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Smoking And Vaping Cannabis On Public Patios Now Permitted In British Columbia

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

Cannabis stigma is still an issue in Canada, even five years after the country passed a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure in 2018. Cannabis consumers do not experience some of the same freedoms as consumers of alcohol or tobacco do in many jurisdictions.

An example of that can be found in policies about public cannabis use. Tobacco consumption may not be as widespread as it once was in Canada, however, many tobacco consumers are not as limited in where they can partake compared to cannabis consumption.

Thankfully, that is changing in British Columbia where new rules now permit adults to smoke and vape cannabis on public patios.

“Smoking and vaping cannabis on public patios is now permitted where smoking and vaping tobacco are already allowed, subject to local or Indigenous government bylaws and other rules.” British Columbia’s government stated in a recently published bulletin.

That may not seem like a big change to non-cannabis consumers, yet, it’s presumably a significant policy shift in the minds of many cannabis consumers in British Columbia who have had to either hide their cannabis use in many places or consume knowing that they are risking being penalized. The bulletin also contained policy changes for businesses.

“To support the legal cannabis industry in the province, the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) is making gradual changes to improve hospitality and tourism opportunities for the cannabis industry.” the bulletin stated.

“With changes to the Cannabis Control Regulation, licensees are able to promote a place to consume cannabis or to spend time after consuming cannabis.” the bulletin also stated.

Cannabis consumption remains prohibited within cannabis stores in British Columbia, and licensees must ensure that any cannabis consumption near their store is not within their establishment where cannabis products are sold.

Social cannabis use is the next horizon for many cannabis advocates in North America, where cannabis clubs and lounges are still prohibited in many jurisdictions that permit other cannabis activity.

Europe’s cannabis policies will seemingly embrace cannabis clubs, with clubs serving as a major component of legalization models in Germany and Malta. Malta has already issued licenses to noncommercial cannabis clubs.

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Spain’s Ministry Of Health Begins Process Of Enacting Medical Cannabis Regulations

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

Spain’s Ministry of Health has started the process of developing a Royal Decree through which it plans to approve the regulation of cannabis for medicinal use. Before a Royal Decree is officially issued, the public will be allowed to provide input, with Spain’s government having set up an email address dedicated to receiving such input (normativa.aemps@aemps.es).

The government in Spain is seeking to finalize a “rigorous measure” that is “based on the best scientific evidence available.” Such a measure will reportedly include periodic evaluations to examine the effectiveness of Spain’s eventual medical cannabis regulations.

“The Ministry addresses this regulation based on the conclusions of the Subcommittee of the Congress of Deputies for the analysis of experiences with the regulation of cannabis for medicinal use, which called on the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products to prepare a roadmap to approve the regulation.” Spain’s government stated in a press release (translated from Spanish to English).

Spain’s Secretary of State for Health, Javier Padilla, recently met with the European Observatory of Cannabis Consumption and Cultivation, as well as with industry associations and members of the scientific community. Secretary Padilla is also expected to meet soon with the Spanish Observatory of Medicinal Cannabis.

A recent meeting at Spain’s Ministry of Health was attended by representatives of the General Council of Medical Colleges and the General Council of Official Colleges of Pharmacists in addition to the Spanish Society of Palliative Care, the Spanish Society of Pain, the Spanish Society of Epilepsy, the Spanish Society of Studies on Alcohol, the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy, the Spanish Society of Primary Care Pharmacists, the Spanish Society of Hematology and Hemotherapy, the Spanish Society of Primary Care Physicians, the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine, the Spanish Society of General and Family Physicians, the Spanish Multidisciplinary Pain Society, the Spanish Society of Neurology, Society Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery, Spanish Society of Medical Oncology, Spanish Society of Dual Pathology, SED-ESOM Working Group, Spanish Society of Psychiatry and Mental Health, and the Spanish Society of Rheumatology.

“The proposed regulation guarantees the quality of the products and the safety of patients, enabling the legal avenues available to have therapeutic compounds based on standardized cannabis preparations that have shown evidence in relieving pain and the suffering of patients, considering the oral administration of these compounds as it is the most appropriate in terms of therapeutic effectiveness and safety for patients.” the government’s press release stated.

“This regulation is designed to evolve dynamically, allowing new elements to be incorporated as more information and the experience of the therapeutic cannabis program becomes available. In addition, it will contribute to generating more and better evidence on the use of cannabinoids for therapeutic purposes.” Spain’s government also stated.

What is currently being proposed by Spain’s government is a national medical cannabis program that is being described as being similar to what is currently in place in European nations like Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Norway. Those nations’ medical cannabis regulations are much more limited compared to what is in place in Germany, and much more restrictive compared to what is found in many parts of North America.

Spain’s government resumed its push to pass medical cannabis regulations starting last month after previous efforts experienced numerous setbacks in recent years.

An eventual medical cannabis regulation measure in Spain is not expected to include cannabis clubs, which operate in many parts of Spain and are very popular among suffering patients. Cannabis clubs operate in a grey area of Spain’s law and serve as the primary source of medical cannabis for many Spanish patients.

Barcelona’s government is actively trying to shut down the hundreds of cannabis clubs that operate within the Barcelona area. Spain’s cannabis industry is estimated to be worth 238.5 million euros in 2024 according to an analysis by Euromonitor International. Euromonitor estimates that Spain’s medical cannabis market alone is worth an estimated 27.3 million euros as of this year. Those figures are estimated to rise in 2025 to 358.4 million euros and 107.6 million euros, respectively.

The announcement of the launch for public input regarding medical cannabis regulations in Spain comes less than a month before the world’s largest cannabis gathering takes place in Barcelona. The International Cannabis Business Conference (March 14th) is once again teaming up with Spannabis (March 15-17) to put on the world’s largest cannabis superconference.

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach

German Health Minister Defends Cannabis Legalization Measure

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

Germany’s Health Minister Karl Lauterbach recently appeared on the Markus Lanz talk show to discuss the looming adult-use cannabis legalization measure vote in the Bundestag, as well as the benefits of the measure.

“Those who are already consuming are no longer dependent on the black market, on the dealers, on crime, on the additives. That means we recognize that cannabis is consumed in society.” Minister Lauterbach states in the discussion (translated from German to English).

Initial components of Germany’s legalization plan are expected to come into effect on April 1st. Adults in Germany will be able to legally cultivate, possess, and consume cannabis. Below is the full episode of Minister Lauterback on the Markus Lanz talk show. Please be aware that the discussion is in German.

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Britain’s Cannabis Industry Still Hindered By Limited Policies

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Business, Policy.

Medical cannabis became legal in Britain in November 2018 after the nation’s Home Secretary had rescheduled cannabis-derived medicinal products months prior. At the time, Britain’s medical cannabis law was one of the most restrictive on the planet, and it remains so to this day.

Only doctors on the GMC specialist register can prescribe medical cannabis products in Britain, and only two types of prescriptions are legal. The legal medical products are not like raw flower, edibles, or concentrated forms of cannabis like what is found in North America.

Rather, the medical cannabis products in Britain are cannabis-derived medications called Sativex and Epidyolex. Sativex is licensed in Britain to treat spasticity in Multiple Sclerosis.

Epidyolex is licensed in Britain for use in the treatment of seizures in children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, Dravet syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis complex. Both medications are also widely available in many other nations.

Medical cannabis via legal means remains an undesirable, if not impossible, option for many suffering patients in Britain, which is reflected in the size of Britain’s medical cannabis program. Per The Guardian:

As of today, over 60 countries have legalised some form of medicinal cannabis: since November 2018 that’s also been the case in Britain. Some 30,000 of us have already been prescribed cannabis for conditions ranging from arthritis to epilepsy, anxiety to multiple sclerosis.

By comparison, Germany has roughly a quarter million medical cannabis patients. While Germany’s overall population is greater than Britain’s, the difference is nowhere near enough to offset the disparity in legal patient numbers. Canada has a considerably smaller overall population than Britain, and yet it has roughly 200,000 legal medical cannabis patients.

Britain’s medical cannabis program will always be limited and never reach its full potential if the current laws and regulations remain the same. Britain’s suffering patients, all of them, deserve to have the option of pursuing safe access to proven medications.

Sativex and Epidyolex may be fine for some patients, however, their applications are very narrowly tailored, and there are suffering patients who would experience no meaningful benefits from taking them.

Additionally, even patients who currently take Sativex or Epidyolex would likely save a considerable amount of money and still receive the benefits of medical cannabis by consuming other forms of cannabis products via a variety of delivery methods.

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Talman Group Co-Founder Alex Rogers Presenting To Slovenia’s National Council

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Policy.

Alex Rogers, owner and CEO of the International Cannabis Business Conference and co-founder of the Talman Group, is presenting to Slovenia’s National Council next week on Friday, February 16th, at 10 am. Rogers will be joined by several other leading policy and science experts at the conference, which is titled, “New Discoveries and Opportunities for Cannabis
Use in Medicine and Industry.”

Slovenia’s National Council is, according to its website, “the representative body for social, economic, professional and local interests. In terms of state functions performed by state authorities, the National Council cannot be considered to be vested with legislative, executive or judicial powers.”

A coalition of advocates led by the Talman Group is working diligently to educate Slovenia’s government about the benefits of modernizing the nation’s outdated cannabis policies and regulations, including benefits specific to boosting public health and economic outcomes. Below is more information about the upcoming National Council conference in Slovenia:

New discoveries and opportunities for cannabis use: Conference in the National Council on the emerging hemp industry

The Association of Cancer Patients of Slovenia and the National Council invite you to a professional conference titled “New Discoveries and Opportunities for Cannabis Use in Medicine and Industry” on Friday, February 16, at 10 a.m. The conference will be held in the hall of the National Council of the Republic of Slovenia at Šubičeva 4 in Ljubljana.

At the beginning of its term, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia prioritized the legalization of medical cannabis use and the adoption of necessary subordinate legislation for its cultivation, processing, and controlled medical use. However, current legislation does not fully exploit the potential of cannabis in industry and medicine and even partially restricts it. Experiences from abroad show that cannabis enables the production of key industrial products with innovative processing methods. Specific cannabis strains have proven beneficial in agriculture and ecology, particularly in phytoremediation, which is important for combating climate change.

The aim of the discussion in the National Council is to highlight key information on the progress of cannabis use in pharmacy and medicine and to emphasize its utility in industry while highlighting the importance of developing science, research, innovations, and appropriate business infrastructure for knowledge transfer into high-value products, which would stimulate the economy and bring benefits to healthcare, agriculture, and industry.

The increasingly relevant topic and opportunities presented by the cannabis industry for Slovenia will be discussed by the President of the National Council of the Republic of Slovenia, Marko Lotrič; the President of the Association of Cancer Patients of Slovenia, Ana Žličar; the Health Secretary in the Cabinet of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr. Metka Paragi; the Head of the Scientific Research Department of the Engineering Academy of Slovenia, Prof. Dr. Tamara Lah Turnšek; the Director-General of the Public Health Directorate, Vesna Marinko; the State Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Tourism and Sport, Matjaž Frangež; and the State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Dr. Blaž Germšek.

Following the introductory addresses, professional presentations will be held by experts from various interdisciplinary fields. The event program is attached to this message.

Confirmation of attendance at the event is desired by sending an email to jakob@thetalmangroup.com by Thursday, February 15, 2024, by 10:00 a.m. The number of applications is limited.

All interested parties will be able to follow the event live at www.ds-rs.si, and the recording will also be available on the National Council’s website.

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European Union Approves Medical Cannabis Signature Drive

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

Medical cannabis reform is spreading across the European continent, which is great. However, the rate at which it is spreading is not fast enough to help all of the suffering patients who need the wellness benefits that medical cannabis can provide.

Unfortunately, medical cannabis was hindered for several decades due to prohibition policies throughout Europe. It is only in recent years that medical cannabis has been embraced, and even then, it’s not in every nation and is moving at a pace that does not do justice to the potential that medical cannabis possesses.

Access to medical cannabis and cannabis-based research is desperately needed throughout Europe, and that premise is at the heart of a new signature drive that was recently approved to proceed by the European Union. Per excerpts from original reporting by Marijuana Moment:

European Union (EU) officials have cleared activists to launch a signature drive for a multi-national initiative that would foster access to medical marijuana and promote research into the therapeutic potential of cannabis.

The activists behind the measure laid out three objectives they want the commission to pursue, but the body said it could only register two of them.

One approved objective asks the commission to “foster access to medical cannabis and allow the transportation of cannabis and its derivatives prescribed for therapeutic purposes to ensure the full enjoyment of the right to health.” The other requests that EU allocate “the necessary resources for researching cannabis for its therapeutic purposes.”

Activists had also pushed for the creation of a “trans-European citizens’ assembly on cannabis policies, including sanctions and the consistency of Member States’ policies,” however, the European Union indicated that it would not register that particular objective.

Advocates leading the effort will now have six months to start a petitioning drive, after which they will have one year to collect one million valid signatures. The valid signatures must come from at least seven European Union member states in order to mandate consideration.

The European Citizens’ Initiative was first introduced with the Lisbon Treaty as an agenda-setting tool in the hands of citizens. It was officially launched in April 2012 according to the European Union’s listing of the measure.

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Is Medical Cannabis Reform On Spain’s Horizon?

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

Last month officials in Spain announced that they would be resuming discussions to pass a domestic medical cannabis regulatory measure. Currently, most of Spain’s domestic industry is completely unregulated, and legal medical cannabis is limited to exports.

According to a recent analysis, 84% of Spaniards support regulating medical cannabis per CIS data. A majority of lawmakers in Spain’s Parliament also reportedly support medical cannabis reform.

Unfortunately, historically there has existed a significant disconnect between cannabis opponents in Spain’s Parliament and the reality of what is truly going on in Spain’s communities. Spain’s cannabis consumption rate is greater than nearly every other nation on Earth, and hundreds of private cannabis clubs populate various parts of the country, yet meaningful reform and regulations have remained elusive.

The absence of a regulated domestic medical cannabis program has done nothing to deter people from consuming cannabis. Rather, it forces suffering patients to source their medicine from unregulated sources, which is far from an optimal situation. New reports surfaced this week that medical cannabis reform may be occurring in ‘the coming months.’ Per Business of Cannabis:

Spain’s newly appointed health minister has said that the country’s long-awaited medical cannabis law will be ready ‘in the coming months,’ as she makes good on her promise to kickstart progress.

Mónica García Gómez used her first appearance in Congress to reaffirm her commitment to establishing a medical cannabis framework in the country, more than a year after it was initially scheduled to be rolled out, laying out plans to ‘recover’ the conclusions that have already been approved by the lower house.

It remains unclear exactly when medical cannabis legislation will receive a vote in Spain’s Parliament, and for that matter, whether such a vote would prove to be favorable. However, momentum for such a measure does appear to be gaining steam in Spain, and it’s largely a matter of advocates in Spain’s Parliament overcoming the constant hurdles that are set up by opponents.

Lawmakers at the local and national levels need to work together in Spain to regulate medical cannabis products and commerce, rather than continue to stick their heads in the ground and let organized crime fill the void at the expense of public health outcomes.

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Why Is Cannabis Reform So Hard To Achieve In Ireland?

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

Back in December 2022, Ireland’s Oireachtas Justice Committee issued a report in which it recommended that Ireland consider legalizing cannabis for adult use to help combat the unregulated market.

As we have learned via Germany’s legalization effort, members of the European Union are not permitted to legalize nationwide adult-use cannabis sales, however, member nations can reform laws in such a way that the main goal of reform is to reduce the consumption of cannabis sourced from the unregulated market.

Reforms involving permitting adults to cultivate, possess, and consume cannabis are within the parameters of continental agreements, as are noncommercial cannabis clubs and regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot programs.

Unfortunately, a recent scheduled vote for an adult-use legalization measure was delayed for at least nine months in Ireland, as originally reported by Marijuana Moment:

The Irish government is proposing to delay a vote on advancing a bill to legalize marijuana possession by nine months, asserting that the issue requires consideration by a special committee.

Ryan McHale Crainn, executive committee member of the Irish drug policy reform organization Crainn, told Marijuana Moment that the “delay tactic from the Irish Government on cannabis decriminalisation is disappointing given the clear calls from the Citizens’ Assembly and overwhelming public support for the measure.”

Cannabis reform is gaining momentum in many European nations, largely led by Germany. Germany recently announced that its governing coalition has reached a final agreement, with the first components of the nation’s legalization model set to start on April 1st.

Once Germany legalizes, the Czech Republic is set to follow, and it’s virtually guaranteed that other nations will follow suit. The premise behind German legalization is the same as the premise that the previous Oireachtas Justice Committee report recommended – to end cannabis prohibition for personal use and allow nonprofit sources to operate to help eliminate the use of unregulated cannabis products.

Unfortunately, that may not happen for some time in Ireland due to the ongoing delay tactics being incorporated by cannabis opponents.

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Recreational Cannabis Ban Expected Next Week In Thailand

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

A lot can change in two years in the world of cannabis policy, and a great, and unfortunate, example of that can be found in Thailand. Less than two years ago, in June 2022, Thailand modernized its cannabis policies to permit adult-use cannabis cultivation and possession in instances involving cannabis varieties that are low in THC.

At the time, the measure was hailed as an amazing achievement for the global cannabis reform movement, with cannabis being removed from Thailand’s list of banned substances. The monumental policy shift served as a particularly big deal in the region where Thailand is located, with many countries in the area still having some of the harshest cannabis penalties on earth.

Thailand’s new approach involved permitting every household in the entire country to sign up to legally cultivate low-THC cannabis plants. There were no plant limits for the government’s cultivation program when it launched, and Thailand’s government even gave away over 1 million cannabis seeds directly to households that signed up.

A broad spectrum of government agencies in Thailand agreed leading up to the implementation to do their part to push Thailand’s emerging cannabis industry forward. Thailand also released thousands of people serving time for cannabis offenses. That all changed in August 2023 when a new prime minister was elected, with the new incumbent vocally opposing cannabis reform.

It is being reported that as early as next week a new cannabis measure will be introduced, with the goal of the measure being to make it clear that recreational cannabis use is strictly prohibited in Thailand. Per The Straits Times:

On Feb 6, Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew said the new Bill, which bans the recreational use of cannabis, will be proposed at the Cabinet meeting next week.

“The new Bill will be amended from the existing one to only allow the use of cannabis for health and medicinal purposes,” he told reporters. “The use for fun is considered wrong.”

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who took office in August 2023, has frequently voiced his opposition to the recreational use of the drug and said it should be allowed only for medicinal use.

It is no secret that cannabis has proliferated in Thailand, however, that was by design. The previous government in Thailand did everything imaginable to make cannabis production a priority, and to make cannabis widely available.

Yet, just because cannabis is more widespread in Thailand does not automatically mean that there are significant issues resulting from it. What is currently legal in Thailand, and soon to be prohibited, is cannabis which has a very low THC content.

Compared to the cannabis in other countries, such as Canada, the cannabis in Thailand is fairly benign. Unfortunately, lawmakers and regulators do not see it that way, and it is presumed at this point that Thailand is about to go backward on its cannabis policies.