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International Cannabis Business Conference Zurich 2019 In Pictures!

Written by Anthony Johnson on . Posted in Business, international cannabis business conference zurich, Politics.

The International Cannabis Business Conference made its first venture into Switzerland last week, with a conference in Zurich, and the event was a raging success. A sincere thanks to all of our speakers, attendees, sponsors and CannaTrade, Europe’s oldest hemp fair, for partnering with us. We are already looking forward to returning to Switzerland next year! After an amazing European trek that included Barcelona (in a team-up with the legendary Spannabis conference) and a bigger-than-ever Berlin conference, the International Cannabis Business Conference is looking forward to returning to North America as we next head to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in September to check up on the first G7 nation to legalize cannabis.

It was very exciting to see how Switzerland has advanced, becoming a leader in low-THC, high-CBD products of all types. The future of the cannabis industry in Switzerland is certainly bright as the innovative nation is clearly on the path to continue being a leader of the booming CBD market, with full legalization coming in the near future. From the point that the VIP reception started, the beautiful Atlantis hotel was buzzing with excitement.

Former United States Congressman Dana Rohrabacher set the tone of the conference, explaining his past, present, and future with the cannabis scene, from his days as a vagabond surfer to pioneering politician, to now taking his message of freedom global. Following Rohrbacher were panels and presentations that touched on important topics for Swiss industry participants and international actors alike, including the Trajectory of the Swiss Market, CBD in Switzerland, Cannabis Extracts, International Investing, and much more. The networking continued with another great Bhang-sponsored after party and into CannaTrade following the International Cannabis Business Conference.

As usual, one blog can’t do an International Cannabis Business Conference event justice, but here are some key highlights captured from our VIP reception, conference, and after party. Hope you enjoy these photos, and that we see you in Vancouver (September 15-16).

An eclectic group from all facets of the cannabis industry make connections at the VIP reception.
The Atlantis Hotel provided a great venue with interesting views.

Founder & CEO Alex Rogers speaking with former US Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, and Cloud 9’s Francis Scanlon .
Alex Rogers welcomed the attendees, describing his inspiration for bringing the International Cannabis Business Conference to Switzerland.

 

An attentive audience packed the conference room to hear from Dana Rohrabacher.
Switzerland is a leader in CBD and the conference featured a panel with top experts in the industry.
Of course, the International Regulatory Overview panel with esteemed industry lawyers was extremely popular and informative.
The expo area was bustling and proved to be fertile grounds to interact with potential customers and partners.

International Investing, presented by C3 CEO Nic Easley is always and interesting and engaging topic.
Cannabis Extracts, a growing market, was a very popular topic.
The after party, featuring DJ Leeroy, sponsored by Bhang was, well, banging.

Alex Rogers with DJ Leeroy, best known for his time with The Prodigy.

Europe’s $318 Billion CBD Market Poised for 400% Boom Through 2023

Written by Anthony Johnson on . Posted in Business, international cannabis business conference zurich.

Cannabis legalization typically takes a series of baby steps and then giant leaps depending on the location. Progressive states in the U.S. have typically started with decriminalization of personal amounts, then legal medical use, until finally ending prohibition for adults. More conservative states that haven’t yet legalized have added another step: embracing CBD, while still prohibiting cannabis products with more than trace amounts of THC. Some European nations have followed a similar path with CBD, Switzerland being a prime example.

This intermediate step of allowing CBD provides excellent economic opportunities without many of the same headaches that can hinder the burgeoning cannabis industry, such as the ability to export . According to a recent report by the Brightfield Group, a market intelligence firm for the cannabis industry, estimates that the current $318 billion European CBD market will boom over 400% over the next four years. From Brightfield report:

 ”CBD is just starting to take hold in Europe, with both product availability and consumer awareness still quite limited. This is a great opportunity for developed brands to enter and expand through Europe with far less competition than we’re seeing in the U.S. With the Novel Foods Act, it is a challenging legal environment to operate in, but impending regulatory changes are likely to smooth the way for significant mid-term growth,” Brightfield Managing Director, Bethany Gomez, highlights. CBD has been well received on a greater scale, especially in countries that already have medical or recreational cannabis programs and there are growing efforts in countries with no cannabis or CBD programs to have one or both in the coming years.

The largest CBD markets in Europe today are those of the United Kingdom (UK) and Austria, each of which made up an early $80 million market in 2018. The UK is expected to remain a market leader over the medium-term, though Germany’s growth is expected to outpace that of other EU countries,

·       One key growth driver is countries, such as Switzerland and Spain, that are building out and improving regulations surrounding product quality – both in the cannabis and CBD markets – boosting consumer confidence

·       Some of the top distribution channels are in smoke shops – CBD is often regulated like tobacco – and grocery stores.

CBD companies are in a unique position to thrive in a completely legal (mostly, anyway) market while also positioning themselves to be leaders when their state or nation fully legalizes cannabis. Even after cannabis prohibition ends, there will still be a huge market for high CBD products as many people will utilize the medicinal benefits of CBD, while avoiding the euphoric effect of THC (you know, folks gotta work, and stuff).

To learn the latest about CBD and cannabis industries, there is no better place to be than the International Cannabis Business Conference in Zurich this May 15-16. Get your tickets today! Every Zurich conference attendee also gains access to CannaTrade the following three days.

Photo credit: vaping360.com/cbd-oil-cannabidiol-hemp-oil/

Will Switzerland Soon Start Exporting Cannabis Into Germany and the EU?

Written by ICBC Staff on . Posted in Business, international cannabis business conference zurich, Politics.

With the news that both the first German bid has concluded and that Macedonia seems poised to import cannabis into the European Union, there has been increased interest in who can import cannabis into Germany, if not the EU and beyond.

Could Switzerland become a major source of cannabinoid medications in Europe? The International Cannabis Business Conference in Zurich will have the latest on these rapid developments across the European continent as experts converge to discuss the latest and network to help move the industry forward.

To fully know the answer about Swiss imports, we must unravel the myriad of rules, regulations and trade agreements that entangle governmental entities across global borders. According to the European Medicines Agency, Mutual Recognition of Good Manufacturing Process (GMP) agreements now exist with Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland and of course the United States.

MRAs allow EU authorities and their counterparts to rely on each other’s GMP inspection system, share information on inspections and quality defects and waive batch testing of products that are imported.

In essence, MRAs are trade agreements that try to set equivalency standards between countries designed to facilitate the trade in pharmaceuticals across borders.

The European Commission is responsible for the negotiation of MRAS with countries on behalf of the EU. The European Medications Agency (EMA) is responsible for operational activities once the MRAs are in place.

And obviously, as cannabis enters the legal pharmaceutical space, this is fair game.

It is also clear that the discussions on the cannabis front, including the long delay in the German bid and the first tender lawsuit were caught up in larger international discussions about not only CETA (the trade agreement between the EU and Canada that was being negotiated during this process), but other geopolitical issues as well.

For instance, the ban of Israeli cannabis exports extended until Christmas of 2018 thanks to political posturing between the United States and Israel. The first market (of course) that the Israelis plan to target is Germany, followed closely, by the United States.

It is also no accident that just as the German bid news is concluding, Canadian cannabis giant Canopy Growth has just announced major inroads into American cannabis production.

The German government has admitted that it cannot grow enough cannabis fast enough and is opening its borders to imports; will Switzerland become an exporter of cannabis, particularly medicinal cannabis, into Germany and the rest of the EU?

The answer is a pretty easy yes.

Switzerland is not technically part of the EU, even though it sits in the middle of the European continent. The country also has multiple trade agreements with the EU. It is also part of a smaller, regional trade agreement between so-called DACH countries (Germany, Switzerland and Austria).

Expect Swiss innovators to look to the German market as a logical export destination, with the benefit of not only being right next-door, but also speaking the same language. Switzerland’s cannabis history has flown under the radar for a while, but the future is looking bright for the Swiss industry, if the government steps up to seize the opportunities before it.

For an in-depth understanding of the strategic nature of the Swiss pharmaceutical market in relation to the larger European medical cannabis discussion, be sure to attend the International Cannabis Business Conference’s first event in Zurich on May 15-16. Discounted, early bird tickets are on sale through April 24th, so hurry to secure your spot and save!

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Understanding the European CBD “Novel Foods” Regulations

Written by ICBC Staff on . Posted in Business, international cannabis business conference zurich, Politics.

Foreigners entering the European cannabis market are finding that the regulations here are much higher than they expected, if not well downright confusing. This is especially true as cannabis crosses over into both food and medicine as well as beauty and skin products.

One piece of regulation that is proving particularly thorny for CBD producers – in particular for those with edible products is something called “novel food” regulation.

But what is “novel food” legislation and how does it affect your CBD business in Europe?

For an insider’s look at the CBD-novel foods discussion and the cannabis industry in general, be sure to catch Dr. Francis Scanlon, founder of Cloud9, and a whole host of experts at the first International Cannabis Business Conference in Zurich Switzerland, May 15-16.

Definition of “Novel Food”

According to the European Commission, a novel food is one that has not “been consumed to a significant degree by humans in the EU before 15 May 1997, when the first Regulation on novel food came into force.”

A novel food can be a new kind of food, including a plant-based food or additive, a food produced using new technologies (so all e-liquid drinks will be subjected to this process beyond the CBD they contain), agricultural products from third countries or food derived from new processes” (such as UV treated food like bread, milk, mushrooms and yeast.)

Furthermore, such foods must be properly labelled and further not nutritionally “disadvantage” the consumer if used in place of another more commonly used substance.

It does not take much imagination to see how this would apply to all things cannabis, but how such regulation has been applied, and is likely to be applied in the future, is anything but easy. It has been tortured so far.

Battle Number 1 – CBD vs “Hemp”

On one hand, it should be a no-brainer to include all things CBD in foods that have been consumed in the EU since 1997. See all health food stores selling hemp. But not so fast! CBD itself can be derived from both hemp and cannabis plants bred for that purpose. Of the two, only the former is relatively safe to source right now in Europe for that very reason.

Battle Number 2 – Distillates and Extractions

However the discussion is not over there. Beyond the source plant, the process the CBD is extracted also counts. For that reason, hemp extracts, if made via a new process, can also be verboten.

That means that anything that contains the same destined for oral consumption could also be “illegal.” See the raids of Spanish police last summer on health food stores selling CBD cookies.

Battle Number 3 – Jurisdictional Differences and Labelling

The final and most difficult problem for CBD businesses to conquer is the problem that both cannabis itself and its components are considered legit or not depending on a jurisdictional by jurisdictional basis across Europe, until there is regional agreement on regulation about the entire plant.

In the meantime, custom, country-by-country labelling is an issue that producers will have to consider until such regulations are set at the EU level – and even then there will still be the polyglot of European languages to contend with after that.

Those who market cosmetics and other topically applied products might find they are in loophole territory in most countries, but even here it is better to be safe than sorry. For those in doubt, see Austria.

Don’t miss the opportunity to learn the latest and network with top investors and entrepreneurs at the upcoming International Cannabis Business Conference in Zurich. Get your tickets and save by purchasing discounted, early bird tickets by April 24th.

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263 Million Cannabis Consumers and Taxation – A Delicate Balance

Written by ICBC Staff on . Posted in Berlin, Business, international cannabis business conference zurich.

With 263 million estimated global cannabis consumers and a total addressable market of $344 billion (illicit and legal combined), cannabis is poised to make a material impact on the global economy. As the cannabis markets in Europe, Latin America, Asia and even Africa are beginning to take shape, one commonly overlooked regulatory detail is the effect of taxation on the potential success of these new markets. Specifically, how higher than needed taxes can not only inhibit new market entrants ability to operate effectively, but can also fuel growth within the illicit market.

To that point, while still federally illegal, existing U.S. state cannabis markets provide crucial lessons for emerging legal markets. California, for example, imposed an effective tax rate of nearly 40-50% on retail products causing many consumers to stay loyal to the illicit market. It resulted in a massive dip in projected state tax revenue in their first year of legalization- nearly 90 million dollars short of their goal.

“Tragically, this is not the first time we have seen poorly thought-out imposed taxes have the exact opposite effect than intended;” said Giadha Aguirre de Carcer, Founder and CEO of New Frontier Data, “during our early years observing new U.S. states legalize, consumers in both the states of Oregon and Washington turned to local illicit producers offering more affordable pricing, leading the states to experience growth in their respective cannabis black markets instead of generating additional tax-revenue for the state.”

Anticipating the elasticity -the sensitivity of consumers to prices and price changes -along with other crucial factors such as identification of consumer preferences, is critical when establishing new cannabis markets. Without understanding such delicate market drivers, countries and states alike will fail to meet projected socio-economic goals. Leveraging lessons learned from existing cannabis markets, policy makers can today better plan ahead and avoid such pitfalls to instead maximize growth opportunities of a healthy and balanced legal cannabis domestic market.

“Data and reporting” Beau Whitney, Senior Economist at New Frontier Data says, “are crucial for understanding how to generate maximum revenue, to identify and to eliminate bad actors, and to ultimately better serve consumers and patients so that they do not turn to the black market.” Oregon’s standardization process is one program Whitney believes is currently effectively utilizing data management. For example, Oregon’s model on certifying testing labs and standardizing laboratory testing help elevate minimum quality standards expected by consumers and making it difficult for bad actors to compete.

In short, regions and nations with heavy pockets of cannabis consumers, looking to transition into a legal and regulated market, must better understand consumer preferences, including price sensitivity, so that state imposed taxes work in favor of domestic and regional socio-economic goals, rather than fuel crime and continued illicit trade.

For more insights into the global cannabis industry, follow along with New Frontier Data’s research at www.newfrontierdata.com.

Next up for the International Cannabis Business Conference: Zurich on May 15-16. Discounted, early bird tickets are on sale until April 24th.

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Exclusive Interview with Ben Arn of CannaTrade, the International Cannabis Business Conference’s Partner in Zurich

Written by Anthony Johnson on . Posted in Business, Cultural, international cannabis business conference zurich, Politics.

Switzerland’s cannabis scene has flown somewhat under the radar internationally, but that is about to change. The innovative nation actually has rich cannabis culture. From the late 1990s until 2004, a “grey market” flourished as the cannabis community utilized a loophole in the federal narcotics law to engage in cannabis commerce. After the Swiss government closed the loophole, a new market emerged in 2016 when the country legalized the cultivation and sale of cannabis that contained no more than 1% THC as a tobacco substitute.

Swiss cannabis flowers and other products are now cultivated, processed, and sold by more than 600 companies, who export all over the world. Switzerland also has a limited medical program and is making some political strides toward full legalization. Someone that is at the forefront of all things Swiss cannabis related is Ben Arn, CEO of CannaTrade, Europe’s oldest hemp trade fair. The International Cannabis Business Conference is teaming up with CannaTrade as the International Cannabis Business Conference in Zurich will be held from May 15-16, with CannaTrade’s organizing its festivities from the 17th through the 19th. Ben found some time to answer a few questions for us:

Anthony Johnson, for International Cannabis Business Conference: How did CannaTrade first come about?

Ben Arn: CannaTrade was born out of the CannaSwissCup and the Swiss Hemp Days in 1999 and 2000. The first official edition with the name CannaTrade was in 2001 in Bern. It’s the oldest still existing cannabis trade show in Europe. And since beginning, it’s a b2b and b2c fair.
What are your feelings about the current status of Swiss cannabis/hemp laws?
Better than the last 10 years! Now we’re looking forward to get a simplified access for patients in the next 2 years and as well a new regulation for THC for everybody in the next 2-5 years. At the same time there is as well a lot to do concerning CBD and foodstuff, regarding the Novel Food laws like everywhere else in Europe. 
Do you have any ideas for how future cannabis laws should move forward in Switzerland? For instance, the highly regulatory model like Canada and Germany, or the more permissive situations occurring in Amsterdam, Barcelona, and what once existed in the “grey areas” in Switzerland? Do you view any nation as a model or should Switzerland form their own unique path?
I wish that Switzerland will form its own path adapted to the regulations of alcohol in Switzerland. But probably, Switzerland will go into the direction as Canada did. Hopefully there will be some place for homegrowers too – it’s what many people in Switzerland are asking for.  
Do you have any concerns about Switzerland falling behind other nations’ cannabis industry or are you confident that the Swiss will be able to catch up?
We are on a good position right now – but the politic has to move fast! I see many countries going on with cannabis as medicine way faster than we are doing actually. But fortunately the media is finally bringing the chance of a new cannabis law to the public discussions. It may be possible that we will be able to grow and export THC weed even faster as Swiss patients will get the simplified access to their medicine. 
What are your goals for this year’s CannaTrade?
We will break the 1000 business visitors number, we will have the nicest business lounge we ever did, we’re having a nice and interesting program for business- and private people, a great afterparty and we’re looking forward to welcome the International Cannabis Business Conference at our side on Thursday at the Atlantis and from Friday-Sunday at CannaTrade. So we’re looking forward to 4 great cannabis days in Zurich! 
What are some highlights for those in the industry?
As already mentioned the BusinessLounge powered by CarbonActive, as well the big Chillout-Area powered by hanfhof, and new – for the first time – the big b2b afterwork-apero on Friday, where all exhibitors and all business visitors are invited – so more than 2000 business people will celebrate 2 hours of b2b-apero and party-time together! 
Thanks so much, Ben!
See you in Zurich!
To learn more about CannaTrade, visit: www.CannaTrade.ch.
Ben Arn
Ben Arn, CEO of CannaTrade, partner for International Cannabis Business Conference Zurich.

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European Medical Cannabis Sales Doubled from 2017 to 2018

Written by Anthony Johnson on . Posted in Barcelona, Berlin, Business, international cannabis business conference zurich.

Unless you are living under a rock, you know that cannabis legalization, for both medical and adult use purposes, is moving forward nation-by-nation across Europe and around the world. European medicinal sales doubled last year, and we can expect growth to continue rather aggressively as progress begets progress. Germany has been the leader on medical cannabis commerce, and the attendance and interest at the recent International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin demonstrated the optimism industry participants have for the German market. But Germany is certainly not alone, as Italy also showed strong demand, and opportunities abound in burgeoning markets like Switzerland (where the International Cannabis Business Conference is headed on May 15-16), the United Kingdom, Croatia, Spain (where the International Cannabis Business Conference will return to next year!), and several other nations.

Marijuana Business Daily on the release of its extensive report “Medical Cannabis in Europe: The Markets & Opportunities”:

Year-over-year sales doubled in Europe from 2017 to 2018, underpinned by strong demand in Germany and Italy, though the number of MMJ prescriptions decreased in the Netherlands in that time.

Other countries in the European Union took steps in the right direction, either advancing legislation or introducing (or improving) regulations.

Tracking the regulatory progress of these markets is important because it takes years to develop a functional medical cannabis industry – and some markets get snagged over poor, or slow-moving, regulations.

Differing regulations across Europe can make business decisions difficult, especially when trying to do business in North America, and other legal markets as well. Over time, it will be interesting to see whether the EU and other global partners start to harmonize their rules. No matter the current obstacles, the current and future growth of cannabis markets around the world will reward those that stay educated and make the right networking connections.

There is no better place to learn the latest and network with top investors, entrepreneurs, and advocates than the International Cannabis Business Conference. The next International Cannabis Business Conference is in Zurich on May 15-16, a collaboration with CannaTrade. Discounted, early bird tickets are on sale until April 24th. 

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German Cultivation Bids Reverberate Across the Global Cannabis Industry

Written by ICBC Staff on . Posted in Berlin, Business, international cannabis business conference zurich.

The day after the third annual International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin, as the crew packed up and headed on to Zurich, news about the German cultivation bid surfaced in the domestic media. Namely, that three bid finalists (Aurora, Aphria and Demecan, a start-up founded with Wayland) had been selected. This is unofficial “news” as not only does the bid process itself face a pending lawsuit that is headed to court in Germany this week, but insiders on the ground in Germany will also not be surprised to see more legal action challenging this decision. So far, BfArM, the federal agency managing the bid has yet to make an official announcement.

Regardless, even the “unofficial” news is a sign that the German market is starting to gain not only traction but formal shape (starting with established pricing).

In the meantime, International Cannabis Business Conference Berlin saw producers from all over the world descend on a cannabis industry gathering that has already earned its stripes if not its rightful moniker as the “Cannes of Cannabis.” Dealmakers came together in Berlin from Australia, Israel, Canada, many countries in Latin America and several from the African continent to sell to Europe and an opening market. As one Australian producer said “there was more demand here than we could possibly fill.”

In fact, several weeks before the International Cannabis Business Conference, signs were already afoot that the market is opening for international competition from all over the world – not just Canada and Holland, as has been the case up until now. Frankfurt based Farmeko announced a 50 tonne, four-year import deal from Macedonia via Poland in mid March.

The biggest news about the bid, however, is not that it seems to be at least resolving for this first round but that other opportunities are opening in its wake – and not only in Germany but across the continent.

Greece is fully engaging the licensing process, it is very likely that Poland may start down the cultivation path soon and the UK and Ireland are all moving questions at this point.

Switzerland, of course, represents another unique wrinkle in all of this and may prove yet to be the market leader in Europe on the recreational front for several reasons – namely it is not an EU member but part of the economic framework of the region.

The combination, however, clearly of all of these fragmented puzzle pieces moving forward, surrounding the activity around the German bid is absolutely one of the strongest catalysts for the entire conversation. Not to mention a conference now in its third year that brings all the movers and shakers together in one place.

This spring, in other words, is a critical building year for the industry across the continent and the International Cannabis Business Conference is right in the middle of the conversation.

It is not too late to book your tickets for the International Cannabis Business Conference’s first year in Zurich, a megaconference team-up with CannaTrade! Early-bird prices end on April 24th.

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Germany, Switzerland, UK, & More: Big European Cannabis News Abounds

Written by ICBC Staff on . Posted in Business, international cannabis business conference zurich.

The forces currently shaping the European cannabis map are intriguing this spring and from several directions. For the latest developments in Europe and across the globe, there will be no better place learn and network with those leading the way, than at the International Cannabis Business Conference in Zurich with Cannatrade. In the meantime, here is a brief overview of how, where and why:

Germany

Like it or not, events in Germany are driving the discussion, agenda and overall sales forward like nowhere else. As a result, the news that the (first) German cultivation bid appears to be nearing decision time (barring its derailment in either a still-pending lawsuit or those now rumoured to be circling the final 3 decision) is a big deal. As a result, there will be some kind of cannabis cultivated auf Deutschland presumably sooner than later now.

For those unfamiliar with European healthcare, governments negotiate the prices of drugs to obtain lower prices. “Government contracts” as these are also known, are bulk purchase agreements (put out by tender bid or competitive RFP) that function to lower prices for wholesale drug purchases. This usually occurs when the patient population is over 10,000 in Germany (orphan drug territory). In the case of cannabis, this is now a pressing matter. There are an estimated 50,000 patients in Germany at present. Delayed and lack of granular data released by the insurance companies is one part of the problem but not the only one. Approvals themselves are a time consuming, expensive process that is also slowing down patient growth dramatically.

That said, with new cultivation pricing now becoming more or less public for the first time, the map of competition and opportunity is getting clearer than it was several years ago. And this will influence the rest of Europe.

The UK and Switzerland

The crazy Limeys may still be haggling over what kind of Brexit Lite they want (if in fact they leave at all) but events in the UK this year will have an outsized impact on what goes on across Europe from a financing perspective. The British capital markets for one are not as shy about this entire conversation as for example the Deutsche Börse. With medical markets finally inching forward all over the continent, the need is clearly in the room for capital that is a bit more aggressive than the appetite (still) in the rest of Europe, including in Germany.

Switzerland also, with its interesting position as a non-EU member and more liberal capital markets is expected to turn into a financial powerhouse for cannabis financing of all kinds.

While markets here are all far more regulated than their North American counterparts, in other words, the emergence of cannabis funds in the UK in particular, makes both countries very attractive places for the accumulation of canna friendly, Euro compliant cannabis investment specialty funds. A continental first.

Holland, Spain, Greece, Luxembourg, Italy

All these countries are moving in interesting ways on the overall debate which is sure to add depth and shade for years to come. All have varying degrees of developing markets. Luxembourg is especially interesting, witht he possibility that the small nation may beat the rest of Europe to ending cannabis prohibition.

For a more in-depth understanding of the shape of the European cannabis market this spring, be sure to attend the International Cannabis Business Conference in Zurich, a team-up hemp expo CannaTrade. Get your early-bird tickets by April 24th to save!