Skip to main content
cannabis flower cannabis flower

Czech Government’s Economic Council Recommends Regulating Cannabis Sales

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Policy.

In October 2022, German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach held a press conference and announced details of his legalization measure. The announcement came after many months of discussions between Minister Lauterbach and the European Union.

Not long after Minister Lauterbach’s announcement, the Czech Republic’s anti-drug coordinator Jindřich Vobořil announced his intent to have his country follow in Germany’s cannabis policy modernization footsteps. Per Radio Prague International at the time:

If national anti-drug coordinator Jindřich Vobořil’s proposed plan comes into effect in 2024 as he hopes, Czechia could become the second EU country to legalise the recreational use of cannabis. And not only that – it would even go a step further, also making its sale legal. The anti-drug coordinator presented his plan for combatting addiction – which includes the proposal to legalise cannabis – at a press conference this week.

“At the moment, there is a political consensus for me to create this proposal for the regulation of cannabis, a substance which is illegal at the moment. We want to regulate it with the help of the market and we believe that this regulation will be more effective than the current ban.”

The comments made by Jindřich Vobořil followed a Facebook page post in which he stated, “Germany and the Czech Republic go to a regulated market at the same time.”

As time went on, details would emerge regarding the legalization model that the Czech Republic would pursue, which is expected to differ in some aspects compared to what is being proposed in Germany.

In April of last year, officials in the Czech Republic announced an intent to legalize the possession of 5 grams of cannabis, which customers would be able to purchase from regulated outlets after signing up for a government database.

Legalization has yet to happen in the Czech Republic, however, the Czech government’s Economic Council recently recommended regulating adult-use cannabis sales, which demonstrates that the country is still pursuing such reform. Per BRNO Daily:

The Czech government’s National Economic Council (NERV) has again recommended the introduction of a legal regulated cannabis market in the Czech Republic, within its proposal of 37 measures to boost economic growth in the country, released on Tuesday.

“Criminal rates and sentencing principles should be adjusted. In the area of drug policy, a legal regulated cannabis market should be introduced,” NERV stated.

The council said a repressive approach to drugs is a burden on the budget and does not translate into reduced consumption or harm reduction.

A previous analysis from the nation’s Pirate Party determined that regulated cannabis sales could generate CZK 2 billion per year.

copenhagen denmark copenhagen denmark

Denmark Has Not Identified Any Major Safety Issues With Prescribed Cannabis

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

Denmark has conducted a medical cannabis pilot program since 2018 in which select doctors are permitted to prescribe medical cannabis products to suffering patients diagnosed with certain medical conditions.

It is not the same as medical programs in other countries that have adopted nationwide programs, such as what is found in Germany. What is found in Denmark is much more limited. However, it does provide safe access to medical cannabis for the program’s participants.

Switzerland is an example of a country that has taken a similar approach but for adult-use cannabis commerce. Germany’s proposed legalization model that Bundestag members are considering also includes regional adult-use cannabis pilot programs.

The goal of cannabis pilot programs is to gather research and data at a local level to help national lawmakers and regulators be better suited when crafting laws and rules at a larger level. Denmark recently published recent findings from its medical cannabis pilot program. Per Cannabis Health News:

Despite an increase in the number of prescriptions for cannabis products in 2021 and 2022, annual reports of adverse reactions decreased by half. The Danish Medicines Agency confirms that these reports did not reveal any safety concerns and that no batch-related side effects were identified during the period.

Denmark’s medical cannabis pilot program is expected to last until 2025. What happens at the end of the pilot program is up in the air right now, however, it would be logical that Denmark’s lawmakers would be able to implement a robust, nationwide medical cannabis program, relying on the pilot program’s research and data for guidance.

Medical cannabis legalization was once considered to be a ‘brand new’ area of public policy, however, with so many nations already having medical cannabis programs successfully in operation, Denmark passing such reform would not be considered to be as big of a leap as it would have been years ago.

South Korea Korean Market

South Korea Is Moving To Ban Cannabis References In Products And Brands

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

Legal cannabis products are more widely available now in many markets around the world than at any other time since the dawn of global cannabis prohibition. To be fair, not as many markets feature legal products that are high in THC content. However, consumers and patients have a lot more options now than in past decades.

Uruguay and Canada remain the only two countries where sales of high-THC products are permitted nationwide. Uruguay continues to limit legal product sales to residents of the South American nation, while Canada permits legal sales to anyone of legal age regardless of residency status.

Malta and Luxembourg are in separate categories, with Malta only permitting personal cannabis cultivation and noncommercial clubs from which to source legal cannabis, and Luxembourg’s legalization model only permits limited home cultivation.

Products containing little to no amounts of THC, yet containing other cannabinoids, can be found on every continent now. Sometimes those products are regulated, but a vast majority of the time the products are poorly regulated or not regulated at all.

CBD products are particularly popular among patients and consumers, even though they are often shrouded in mystery as far as where the ingredients were sourced from, who the company is that sells them, and several other consumer concerns. It has created a lot of confusion in many markets.

Some countries are working to provide more consistency by drafting sensible policies and regulations. Other countries are taking more extreme measures, with South Korea’s government being a prime example. South Korea is moving to ban all cannabis references in food products and other brands. Per The Korea Times:

Starting July, references to narcotics in food products and brand names will be prohibited so as to discourage people from making light of drugs and drug use.

Business owners who fail to comply may face the suspension of their business, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

The region in which South Korea is located is known for having some of the harshest cannabis policies on earth, with multiple nations in the region still issuing the death penalty for certain cannabis offenses.

Cannabis prohibition is a failed public policy that shows no evidence of working, and it is unfortunate that South Korea is choosing to go in the wrong direction with this latest cannabis policy move.

driving-driver-car-dui-road-duii-intoxicated

THC Levels Not Correlated With Changes In Driving Performance

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

Public policies related to driving under the influence as they pertain to cannabis is an extremely important topic. All cannabis consumers should want to keep roadways safe and treat driving while intoxicated by any substance as a very serious matter.

With that being said, just because someone consumes cannabis does not automatically mean that they are too impaired to drive. Also, just because someone has cannabis in their system it doesn’t mean that they are impaired, and for that matter, it doesn’t mean that the cannabis in the person’s system indicates that they consumed recently.

Cannabis can stay in a person’s system for a very long time, and due to how fast the body metabolizes cannabis, having cannabinoids in the system could mean that the person consumed cannabis just hours prior, or a month prior – there’s no scientific way to know for sure once cannabinoids have been metabolized.

Researchers in Canada recently examined THC levels in subjects’ blood and whether or not it correlated to changes in driving performance. Below is more information about the results of the study via a news release from NORML:

Toronto, Canada: The presence of THC in blood is not predictive of detriments in psychomotor performance, according to driving simulator data published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

Researchers affiliated with the University of Toronto assessed subjects’ simulated driving performance at baseline and then again 30 and 180 minutes after smoking cannabis. Participants were between the ages of 65 and 79 years old and smoked cannabis (mean THC potency: 19 percent) ad libitum prior to driving.

Subjects exhibited “small changes in SDLP [weaving]” 30 minutes after cannabis inhalation. Investigators described these changes as less pronounced than those associated with drivers with a BAC below 0.05 percent.

Consistent with the results of prior studies, participants decreased their speed after smoking and were more likely to self-assess their performance as “impaired.” Cannabis use did not impact participants’ reaction times.

Subjects’ simulated driving performance returned to baseline within three hours.

The study’s authors concluded: “The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association between cannabis and driving and blood THC levels in older adults. … There was no correlation between blood THC concentration and SDLP [standard deviation in lateral positioning] or MS [mean speed]. … The lack of correlation between driving and blood THC fits within emerging evidence that there is not a linear relationship between the two.”

That conclusion is consistent with numerous studies reporting that neither the detection of THC nor its metabolites in blood and/or other bodily fluids is predictive of impaired driving performance. As a result, NORML has long opposed the imposition of per se THC limits for motorists and has alternatively called for the expanded use of mobile performance technology like DRUID.

Full text of the study, “Cannabis and driving in older adults,” appears in JAMA Network Open. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Marijuana and Psychomotor Performance.’

Classroom

Cannabis Use Not Independently Linked To Poorer Educational Outcomes

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

One of the most serious areas of cannabis public policy pertains to youth consumption. Aside from limited instances of medical use, no responsible cannabis consumer ever advocates for youngsters to be able to consume cannabis.

Unfortunately, cannabis opponents have spread so much misinformation over the years, and in some cases outright lies, that it can seem impossible at times to have a constructive conversation about youth cannabis use and its potential impact.

As with all cannabis public policies, science and facts should lead the way. A recent study in Finland examined cannabis use in adolescents and its potential impact on educational outcomes. It helps provide important context for ongoing discussions. Below is more information about it via NORML:

Helsinki, Finland: The use of alcohol, but not cannabis, in adolescence is independently associated with poorer educational attainment, according to longitudinal data published in the journal BMC Public Health.

Finnish investigators assessed the relationship between the use of cannabis and alcohol by adolescents and lifetime educational attainment in a cohort of more than 6,500 subjects.

They reported that the frequent use of alcohol during adolescence was significantly associated with poorer lifetime educational attainment after controlling for confounders. By contrast, early-onset cannabis use was not a statistically significant risk factor after researchers controlled for other variables.

The study’s authors concluded: “In this large birth cohort study with a 17-year follow-up, younger age at first intoxication, higher frequency of alcohol intoxication, and high self-reported alcohol tolerance at age 15/16 years were associated with poorer educational outcomes by the age of 33 years. These adverse associations were evident regardless of a range of potential confounders, such as behavioral/emotional problems at age 7/8 years and parental education level. The association between adolescent lifetime cannabis use and educational attainment in adulthood was no longer statistically significant after adjusting for potential confounders including alcohol use. Our finding that inherent alcohol tolerance in adolescence was associated with subsequent educational attainment has not been previously reported.”

Full text of the study, “Adolescent alcohol and cannabis use in early adulthood educational attainment in the 1986 Finland birth cohort study,” appears in BMC Public Health.

germany flag

German Legalization Still On Track For April Start According To Health Minister

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Policy.

It is no secret that the current adult-use legalization effort in Germany has experienced some hurdles. Part of that is due to the legalization process itself, which involves various procedural steps in Germany, and part of that is due to continental and domestic politics.

However, despite all of the setbacks and delays, Germany’s Health Minister Karl Lauterbach still believes that legalization will be implemented in April, albeit with a vote occurring in February versus this month as previously expected.

In addition to making the comments about specific dates, Minister Lauterbach also weighed in on proposed consumption ban zone enforcement around schools and daycares, stating that it “is a decision with a sense of proportion” and that “not every individual violation can be punished.”

Minister Lauterbach seemed to indicate that enforcement will be circumstantial and stated “that’s the case with every law.”

He also reiterated the need to supplant the unregulated market in Germany, stating that “controlled distribution of cannabis is the right way to achieve this, combined with special protection for children and young people.”

If Minister Lauterbach is right about the April 1st implementation date, cannabis possession, cultivation, and consumption would be legalized for adults in Germany. Cannabis would also be removed from the nation’s Narcotics List.

Below is a video from International Cannabis Business Conference alumni journalist Micha Knodt that breaks down what consumers can expect, as well as some frequently asked questions (and answers) about the proposed law (the video is in German):

Czech Republic Flag

Czech Republic Doctors Prescribed 210 Kilograms Of Medical Cannabis In 2023

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

Medical doctors in the Czech Republic prescribed roughly 210 kilograms of medical cannabis products last year according to new data from the nation’s State Agency for Medicinal Cannabis. That is reportedly 43 times more medical cannabis compared to what was prescribed just five years ago.

Currently, six companies hold medical cannabis production licenses in the Czech Republic where medical cannabis prescriptions are covered by public health insurance. Germany is the only other European nation where public health insurance covers medical cannabis prescriptions.

Medical cannabis was first legalized in the Czech Republic in 2013, with the first patients receiving safe access to medical cannabis in 2014. The Czech Republic’s State Agency for Medicinal Cannabis has medical cannabis sales data publicly available going back to 2015.

Advocates in the Czech Republic are also pushing for adult-use legalization, in line with Germany’s legalization effort. Per BRNO Daily:

According to a study prepared by the Pirate Party, the state could raise between CZK 650 million and CZK 1.8 billion annually by legalising marijuana and taxing it. The Pirates also see savings in the prison and judicial systems if cannabis is legalised.

Other European countries, including Germany, are preparing similar legalisation plans.

An estimated 125,000 people use marijuana illegally in the Czech Republic.

In April 2023, when Germany’s adult-use legalization measure was formally introduced by German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, lawmakers in the Czech Republic made it clear that they would be pursuing legalization too.

Per Expats CZ, an online poll they conducted at the time regarding adult-use cannabis reform in the Czech Republic found that 92% of survey respondents answered ‘yes’ to the question, “Do you agree with the government’s plans to regulate the recreational cannabis market?”

Thailand Flag

Thailand Expected To Go Backwards On Cannabis Policy

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

In June 2022, Thailand reformed its cannabis policies to permit adult-use cannabis cultivation and possession in instances involving cannabis varieties low in THC. At the time it was hailed as an amazing achievement for the global cannabis reform movement, and it served as a particularly big deal in the region where Thailand is located.

It really seemed that Thailand’s government was fully invested in pursuing cannabis reform and making cannabis a national product. Every household in the entire country could sign up initially to legally cultivate low-THC cannabis plants. 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 Thailand’s 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.

By every measure, Thailand was trying to become an international cannabis powerhouse back in 2022. However, that was then, and big changes appear to be on the way, with Thailand expected to regress on its national approach to cannabis policy. Per Bangkok Post:

Smoking cannabis is likely to require a permit from a doctor, according to Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew, who says his new cannabis bill differs from a failed predecessor as it will be very clear on how to use the plant for medical treatment.

Dr Cholnan insisted that the bill preserves a key point that cannabis is to be used for medical treatment only, and any use for recreational purposes will not be allowed.

It’s unfortunate that Thailand’s government is pursuing this new approach to cannabis. Cannabis use is widespread in Thailand, particularly after such a big push by the government itself in 2022. It’s going to be impossible to eliminate recreational use in Thailand, just as it is in every other nation, and Thailand would be wise to improve on its current model rather than scrap it.

cannabis plant cannabis plant

German Patients Report Major Depression Improvements After Cannabis Use

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

International researchers estimate that as much as five percent of adults around the globe suffer from depression. Women are more likely to be diagnosed with depression compared to men, and a diagnosis can happen at any age.

Depressive disorder involves a depressed mood or loss of pleasure or interest in activities for long periods of time, including activities that a patient used to enjoy. Clinical depression, often referred to as major depressive disorder, is a severe form of depression.

Researchers in Germany recently conducted a study involving medical cannabis and patients suffering from major depressive disorder. The results of the study were favorable. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Essen, Germany: The use of medical cannabis products is associated with reduced levels of depression, according to data published in the journal Pharmacopsychiatry.

German investigators assessed medical cannabis use in a cohort of 59 outpatients suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD). (Plant cannabis and cannabinoid treatments, such as dronabinol, were legalized by prescription use in Germany in 2017; however, such products are typically only authorized when patients are unresponsive to traditional therapies.) Study participants used cannabis products for 18 weeks.

“Mean severity of depression decreased from 6.9 points at entry to 3.8 points at week 18,” they reported. “A treatment response (>50 percent reduction of the initial score) was seen in 50.8 percent [of study subjects] at week 18.”

The study’s authors concluded: “Medical cannabis was well-tolerated and [the] dropout rate was comparable to those in clinical trials of antidepressant medication. Patients reported a clinically significant reduction of depression severity. Further research on the effectiveness of medical cannabis for MDD seems warranted.”

The study’s findings are consistent with recently published data from the United Kingdom, which determined, “Medicinal cannabis was associated with improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms, as well as health-related quality of life, and sleep quality after 1, 3, and 6 months of treatment.”

Full text of the study, “Effectiveness of medical cannabis for the treatment of depression: A naturalistic outpatient study,” appears in Pharmacopsychiatry.