerce.

Additionally, inside of Germany’s borders cannabis advocates need to keep pushing back on the ongoing fearmongering from domestic opponents, and work to ensure that Germany’s implementation of the CanG law is fair and complete. Consumers and patients must be considered throughout the process, and regulations need to be reflective of the will of the people.

Clinging To Failed Prohibition Practices Is The Wrong Move For Hamburg

Written by Johnny Green on April 22, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Germany implemented the first components of its national adult-use cannabis legalization measure (CanG) on April 1, 2024. The historic policy change was widely celebrated inside and outside of Germany’s borders and ushered in a new era for European cannabis policy and industry.

As of the start of April, adults aged 18 and older can cultivate up to three plants in their private residence and possess up to 25 grams when away from their residence. It is also expected that in July Germany will start to permit noncommercial cannabis clubs to operate.

Unfortunately, not everyone was happy about Germany finally getting on the right side of history. Members of the CDU party are throwing what amounts to public tantrums as they continue to air grievances about Germany’s new national cannabis policies to seemingly anyone who will listen.

The latest example can be found via recent comments made by CDU leadership regarding Hamburg’s enforcement of cannabis fines. Per excerpts from original reporting by Legal Tribune Online:

The CDU in the citizenry is calling for a strict catalog of cannabis fines for Hamburg. The Hanseatic city should follow the example of Bavaria, where people aged 14 and over face fines of up to 1,000 euros for violations of the Cannabis Act (CanG) and twice as much in the event of a repeat offense, said parliamentary group leader Dennis Thering of the dpa .

Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) had announced a restrictive application of the CanG for Bavaria, causing astonishment among lawyers. This is what defense lawyer Konstantin Grubwinkler explained in an interview with zdf today, the amount of the planned fines for violations of the CanG are “disproportionate”, especially in comparison with other administrative offenses.

Konstantin Grubwinkler also explained in the Legal Tribune Online’s coverage that fines for speeding violations in Bavaria and Hamburg amount to about one-tenth of the proposed fine amount for possessing too much cannabis in Hamburg.

If history is any guide, enforcing cannabis prohibition policies on consumers, including fines, does not curtail cannabis consumption. Rather, all cannabis prohibition does is ruin lives and waste limited public resources in the process. Law enforcement officials in Hamburg should be focused on fighting real crime, and not clinging to failed cannabis prohibition practices.

Cannabis Decriminalization Measure Expected To Be Introduced In Jersey

Written by Hazel Norman on April 22, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Cannabis reform on the European continent is shaping up to look different than it does in the Western Hemisphere. In North and South America, cannabis legalization involves large-scale cannabis sales such as what is in place in Uruguay, Canada, and parts of the United States.

Cannabis is sold in pharmacies in Uruguay, and via just about every means imaginable in Canada and the United States, from brick-and-mortar storefronts to home delivery. Adult-use cannabis policies in Europe are more of a patchwork of individual exceptions, experimental pilot programs, and noncommercial cannabis clubs.

Germany, which implemented the first provisions of its adult-use measure on April 1st, will eventually incorporate most of Europe’s legalization components and serves as the best example of what legalization will likely look like in Europe in the coming years. Currently, adults in Germany can cultivate, possess, and consume cannabis. This July, noncommercial cannabis clubs are expected to launch.

Eventually, Germany will also permit regional adult-use cannabis legalization pilot programs, such as what is in place in a limited fashion in Switzerland and the Netherlands. Those various components of Germany’s legalization model combine to demonstrate the limits to legalization in Europe due to European Union agreements.

Jersey is the latest country to consider adult-use cannabis policy modernization efforts. A measure is expected to be introduced this year in Jersey that would update the country’s adult-use enforcement policies. Per IVT:

Deputy Tom Coles is drawing up a proposal that would see cannabis decriminalised for personal use on the island.

The rules around cannabis have already eased this year; repeat offenders in possession of small amounts can be sent to their parish hall to be fined rather than going through the courts.

But this latest move would mean that any personal use of small quantities would be decriminalised.

Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands between England and France, is an island nation and self-governing British Crown Dependency. Jersey’s economy currently revolves around finance center activities, with such activity accounting for nearly 40% of economic activity in Jersey and 70% of the island nation’s tax revenue.

Home to an emerging legal medical cannabis industry, according to Jersey’s Economic Development Minister medical cannabis will play a key role in the nation’s economy going forward.

Ancient Roman Artifact Suspected Of Containing Cannabis Seeds

Written by Frank Schuler on April 22, 2024. Posted in Science.

Humans have a long history with the cannabis plant going back thousands of years. For example, a study from 2023 found that “ancestral archaeological relics date the use of this plant fiber as a fabric to approximately 8000 years before the common era (BCE) as a material in ancient Mesopotamia (present-day Iran and Iraq), and to 4000 years BCE and 3000 years BCE as a material for ropes in China and Kazakhstan, respectively.”

A more recent example can be found at an excavation site in northeastern England. An excavation was being performed near an energy-generating facility between Saltholme Nature Reserve and the village of Cowpen Bewley in the district of Stockton-on-Tees, and archeologists discovered an artifact dating back to the Roman empire.

Britain’s Roman period lasted from A.D. 43 to A.D. 410. During that time, modern-day Britain was then the Roman province of Britannia and Britannia was part of the larger Roman empire that stretched across Europe and every corner of the Mediterranean region.

A Roman pot suspected of containing cannabis seeds was previously found in northeastern England and recently identified as possibly containing cannabis seeds. Per Yahoo News UK:

Two human burials had already been found – with teams prepared for even more or the possibility of a cemetery. But then came the discovery of a small Roman pot containing mystery burnt seeds. The beaker was immediatel. y sent to a laboratory for testing – and teams are now waiting to find out if the seeds could be positively identified as hemp.

It is thought that if the seeds found in the small jar at Saltholme are confirmed to be cannabis, then they might have been heated and the smoke inhaled, possibly as part of a Roman funeral ritual.

Cannabis use was common among humans 2,000 years ago, with the cultures surrounding the ancient Greeks and Romans using psychoactive cannabis in their medicine, religions, and recreational activities. Cannabis in many forms was traded throughout Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

The recent discovery in England serves as another reminder of the long history between humans and the cannabis plant. The cannabis plant is arguably the most versatile plant on earth, and it should have never been prohibited in the first place. Thankfully, many nations are modernizing their cannabis policies to permit humans to make legal use of the cannabis plant.

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How Do Chile’s Cannabis Policies Affect Onset Of Cannabis Use?

Written by Frank Schuler on April 22, 2024. Posted in Policy.

Cannabis opponents tout prohibition policies as being geared towards working to reduce cannabis use, particularly among young people. However, as usage data in every country that prohibits cannabis on Earth demonstrates, cannabis prohibition does not work.

Conversely, cannabis opponents will often offer up doomsday scenarios when cannabis policy reform is being proposed in a given jurisdiction. A growing body of research from jurisdictions that have changed cannabis policies demonstrates that doomsday scenarios do not materialize.

An example can be found in Chile where a team of international researchers affiliated with the following institutions examined Chile’s cannabis policies and reported onset use of cannabis:

Université de Sherbrooke, Canada
Universidad San Sebastián, Chile
Centre d’étude des mouvements sociaux, École des hautes études en sciences sociales, France

“In our paper, we focus on Chile where two policies (Laws 19366 and 20000) were introduced in 1995 and 2005 respectively to regulate and sanction cannabis use, possession, and trafficking. The question we address is how these policies are associated with onset of cannabis use.” the team of investigators stated about their research effort.

“In our analysis, we exploit information on the age of onset to model transitions to first cannabis use. We concentrate on individuals aged 12-21, as over 83% of those who initiate cannabis use in Chile fall within this age range (SENDA, 2019). We use data from 13 national representative and biannual cross-sectional surveys from 1994 to 2018 and administrative information on the number of effectively incarcerated individuals sanctioned by these two laws.” the researchers stated about their study’s methodology.

Cannabis reform has spread across the South American continent, most notably in Uruguay where lawmakers passed the world’s first-ever national adult-use cannabis legalization measure back in 2013. Chile has been slower than many of its continental counterparts to reform cannabis policies, with 2005 being the most recent significant policy change.

“Overall, changes in these laws did not affect the transition to first cannabis use. However, increases in the rate of individuals incarcerated were associated with decreases on the age of onset of cannabis use in females and individuals living in affluent neighborhoods or in specific regions.” the team of international researchers stated about their findings from the Chile study.

“We find no evidence of cannabis policy changes affecting the age of onset of cannabis use across all individuals aged 12-21. Policy effects associated with decreases in cannabis onset age in females and individuals from affluent neighborhoods or specific regions can be explained by using theoretical frames that recognize specific dynamics of cannabis supply and demand.” they concluded.

International Cannabis Leaders Meet In Berlin For First Time After Historic Vote

Written by Johnny Green on April 15, 2024. Posted in Business, Entertainment, Policy, Science.

Roughly two weeks ago the first provisions of Germany’s new adult-use cannabis legalization law took effect, with policy components related to personal cannabis cultivation, possession, and consumption by adults being implemented. Adults in Germany can now cultivate up to three plants in their private residences and possess up to 25 grams when away from their homes.

On the heels of the historic policy change, international cannabis leaders have converged this week in Berlin for the annual International Cannabis Business Conference B2B event, which is Europe’s largest and longest-running cannabis industry conference. The two-day conference is scheduled to take place in Berlin at the iconic Estrel Berlin Hotel from April 16th-17th.

The International Cannabis Business Conference, which also co-organized the Global Investment Forum with the Talman Group that took place today on the eve of the B2B event, is hosting the first major event anywhere in Europe after Germany’s legalization law took effect. Representatives from over 80 countries are expected to be in attendance.

Once again, European cannabis policy modernization efforts will be a large focus of the two-day conference. The topic has always been prominent in past International Cannabis Business Conference events in Berlin going back to 2017 when the first flagship conference was held in Berlin.

However, the cannabis policy landscape has obviously shifted across Europe now that Germany has legalized recreational cannabis for adults. In addition to cultivation, possession, and consumption, noncommercial cannabis clubs are expected to play a prominent role in Germany’s legalization model. Noncommercial cannabis clubs are expected to launch in July of this year.

Germany’s legalization law also removed cannabis from the nation’s Narcotics List, the significance of which cannot be overstated. Cannabis research is now easier to conduct in Germany as a result, and the supply chain for medical cannabis products will be streamlined as well. Germany’s legalization model is now the gold standard for Europe.

“This year’s International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin is going to be extra special for our team given the historical context. We are excited to offer world-class cannabis industry and policy education, networking, and entertainment to attendees at such a historic time for Germany and Europe’s emerging cannabis industry.” says Alex Rogers, founder of the International Cannabis Business Conference.

Given Germany’s prominence in European industry and politics, many other nations in Europe are reportedly considering cannabis policy modernization efforts of their own. Germany is now leading a growing coalition of emerging legal European cannabis markets, and nations would be wise to join the coalition and follow Germany’s lead.

Cannabis science and technology will also be prominently featured at the International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin this week. Leading experts from many scientific fields will be presenting at the two-day event.

You can find a full list of speakers for the International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin at this link here, and the full two-day schedule at this link here. For those who are unable to attend in person, you can follow along on social media via the conference’s Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn social media channels.

Morocco Unveils Logo For Legal Cannabis Products

Written by Hazel Norman on April 15, 2024. Posted in Business, Policy.

Last month Morocco’s Agence Nationale de Réglementation des Activités relatives au Cannabis (ANRAC) reported the nation’s first legal cannabis crop, which totaled a reported 294 metric tons. It was a major milestone for a nation that has long been associated with the cannabis trade, albeit the unregulated cannabis trade.

Historically, Morocco is one of the world’s largest sources of unregulated cannabis, with Moroccan cannabis being particularly popular in Europe. The first legal harvest reported last month is part of a new government program in Morocco that was launched to give cannabis farmers in the North African nation a path to join the regulated industry.

Morocco first adopted its current medical cannabis policy in 2021. The measure authorized the legal production of cannabis for medical, cosmetic, and industrial uses, as well as tasked a national agency to oversee the launch and operation of the industry.

In March 2022, Morocco’s government selected three provinces where medical cannabis would eventually be legally cultivated for domestic and export purposes. Roughly three months later, the nation’s national cannabis regulatory agency, ANRAC, met for the first time. In October 2022, Morocco issued its first cannabis production permits.

Now, the North African nation has announced that it has adopted an official logo for legal cannabis products created within its borders:

Many legal jurisdictions adopt an official symbol for cannabis products for various reasons, not the least of which is to alert people that the product contains cannabinoids. For Morocco, given its long history with the cannabis plant, the logo could eventually become more than just a symbol for legal cannabis products, but rather, a symbol for the nation’s entire emerging legal industry.

According to excerpts from initial reporting by Morocco World News, “The official gazette notice emphasized that the logo should be used as a label on all legalized cannabis products…It further emphasized that if the color used in the logo is not possible, the logo can be used in black and white.