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New Greens Proposal Would Legalize Home Cultivation In Australia

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Business.

In the fall of 2019, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) became the first jurisdiction in Australia to legalize cannabis for adult use. The ACT measure permitted adults 18 years old or older within its jurisdiction to possess up to 50 grams of cannabis and cultivate up to two plants. The measure did not legalize cannabis sales.

The new public policy obviously did not extend to the entire nation, however, it was still a revolutionary measure in many ways. For adults that live in the ACT, the newly established freedoms were surely welcomed and many people are undoubtedly benefitting from them.

At least one political party in Australia is seeking to make cannabis legal for adult use nationwide, and with a home cultivation provision that is significantly greater than what is already in place in the ACT. Per Crikey:

Cannabis would be available to be bought and smoked at Amsterdam-style cafés or grown at home under a legalisation bill written by the Greens.

Adults would be allowed to grow up to six plants at home for private consumption, and there would be no upper weight limit for possession, according to the bill drafted by Senator David Shoebridge.

According to a poll conducted in May 2022, 55% of Australians support regulating cannabis like alcohol. Australia‘s Parliamentary Budget Office released a report earlier this year which estimated that legalizing cannabis for adult use and launching national adult-use sales would generate A$28 billion in tax revenue in the first decade.

Medical cannabis was legalized nationwide in Australia in 2016, however, suffering patients can only legally obtain medical cannabis products via a prescription from a licensed doctor. Home cultivation is prohibited, even for licensed patients, and the type of medical cannabis products available in Australia is limited.

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Ispire Technology Inc. Announces Closing Of Initial Public Offering

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business.

One of my favorite cannabis technology companies is Ispire, which makes cannabis consumption devices such as the DAAB. The company’s stock recently began trading on the NASDAQ Capital Market. Below is more information about it via a press release from GlobeNewswire:

Ispire Technology Inc. (“Ispire” or “the Company”) (NASDAQ: ISPR), a leader for vapor technology, providing high-quality, innovative products with first-class performance, today announced the closing of its initial public offering of 2,700,000 shares of common stock at the initial public offering price of $7.00 per share. Gross proceeds from the offering were approximately $18.9 million, before underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses. The common stock began trading on the NASDAQ Capital Market on April 4, 2023.

US Tiger Securities, Inc. acted as sole book-running manager for the Offering. TFI Securities and Futures Limited and Prime Number Capital, LLC acted as underwriters for the offering.

In addition, 1,750,000 shares of common stock may be offered by two selling stockholders pursuant to the prospectus. These shares may be sold from time to time by the selling stockholders, who have not engaged any underwriter in connection any sales they may make. The Company will not receive any proceeds from sales by the selling stockholders.

The offering was made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the final prospectus related to the offering may be obtained from the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) at www.sec.gov, or by contacting US Tiger Securities, Inc., 437 Madison Avenue, 27th Floor, New York, New York 10022; email: IB@ustigersecurities.com.

A registration statement relating to these securities being sold in the initial public offering was declared effective by the SEC on April 3, 2023. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Ispire Technology Inc.

Ispire is engaged in the R&D, design, commercialization, sales, marketing and distribution of branded e-cigarettes and cannabis vaping products. The Company has or licenses from a related party more than 200 invention/design patents received or filed globally. Ispire’s tobacco products are marketed under the Aspire brand name and are sold worldwide (except in the PRC and Russia) primarily through our distribution network. Ispire’s cannabis products are marketed under the Ispire brand name primarily on an original design manufacturer (ODM) basis to other cannabis vapor companies. Ispire currently sells its cannabis vaping hardware only in the United States, and it recently commenced marketing activities in Canada and Europe, primarily in the European Union.

Please visit www.ispiretechnology.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, Pinterest, and YouTube. Any information contained on, or that can be accessed through, the Company’s website, any other website or any social media, is not a part of this press release or the prospectus.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release and the prospectus contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements. You can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “likely to” or other similar expressions. The Company has based these forward-looking statements largely on its current expectations about future events and financial trends that it believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risks and uncertainties described in “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements;” “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis for Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the documents that referred to in the prospectus with the understanding that the Company’s future results may be materially different from and worse than what we expect. Other sections of the prospectus include additional factors which could adversely impact our business and financial performance. Moreover, the Company operates in an evolving environment. New risk factors and uncertainties emerge from time to time and it is not possible for the Company‘s our management to predict all risk factors and uncertainties, nor can the Company assess the impact of all factors on its business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. The Company and the Underwriters qualify all of the forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.

The prospectus contains certain data and information obtained from various government and private publications. Statistical data in these publications also include projections based on a number of assumptions. The e-vapor industry may not grow at the rate projected by market data, or at all. Failure of this market to grow at the projected rate may have a material and adverse effect on the Company’s business and the market price of the shares of common stock. In addition, the rapidly evolving nature of this industry results in significant uncertainties for any projections or estimates relating to the growth prospects or future condition of the market. Furthermore, if any one or more of the assumptions underlying the market data are later found to be incorrect, actual results may differ from the projections based on these assumptions. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The forward-looking statements made in the prospectus relate only to events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in the prospectus. Neither the Company nor the Underwriters undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events except as required by law. You should read the prospectus and the documents that we refer to in the prospectus and have filed as exhibits to the registration statement, of which the prospectus is a part, completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect.

Investor Relations Contact:
Raphael Gross
203.682.8253
ir@ispiretechnology.com

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Why Is Mexico’s President Criticizing The NBA’s New Cannabis Policy?

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business, Entertainment, Policy.

Earlier this month the National Basketball Player’s Association, which represents National Basketball Association (NBA) players, announced that it had reached a tentative agreement with the league.

“The NBA and National Basketball Players Association have reached a tentative agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, pending ratification by players and team governors. Specific details will be made available once a term sheet is finalized.”

The NBA is, of course, the world’s most popular basketball league and has historically prohibited cannabis and penalized its players both for cannabis use as well as when players were subjected to criminal justice cannabis prohibition away from their teams. With that in mind, the tweet below from a top NBA analyst is very significant:

As Shams noted in his tweet, the NBA had already suspended cannabis testing for multiple seasons, starting with the ‘bubble’ that ended the 2020 pandemic-plagued season. It appears that once the collective bargaining agreement between the players and the league becomes official, cannabis prohibition as it pertains to player use will finally end.

For many people, myself included, the end of cannabis use prohibition in the NBA is welcomed news (albeit long overdue). However, one notable exception to the joy is Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador who fired off the following tweets in response to the NBA’s announcement, in addition to airing other grievances about the U.S.:

The first tweet auto-translates to, “They threaten to invade, they sell high-powered weapons in their street markets, they do nothing for their young people, they suffer —unfortunately— from the terrible and deadly fentanyl pandemic, but they do not address the causes. They are not concerned with well-being, only money, nor do they strengthen moral, cultural and spiritual values; Nor do they limit drug use, on the contrary, they encourage it even in sports. It’s sad and decadent.”

The second tweet auto-translates to, “Thats what I refer. It is contradictory and hypocritical:” followed by a link from Mexican media outlet El Universal, which reported that the NBA will allow the use of cannabis by its players.

There are two grievances aired by Mexico’s President in his tweets that I feel compelled to air my own grievances about, being that both of the points made by Mexico’s President are ignorant and born out of reefer madness prohibitionist strategies.

The first is that cannabis use is ‘encouraged in the NBA’ via the reported new collective bargaining agreement. At no point in time has the player’s union, the NBA, or the United States government encouraged NBA players to use cannabis. Rather, the players have argued that the league’s prohibition on cannabis use is harmful and that it serves no purpose in the NBA.

On the NBA side of the equation, league officials have tried very hard to maintain the status quo and keep cannabis prohibition in place for decades. I know this to be true because I advocated alongside 18-year NBA veteran Clifford Robinson who did everything he could to right the wrongs that he was subjected to by the NBA, and any and all inquiries we pursued with the league between 2016 and Clifford’s untimely passing in 2020 were either ignored or met with stoner jokes.

My experience lobbying the NBA to get on the ride side of history in tandem with Clifford Robinson is anecdotal to be sure, however, there is zero evidence that NBA leadership has ever ‘encouraged’ cannabis use by players, and there’s a mountain of evidence backing up the opposite. The NBA is not encouraging its players to consume cannabis, rather, the NBA is agreeing to allow its players to consume a plant that is 114 times safer than alcohol – a plant that is now legal in a growing list of states and the entire nation of Canada.

The second point made by Mexico’s President that I take direct issue with is his selective pearl-clutching when it comes to the fentanyl crisis. The fentanyl crisis is definitely serious, which is why it is a huge disservice for Mexico’s President to try to shame the cannabis plant given that a laundry list of peer-reviewed studies have found that cannabis can be an effective substitute for opioids.

Cannabis reform quite literally helps reduce opioid use by allowing people to use a far-less harmful substance, and studies have demonstrated that people will do so when given the legal opportunity. Cannabis is an effective pain management tool, and anyone that claims otherwise is likely profiting off of the opioid industry in some way.

If Mexico’s President truly cared about addressing the fentanyl issue then he would be encouraging governments, sports leagues, and other powerful entities to embrace the cannabis plant rather than demonize it. Yet, that is clearly not President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s goal. His goal is to apparently push reefer madness talking points on Twitter, and that is truly unfortunate.

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Germany Expected To Introduce Long-Awaited Legalization Measure In Two Weeks

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

During a live stream episode of ‘4:20-Cannatalk!’ featuring German governing coalition members and drug policy spokespersons of the Social Democratic Party Dirk Heidenblut (SPD) and Carmen Wegge (SPD) on Instagram (April 3, 2023, at 8 p.m. CET), the lawmakers announced that a long-awaited adult-use legalization measure would be formally introduced ‘in two weeks.’

“It would be nice if the draft law would be presented on 20.4.2023.” said Carmen Wegge during the live stream (translated from German to English).

The measure will reportedly involve a two-faceted approach to adult-use legalization in Germany, with the first phase involving home cultivation, ‘noncommercial’ cannabis clubs, and the suspension of cannabis prohibition enforcement as it pertains to personal use, possession, and cultivation.

“The first part of the reform measure could come into force before the summer break of the Bundestag, as Wegge and Heidenblut are speculating. This would be an urgently needed relief for millions of consumers. What this 2-phase approach means for the commercial route and the numerous companies preparing for a free market model, remains to be seen,” said Kai Friedrich Niermann of law firm KFN+.

Nationwide adult-use sales, which is what many German lawmakers were pushing for, will have to wait until the second phase of the legalization effort can be pursued.

“For reasons of European law, comprehensive legalization is obviously not feasible in the short term. We are therefore supporting Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach and the Federal Government with practicable ones Steps towards legalization. From our point of view, these can be model projects, decriminalization and self-cultivation.” SPD leadership previously stated according to initial reporting by Legal Tribune Online.

The announcement of the pending formal introduction of the legalization measure comes after several months of Germany’s Health Minister Karl Lauterbach lobbying the European Union for permission to proceed.

The premise of Minister Lauterbach’s argument to the European Union is that Germany’s public health outcomes would be better if people were consuming regulated products versus unregulated products.

Many cannabis advocates inside and outside of Germany were hopeful that the European Union would sign off on the launch of a regulated national industry in Germany, however, it appears that will have to wait.

Despite having to wait longer for national sales, the significance of the first facet of Germany’s reported legalization measure cannot be overstated. Cannabis prohibition is a failed public policy in Germany, and its time that the nation took a more sensible approach.

According to a 2021 report from Heinrich Heine University Dusseldorf, “legalization leads to significant savings in criminal prosecution.” The report’s authors stated that Germany would save 1.05 billion euros annually by no longer enforcing cannabis prohibition, in addition to judiciary savings of 313 million euros per year.

“Banning cannabis is harmful and expensive, billions are wasted on pointless police operations. The money would be used much more effectively for education, prevention and help. It’s time for legalization!” said DHV Managing Director Georg Wurth at the time of the report’s publishing.

Cannabis commerce involving adult-use sales will not be entirely prohibited under the reported first phase of German legalization. Local pilot programs are expected to launch, like what is underway in Switzerland, albeit presumably on a much larger scale.

“This is the biggest cannabis news of the decade. Within 3 years, Germany will have the biggest federally regulated cannabis market in the world,” said Alex Rogers, founder, and CEO of the International Cannabis Business Conference.

When national sales eventually launch, Heinrich Heine University Dusseldorf estimates that 27,000 jobs will be created and that the total revenue generation to Germany’s public coffers will be roughly 4.7 billion euros per year.

The first facet of the reported pending legalization measure will involve a possession limit that may be as much as 50 grams per adult. The plant limit for home cultivation will likely end up being between 3-5 plants per adult household.

Gifting cannabis between adults will likely also be permitted according to the reported measure, with the legal age being set at 18 years old.

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Cannabis Legalization Clears Another Political Hurdle In Colombia

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

Colombia has served as ground zero for the Drug War in many ways over the course of multiple decades, largely due to the nation’s cocaine production. It is obviously no secret that Colombia has served as the world’s top source of cocaine for many years, with the United States being a particularly popular destination for the illegal substance.

The Drug War in Colombia has made things harder for the nation’s emerging legal cannabis industry for various reasons, not the least of which is the stigma that comes with trying to legalize a historically banned substance in a nation like Colombia, even though cannabis is obviously not cocaine.

Fortunately, a group of lawmakers in Colombia seems to be set on passing an adult-use legalization measure, and the legalization effort in Colombia is overcoming political hurdles as a result. The latest one occurred a handful of days ago, as initially reported by Marijuana Moment:

A bill to legalize marijuana in Colombia cleared another key hurdle on its path to enactment on Tuesday, advancing through a Chamber of Representatives committee that brings it more than halfway through the legislative process.

The legislation, which the Chamber and Senate reconciled to be identical in December after previously clearing each full body in differing forms, needs to go through eight total stops in the Colombian Congress over two consecutive years. Tuesday’s 26-6 vote by the First Committee of the Chamber marks the fifth stop, sending it to the floor for consideration before returning to the Senate for final votes.

The results of a poll released in September, conducted by Jaime Arteaga y Asociados in Colombia, found that:

  • 91% of survey participants that have used cannabis-based products would recommend it to other people
  • 37% of survey participants have frequented a store where medical and/or cosmetic cannabis products are sold
  • 63% of Colombians believe that ‘sales taxes on cannabis products would improve social investment’

The survey results provided a lot of insight into not only the level of support for Colombia’s emerging cannabis industry but also insight into consumer trends. For instance, the survey found that nearly half of the survey participants (46%) that reported consuming cannabis reported using it in topical form.

If/when Colombia legalizes cannabis for adult use, it’s likely that the types of cannabis products that people use will expand significantly as entrepreneurs work to supply the evolving demand.

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New Details Of German Health Minister’s Cannabis Legalization Plan Surface

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Policy.

The adult-use legalization saga in Germany experienced new twists and turns this week, with reports surfacing that provide new details about Health Minister Karl Lauterbach’s pending legalization plan. In October 2022, German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach presented a long-awaited legalization plan to the federal cabinet. After the presentation, Minister Lauterbach started lobbying the European Union for its permission to proceed with a national legalization plan.

Since the 2021 federal election, the eyes of the international cannabis community have remained largely focused on Germany to monitor any developments coming out of the country, which is home to Europe’s largest economy. Legalization has yet to become a reality in Germany, however, the legalization process has experienced no shortage of metaphorical fireworks, including the most recent developments that made headlines at the end of this week.

Scaled Back Legalization?

Towards the end of December 2022, certain lawmakers in Germany were seemingly already growing tired of the legalization process’ pace, as demonstrated by the blocking of funding to Germany’s Health Ministry due to perceived delays in a measure being formally introduced. Even prior to Minister Lauterbach’s presentation in October 2022 to the federal cabinet, a version of a legalization plan was leaked to the media. The legalization plan was perceived as being too restrictive, generated considerable public outcry at the time, and ultimately resulted in a less-restrictive plan being presented to the federal cabinet mere days after the leak initially occurred.

Much like a political pinball, Minister Lauterbach has bounced between the European Union and the Bundestag since October, with his legalization plan seeming to evolve on a somewhat rolling basis. In January 2023, Minister Lauterbach indicated publicly that he was ‘certain’ that the European Union would grant its approval and that a formal introduction of a legalization measure would occur ‘in the first quarter of this year.’ Minister Lauterbach added at the time according to the report, that he had ‘no reason to doubt this schedule.’ As anyone with access to a calendar will quickly notice, the first quarter of 2023 has passed, and yet, there is still no legalization measure introduced.

Instead, what surfaced at the end of the first quarter of 2023 were comments made by Minister Lauterbach which suggest that his legalization plan has regressed after talking to the European Union. According to domestic reports, the current plan does not involve national sales, but rather, pilot programs akin to what is going on in Switzerland. The pilot phase for legalization is reportedly planned for a four-year period. The two bright spots of Minster Lauterbach’s recent comments involve home cultivation and private cannabis clubs, which apparently don’t require European Union approval. Although, neither of those components is exactly shocking given that Malta has already passed a measure that included both components.

Domestic Political Checks And Balances

Until an adult-use legalization measure is formally introduced in Germany, the world will ultimately not know what legalization components will be involved. The desires of the European Union will have to be weighed against the demands of the current governing coalition in Germany, which as previously mentioned, has members that will presumably not accept a limited legalization model. Furthermore, some of them will not tolerate additional delays in a measure being formally introduced.

Obviously, Minister Lauterbach cannot please all stakeholders when it comes to a legalization measure, and his ultimate bosses are located in his home country. I am still of the opinion that there will be one or more leaks to the media in the coming weeks to further build domestic political pressure around Minister Lauterbach, urging him to disregard some concessions being reportedly demanded by the European Union. It certainly feels like a showdown is brewing in my opinion.

Domestic coverage indicates that a commissioned expert opinion report ordered by the German Federal Ministry of Health is not expected to be ready until the end of April. It’s quite possible that a formal introduction of a legalization measure may not occur until well after that particular report is finalized. After all, the expert opinion report is just one of the facets involved with the push to legalize cannabis in Germany. All the international cannabis community can do in the meantime is wait, and for those that live within Germany’s borders to keep the pressure on Minister Lauterbach and continue to urge him to step up and introduce a legalization measure that is meaningful and truly reflective of what German voters want.

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West Australian Parliamentary Report Recommends Cannabis Reform

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

Australia is one of the many countries where medical cannabis is technically legal, although, it’s also one of the many countries home to a restrictive medical cannabis program, which is unfortunate for suffering patients that live in Australia.

Medical cannabis was legalized nationwide in Australia in 2016, however, suffering patients can only legally obtain medical cannabis products via a prescription from a licensed doctor. Home cultivation is prohibited, even for licensed patients, and the type of medical cannabis products available in Australia is limited.

To make matters worse, intoxicated driving laws in Australia are such that most medical cannabis patients cannot legally operate a motor vehicle when completely sober due to having THC in their system. A new parliamentary report is recommending an overhaul of such cannabis policies. Per ABC News:

A West Australian parliamentary report has recommended the elimination of barriers to accessing medicinal cannabis, including letting people with a prescription drive a car while the drug is in their system.

The Select Committee on Cannabis and Hemp has made 16 recommendations to the state government, ranging from changing drug driving laws to doubling the amount doctors are allowed to prescribe to patients.

Legalise Cannabis Party member and committee chair Brain Walker said change was overdue and that WA Premier Mark McGowan should take action.

What Australia really needs to do is to legalize cannabis for adult use and launch regulated national sales, which is the only way to truly ensure safe access to cannabis for all adults that need it. According to a poll conducted in May 2022, 55% of Australians support regulating cannabis like alcohol.

Australia‘s Parliamentary Budget Office released a report earlier this year which estimated that legalizing cannabis for adult use and launching national adult-use sales would generate A$28 billion in tax revenue in the first decade.

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Iran Study Finds That CBD/THC Combination Controls Blood Sugar

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

Type 2 diabetes is a health condition involving a problem with the way the human body regulates and uses sugar/glucose as fuel. Type 2 diabetes differs from type 1 diabetes in that the latter is a genetic condition that is typically detected early in life, whereas the former is considered to be a lifestyle-related condition that develops over time.

As of 2020, it was estimated that over ‘462 million individuals are affected by type 2 diabetes, corresponding to 6.28% of the world’s population.’ Common treatments and strategies for combating type 2 diabetes include eating healthier, exercising, losing weight, insulin therapy, and blood sugar monitoring.

Researchers in Iran recently conducted a study involving a sublingual spray containing CBD and THC to see if it helped patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Below is more information about the study via a news release from NORML:

Tehran, Iran: Diabetic patients administered a sublingual spray containing CBD and THC show improvements in their blood sugar and cholesterol levels, according to placebo-controlled data published in the Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research.

A team of Iranian investigators evaluated the efficacy of a proprietary formulation of plant-derived CBD/THC compared to placebo in a cohort of 50 patients with type 2 diabetes. Patients utilized the spray twice daily for eight weeks. The sublingual formulation contained a ten-to-one ratio of CBD to THC.

Compared to placebo, cannabinoid therapy was associated with a “statistically significant decline in total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, FBS [fasting blood glucose levels], Hb [hemoglobin] A1C, and insulin secretion … at the end of the 8-week treatment period. … [T]here were no statistically significant differences in reported adverse effects between the two groups.”

Researchers concluded: “In the present study, we demonstrated that sublingual administration of [a CBD/THC] spray, … twice daily through an eight-week treatment period could effectively improve the patient’s lipid profile and glucose tolerance. … Based on these observations, the combination of CBD/Δ9-THC regimen could be a new therapeutic regimen for controlling the lipid profile and glycemic state of DM [type 2 diabetic] patients.”

Clinical trial data has previously shown that the administration of the cannabinoid THCV (tetrahydrocannabivarin) decreases fasting glucose levels in type 2 diabetics.

Population-based studies have reported that cannabis consumers typically possess lower BMI and other favorable indices related to diabetic control. Observational studies have also shown that the past use of cannabis is significantly associated with lower odds of diabetes in adults.

Full text of the study, “A phase I randomized, placebo-controlled study on efficacy and safety profile of a sublingually administered cannabidiol/delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (10: 1) regimen in diabetes Type 2 patients,” appears in the Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research. Additional information on cannabinoids and diabetes is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.

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The Best Way To Address Concerns About The Smell Of Cannabis Is To License Clubs

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Policy.

When people complain about ‘the smell of cannabis’ they are usually talking about the smell that is created by burning cannabis. I suppose that in some instances people are complaining about the smell of actual cannabis plants being cultivated, however, it seems like that is far less prevalent.

The smell of cannabis smoke as a nuisance is being pointed to seemingly more often these days, with a recent high-profile example of that coming via comments made by British politician Keir Starmer, captured in a tweet below:

Starmer went on to explain that, “There’s a family in my constituency – every night cannabis smoke creeps in from the street outside into their children’s bedroom – aged four and six. That’s not low level – it’s ruining their lives.”

In response to Starmer’s comments, YouGov conducted a poll asking how many Britons can recognize the smell of cannabis. Below are the poll’s results:

While the YouGov poll may seem a bit silly to some people, the issue of public cannabis use and reported nuisances related to odor and smoke is serious and worthy of a rational discussion. The issue could be directly addressed by governments allowing private cannabis clubs to operate.

Many cannabis consumers and patients consume in public settings because they do not have any other place to do it. If they are travelers, most hotels and other tourist lodging do not allow smoking indoors. The same is true of many residential structures.

But unlike tobacco cigarettes, the consumption of which is accommodated in many public spaces in various ways, cannabis consumers are left to figure out their consumption settings on their own, which typically ends up being sidewalks, alleys, and the sides of buildings.

By affording consumers and patients private settings in which to consume cannabis, such as at clubs or in designated outdoor smoking spaces at other venues, nuisances related to the smell of cannabis and smoke will likely subside. They will never go away entirely, just as the smell and smoke from tobacco consumption have never been 100% eliminated, but there will obviously be a significant reduction.

Furthermore, the spread of the legal cannabis industry will yield many smokeless options for cannabis consumers and patients, and that will help too. Ironically, many of the same people complaining about odors and smoke from cannabis use also seem to oppose the spread of the cannabis industry, and from that standpoint, they are their own worst enemy, which is unfortunate.

If lawmakers truly care about mitigating any nuisances related to cannabis, then they should logically support public policy solutions that directly address their concerns. That obviously includes permitting social cannabis use in some meaningful way.