Skip to main content
tourism travel traveler tourism travel traveler

Cannabis Tourism To Experience Exponential Growth

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business.

Cannabis tourism has existed for many years, although for the most part, it was a completely unregulated sector of the cannabis industry. That shouldn’t surprise anyone, being that the entire cannabis industry was unregulated for many years.

For decades cannabis enthusiasts have flocked to top international cannabis tourism destinations such as Jamaica, Thailand, Spain, and Amsterdam. It was no secret that people from around the globe could easily find world-class cannabis in those areas, and entrepreneurial-minded locals were always happy to provide their services.

The entire tourism sector, not just cannabis, has done its best to navigate the ongoing pandemic, however, it’s obviously been a rough couple of years. Fortunately, cannabis reform efforts and the industry it creates have kept moving forward despite the pandemic.

As the world continues to open back up with the pandemic finally subsiding, travelers that double as cannabis enthusiasts will be met with more cannabis tourism options than ever before.

Types Of Cannabis Tourism

Historically, cannabis tourism largely revolved around simply acquiring amazing cannabis in a faraway place. For people that lived in an illegal jurisdiction where cannabis was scarce, the mere option to acquire cannabis easily while on a trip was enough to entice the traveler to choose that specific destination.

These days there is more to cannabis tourism than just the products, although cannabis use itself remains at the heart of the sector. As I often point out to people, if you can think of something that tourists do without cannabis involved, there’s likely a similar option that incorporates cannabis somewhere.

Just as there are winery tours, there are now cannabis cultivation and facility tours. Spas and wellness retreats have been popular for many years, and now many resorts and facilities also offer cannabis-based services such as cannabis oil massages and soaks.

Cannabis clubs are obviously popular in places like Spain, and the ‘club model’ is starting to show up in other places where cannabis laws are being reformed. Malta became the first country to legalize cannabis for adult use in Europe late last year, and the country’s legalization model is going to largely revolve around cannabis clubs that will no doubt be very popular with tourists.

Have Fun, Be Entertained, And Get Educated

Our International Cannabis Business Conference events help bring cannabis tourism to the next level. A prime example of that was on display at our last event in Barcelona on March 10th. Barcelona is home to more cannabis clubs than any other part of Spain, and possibly the world.

In addition to tourists being able to consume world-class cannabis and frequent Barcelona’s cannabis clubs, attendees of our event were also able to learn from, and network with, top cannabis entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and industry service providers from dozens of countries around the globe.

The International Cannabis Business Conference B2B event in Barcelona earlier this month was part of the world’s largest cannabis superconference along with Spannabis. In addition to the conference speakers and panel sessions, our Barcelona event also featured one of our famous after-parties where conference attendees were able to unwind after a full day of learning from leading cannabis experts.

We have more events coming in 2022 in Berlin and Zurich, and both of those cities rapidly becoming top international cannabis tourism destinations, with new local cannabis tourism services being launched all of the time. As cannabis reform efforts continue to change laws across the globe, the cannabis tourism sector will continue to expand alongside it. That is good news for tourists, as well as entrepreneurs and investors that are able to create products and services that help enhance the cannabis tourism experience.

copenhagen denmark copenhagen denmark

Lawmakers In Denmark Seek To Expand Cannabis Pilot Program

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business, Politics.

Pilot programs seem to be a popular approach to cannabis legalization in Europe. For instance, Switzerland has a cannabis legalization pilot program in which cannabis is legal for adult use and commerce purposes in a handful of cities. The Netherlands has a similar program.

The goal of a cannabis legalization pilot program is to ‘ease’ a country into legalization by rolling things out in a limited fashion rather than legalizing nationwide all at once, such as how Canada implemented legalization. Public policy and health experts can then study what is happening at a local level and, in theory, be better suited to recommend nationwide policies.

A cannabis pilot program like the one described exists in Copenhagen, and if a coalition of lawmakers has its way, cannabis legalization pilot programs will be implemented in other parts of Denmark as well. Per Mugglehead:

Danish officials across five political parties have proposed a plan for an adult-use cannabis pilot similar to a program underway in its capital city.

Earlier this month, the proposal was presented in Danish Parliament instructing the government to start legislative work that will result in a bill that legalizes cannabis for five years.

According to submitted documentation, that bill will look like one put forth in Copenhagen with sales at state-controlled outlets, and it’s legal for citizens to buy, possess, grow and consume cannabis for personal use.

Other provisions of the pilot program reportedly include a way for jurisdictions in Denmark to sign up for the program, all cannabis would be domestically produced, retail staff would be trained and licensed, the legal age would be set at 18 years old, and retail sales would be limited to residents.

I personally feel that five years is too long for the pilot program to run, and that cannabis should be legalized nationally well before that timeline is up. However, I suppose that it’s possible that so many jurisdictions will sign up for the pilot program that it could spread things up considerably. It’s definitely great news for the jurisdictions that implement the policy change.

The incremental approach is not optimal, however, it is better than maintaining nationwide prohibition. As I have always stated regarding cannabis activism – if you can’t legalize nationally, focus locally. Every local reform victory adds to the victory pile and further builds the momentum for a national reform victory.

european flags european flags european flags

European Cannabis Spring Update

Written by Marguerite Arnold on . Posted in Business, Politics.

Spring is here! What is going down on the European Cannabis front?

Spring is here, and there are some interesting developments on the reform discussion front. Covid is receding but there is a big complication in the room right now. Namely, the Russia-Ukraine war.

Where and how much will cannabis reform progress this year?

Germany

All eyes are on Deutschland now. The Traffic Light Coalition promised reform, but the reality is that they are not putting this on the top of their agenda. First it was Covid. Now it is the evolving crisis in the East, along with all the complications which came with it – including sources of energy as well as overall inflation and an influx of refugees. Regardless, it is also clear that the German industry will not go away – and further that those who are in the medical space already are eager to expand into a new vertical.

Insiders say that rec reform is not likely to move legislatively, let alone any other way this year. In the meantime, lawsuits are afoot to define the legal status of imported hemp flower in the German market.

Beyond this, there is also clearly foreign money again looking to Germany to figure out where, when, and how to land. Go in too early and there is every possibility of being hung up on more legislative wait and see. So far, there has been no “too late.”

Switzerland

All eyes are on der Schweiz this spring. The country, while outside of the EU, is the first European country to move forward on a recreational trial that feels like one (in other words, not just seeds). Vendors are now getting ready for product launch via their Cantons. Stay tuned for further developments. From a pure reform front, this is the market with mo this year.

Malta and Luxembourg

The first technically “rec” markets in the EU (beyond Holland) are likely to better define rules this year. A seed market is a good start, but most people are not likely to want to grow their own.

France

The last major economy in the EU has finally bowed to the inevitable and even legalized the cultivation of medical cannabis this spring. However, there are many fights ahead, even as courts helped open the way for the sale of CBD flower.

European Victories

All is not doom and gloom, let alone wait and see. There have been some concrete victories this spring – namely the approval of novel food applications and an agreement on the percentage of THC allowed in hemp and hemp seeds on a regional basis. It may be slow, but at least it is moving.

Bottom line? There are many excuses being used by legislators to keep reform from the front burner – all of which ring hollow when the economic boon legalization will bring is factored into the equation. Europe needs this industry, no matter how many other global or even regional crises arise in the meantime.

Be sure to book your tickets to the Berlin International Cannabis Business Conference this summer!

London England London England

National Cannabis Awareness Campaign Launched In UK

Written by Marguerite Arnold on . Posted in Business, Politics.

BRITISH CANNABIS launches new awareness campaign for CBD products

It is not that the British don’t want cannabis reform. They do. It is just their government that does not want to move any faster for (fill in the blank) reason. This is not new. Majorities of populations are all moving into the cannabis reform column as political reform follows, sluggishly, behind.

BRITISH CANNABIS, however, an independently owned producer, manufacturer, and distributor of legal cannabis-derived products, has decided to educate the public about CBD (and of course their own products in the process). The campaign is part of a $650,000 marketing campaign to reach health-conscious British consumers over the age of 45.

It will be broadcast on the SKY and Channel 5 networks, marking the first time SKY has allowed cannabis advertising on its channel since 2019.

The company also began selling its products on eBay this month.

Changing Times

The British cannabis question generally, is in a strange place – namely still very much a grey area. London Mayor Sadiq Khan is moving forward with a pilot plan of decriminalization for London. Other areas may follow suit.

In the meantime, illegitimate operations are being raided by the police, including in abandoned buildings and (even more embarrassingly) in city centres.

Larger entities are beginning to establish themselves (like BRITISH CANNABIS) although it is still a hazardous business.

The ability to advertise is also a clear breakthrough in the entire discussion. This is still a contentious discussion just about everywhere in the American and European media markets.

Could it be that the British are finally evolving with the times?

A Long and Torturous Road

Patients are still finding it very difficult to access cannabis. Project TWENTY21, which was supposed to register 20,000 patients has, so far, only managed to enlist 2,000. Beyond that, it is still a game where only those with money can access cannabis anywhere near “legally” and that only after a major bureaucratic struggle.

Most consumers are still left out of the legal market.

Perhaps this is why the latest campaign is geared towards older consumers. They are the ones with the most money, although thanks to both Brexit and Covid, combined with rising oil prices, inflation shock is rife in the UK.

However, beyond such encouraging steps, there has been little news about the forward progression of reform in the UK so far this year.

For the latest updates on evolving cannabis business news and regulation, be sure to attend the International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin and Zurich this summer!

cannabis flower plant cannabis flower plant cannabis flower plant cannabis flower plant cannabis flower plant cannabis flower plant

Morocco Moves Forward On Medical Cannabis Implementation

Written by Marguerite Arnold on . Posted in Business, Politics.

The North African country allows medical and industrial hemp cultivation but only in three northern states

Yet another African country has now moved forward with some form of cannabis legalization. Morocco’s cabinet adopted a draft decree last Thursday allowing cultivation, under strict regulations and control – amending parts of the country’s cannabis law in the process.

Morocco changed its law to allow for the cultivation of medical cannabis in August 2021 and established a regulatory agency that is responsible for the oversight of the cultivation, export, and sale of the plant.

It is still illegal to consume cannabis for recreational purposes in Morocco.

The new decree assigns responsibility for supporting applicants and other stakeholders to the National Agency for the Legalization of Cannabis-related Activities. The agency will establish a procedure for monthly reporting on cannabis cultivation, seed production and stock and an annual inventory from each nursery. Other agencies, including the 

That said, the new legislation also strictly limits reform to three states – all found in the north of the country. Al Hoceima, Chefchaoen and Taounate were the three initial areas chosen. This does not rule out the possibility of allowing cultivation in other provinces – depending on the demand of national and international investors.

A Major Provider of Illicit Cannabis Goes Legit

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Morocco was the world’s top producer of illicit cannabis in 2019. 

The legalization of the market here will probably begin to impact that trade – although of course as even Canada has learned, even full recreational reform does not eliminate at least the grey market. It may impact the amount of hash now found in the black market across Europe, starting with Spain. 

Morocco will certainly benefit more if such activities can be turned into legitimate income. It would allow the country to begin competing for at least the European medical market, which already has the attention of countries further south (including South Africa and Lesotho).

Obtaining investment for the sector now is obviously critical. It remains to be seen if the country can attract both domestic and foreign income for the purpose of developing its cannabis market.

Morocco becomes the 4th country in Africa, after Lesotho, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, to attempt to regulate their cannabis sector. So far, however, they remain the only African country to attempt to limit legal cultivation in a certain area of the country.

See you at the International Cannabis Business Conference in Barcelona this week! Be sure to book your tickets to our upcoming conferences in Berlin and Zurich too!

morocco flag morocco flag

Three Provinces Selected To Cultivate Legal Cannabis In Morocco

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business.

It is no secret that Morocco is home to some of the best hash on earth. It is also no secret that a lot of that hash, and even domestic cannabis flower, is smuggled out of Morocco and transported to other countries, including and especially Spain.

Much like other countries that are well-known for cannabis, Morocco has worked in recent years to try to bring its unregulated industry into the legal arena. That is never an easy task when so much of the country’s economic structure is built around an unregulated, illegal trade.

Morocco’s emerging legal cannabis industry passed a major milestone this week when industry regulators published a list of regions that have been selected to cultivate cannabis legally. Per North Africa Post:

A new step forward in the legalization of cannabis cultivation in Morocco was made Thursday as the government adopted at its weekly meeting a decree regulating the activities related to the culture of the plant and selected three provinces, namely Al Hoceima, Chefchaouen and Taounate that will grow cannabis legally.

This decree, drafted by the Ministry of the Interior in coordination with the ministerial departments concerned, is part of the completion of the application of the law that was adopted in May 2021.

Ultimately, the text will subject all activities related to the cultivation, production, processing, transport, marketing, export and import of cannabis and its by-products to a licensing system.

Make no mistake – Morocco’s illegal cannabis industry is not going anywhere, at least not any time soon. Cannabis is cultivated all over Morocco, and people that cannot obtain a license will likely continue to go about their business as usual.

With that being said, it is still very much worth celebrating the selection of provinces for legal cultivation. It’s a major step in the right direction, and hopefully licensing will be extended to the rest of the country sooner rather than later.

Global demand for cannabis products from Morocco is significant, especially in countries where cannabis cultivation is difficult to do at an elite level. If Morocco can get its legal industry infrastructure in place and embraces the cannabis industry versus only tolerating it, it will reap enormous financial rewards in the coming years.

cannabis infused tea cannabis infused tea

Medical Cannabis Tea Is Now Legal In New Zealand

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business, Medical, Politics.

New Zealand was very close to becoming the third country to legalize cannabis for adult use back in 2020. Voters in New Zealand narrowly rejected a legalization referendum measure in 2020, with the measure losing by less than 2 percentage points.

The title of ‘third country to legalize’ ultimately went to Malta, which passed a legalization measure late last year. The failed vote in New Zealand was a missed opportunity to be sure, however, cannabis reform is still moving forward in other ways.

Medical cannabis was already legal in New Zealand prior to the failed referendum vote, and recently medical cannabis flower was permitted for limited use. Per excerpts from an article first published by Newshub:

The cannabis buds from Australian pharmaceutical company ANTG have approval from the Ministry of Health to be prescribed to patients with chronic pain, but only in the form of a tea.

“This is a great day for New Zealand, just across the Tasman they’ve had dried flowers available to be prescribed by doctors for at least two to three years – we’ve been waiting a long time for this,” Green Doctors co-founder Mark Hotu says.

While this cannabis flower contains less than one percent THC, others due on the market later in the year will contain much more.

It is always perplexing why lawmakers and regulators around the globe seem to be so scared of cannabis flower. A number of jurisdictions that permit medical cannabis products simultaneously continue to ban sales of dried flower.

The reasoning offered up for such flower bans always seems to hinge on lawmakers and regulators wanting to deter patients from combusting and inhaling cannabis flower.

What that reasoning fails to account for is that some patients benefit more from smoking and/or vaporizing inhaled flower compared to ingesting cannabis via a pill or tincture or other delivery methods. It also doesn’t account for the fact that patients will still seek out unregulated flower if it’s not available legally, and the end result of the ban is simply that patients will be consuming less-safe medicine.

Suffering patients deserve to have unimpeded, safe access to any and all forms of cannabis that help treat their condition. It’s the logical and compassionate approach that every country needs to pursue via every reasonable means necessary, including in New Zealand.

cash money currency usd sales profit purchase cash money currency usd sales profit purchase

New Report Finds Women Continuing To Gain Market Share Of Cannabis Sales

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business.

The international cannabis consumer base is evolving with every passing day. As the legal cannabis industry continues to spread across the globe and access to various cannabis products increases, new consumers are coming on board and people that have taken a long break from cannabis are coming back to it.

As demographic shifts occur in the cannabis industry over time it will be important for cannabis companies to take note. A clear demographic shift is occurring in the United States where data company Akerna has determined that women are gaining a larger market share of cannabis sales. While the data involved is from the United States, it still provides insight globally as the U.S. market is maturing in a manner that many other countries will likely also experience. Below is more information about Akerna’s data report via a press release from the company:

DENVER, March 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ – Akerna (Nasdaq: KERN), a leading enterprise software company and the developer of the most comprehensive technology infrastructure, ecosystem, and compliance engine powering the global cannabis industry, released a data report on women’s cannabis shopping habits as the demographic group continues to gain market share, up 3.3% since 2019.

When considering the millions of US cannabis consumers, these year over year shifts are quite sizeable and could have a significant impact on future product development:

Year

Market Share – Women

2019

35%

2020

36.6%

2021

38.3%

“Cannabis has plenty of stigmas and stereotypes, but the data doesn’t lie – it has a broad appeal to people of all ages, sexes, and socioeconomic statuses,” said Jessica Billingsley, Akerna Chief Executive Officer. “I expect to see more and more brands targeting their products and marketing towards women in the coming years. Otherwise, they will risk losing participation in this growing market to the competition who does.”

Regarding women’s current product preferences, flower and cartridges are top choices, with concentrates coming in third – a category that recently overtook edibles for the first time, which moved down to the fourth most popular category for women.

Product Category

Sales Percentage – Women

Cannabis Flower

45.2%

Cartridges/Pens

34.4%

Concentrates

9.5%

Infused Edibles

8.8%

Other

2.1%

Data showed direct correlations between age and product sales. The youngest age groups of women are most likely to buy concentrates, with product share gradually declining as age goes up. On the contrary, the more mature groups spend the most significant amounts on infused edibles, a value which decreases gradually with each younger age group.

“Concentrates are perceived as an advanced cannabis consumption method, which could be why they appeal the most to younger populations which have grown up with the legalization of cannabis,” said James Ahrendt, Business Intelligence Architect at Akerna. “On the other hand, edibles provide a discreet form of cannabis consumption with easy dosing, which is likely why they appeal to more mature populations.”

Other values for women cannabis shoppers:

  • Average products per order
    • Medical: 2.98 products
    • Adult-use: 3.12 products
  • Average spent per order
    • Medical: $123.41
    • Adult-use: $76.80
  • Sales by age groups:
    • Under 30 – 27.3%
    • 30-40 – 29.3%
    • 40-50 – 19.2%
    • 50-60 -13.6%
    • Over 60 – 10.6%

About the Akerna Flash Report:

Flash Report looks at buying trends in the cannabis market as captured by Akerna’s flagship solution, MJ Platform. MJ Platform includes MJ Analytics, allowing operators, investors, and regulators to access the industry’s largest and most statistically relevant database to drive data-driven business decisions.

MJ Analytics provides:

  • The most significant statistical relevance across countries
  • Normalized data (not farmed from various disparate POS platforms)
  • Complete cannabis supply chain data
  • Business insights founded in category management methodology

MJ Analytics can eliminate the guesswork and provide answers to questions like:

  • What is the gross margin return on inventory?
  • What SKUs should be carried?
  • How do basket adjacencies influence discounting and retention strategies?
  • What does a medical market look like a year or five years after decriminalizing cannabis?

Click here for more information about MJ Platform and MJ Analytics.

Some instances of the flash report may include business intelligence derived from Akerna’s family of companies, including Ample Organics, Leaf Data Systems, solo sciences, Trellis, Viridian Sciences, and 365 Cannabis. Sales projections are based on market adjustment calculations and aggregate the entire US market.

Akerna has one of the largest seed-to-sale footprints in the cannabis industry, operating in 15 countries and 23 US states, including Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Arizona, California, Utah, Michigan, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, Maine, Vermont, New Mexico, Missouri, Texas, Ohio, Maryland, Washington DC, Kansas, Arkansas, New York.

Increases are relative to the prior period. Additional business intelligence data sources may include proprietary tools used by Akerna’s family of companies.

About Akerna:

Akerna (Nasdaq: KERN) is an enterprise software company focused on compliantly serving the cannabis, hemp, and CBD industry. First launched in 2010, Akerna was the first cannabis software company listed on Nasdaq. The company’s cornerstone technology, MJ Platform, the world’s leading infrastructure as a service platform, powers retailers, manufacturers, brands, distributors, and cultivators.

For more information, visit https://www.akerna.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements:

Certain statements made in this release are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words “estimates,” “projected,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “forecasts,” “plans,” “intends,” “believes,” “seeks,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “future,” “propose” and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such terms or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include but are not limited to statements regarding the ability of the MJ Platform team to help operators make decisions through analytics and reporting. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other important factors, many of which are outside Akerna’s control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others that may affect actual results or outcomes, include (i) Akerna’s ability to maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain its management and key employees, (ii) changes in applicable laws or regulations, (iii) changes in the market place due to the coronavirus pandemic or other market factors, (iv) and other risks and uncertainties disclosed from time to time in Akerna’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including those under “Risk Factors” therein. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. All information herein speaks only as of the date hereof, in the case of information about Akerna, or the date of such information, in the case of information from persons other than Akerna. Akerna undertakes no duty to update or revise the information contained herein. Forecasts and estimates regarding Akerna’s industry and end markets are based on sources believed to be reliable; however, there can be no assurance these forecasts and estimates will prove accurate in whole or in part.

argentina flag argentina flag

President Of Argentina Predicts Nation’s Cannabis Industry Will Create “10,000 Jobs”

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business, Politics.

Argentina passed a medical cannabis legalization measure back in 2017, however, that legislation proved to be more symbolic than anything, at least in the initial preceding years after passage. That was largely due to former President of Argentina Mauricio Macri who did seemingly everything that he could to hinder the nation’s medical cannabis program from progressing.

The current President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, issued a decree in 2020 that greatly increased safe access in the South American country. The decree legalized home cultivation, and also set the stage for Argentina’s legal cannabis industry to emerge.

The decree allowed pharmacies to sell cannabis-derived oils, topicals, and other products, and it directed insurance systems to cover medical cannabis treatments for patients who obtained a prescription.

President Fernández recently stated that his country’s legal cannabis industry could generate over 10,000 jobs in the coming years, as seen in the tweet below:

Time could prove the President’s prediction to be too conservative. For reference, Canada’s legal cannabis industry is estimated to have created over 150,000 jobs just since 2018. Canada has a population of roughly 38 million people, whereas Argentina has a population of over 45 million people.

Obviously, Canada’s legal cannabis industry is not an apples-to-apples comparison to what Argentina’s industry will become, however, the comparison provides some context for President Fernández’s recent prediction.

Argentina is home to the second-largest economy in South America behind Brazil and has a GDP that ranks 31st globally. Current top exports include soybeans and derivatives, petroleum and gas, vehicles, corn, and wheat.