Policy – Page 72 – International Cannabis Business Conference

Recreational Cannabis Trial Begins Selecting Participants In Basel, Switzerland

Written by Marguerite Arnold on August 29, 2022. Posted in Policy.

The Swiss pilot project is due to begin on September 15, allowing 370 people to access cannabis and hash through legal means

“Weed Care,” the first cannabis legalization trial in Switzerland, is a mere fortnight from kicking off. The program, located in the Swiss city of Basel, is now in the process of selecting participants. Authorities will begin contacting successful applicants over the next few weeks. More people have already shown an interest in participating than slots allocated for trial participants. In fact, after online registration was launched last week, close to 600 people signed up.

No matter who is finally selected, residents of the city can continue to register on the website of the pilot project. Prerequisites are that participants must be over 18, not pregnant and can prove that they already use cannabis.

Four tested strains of cannabis flower and two strains of hash will be made available starting on September 15.

Background on Basel’s Cannabis Legalization Trial

The trial is intended to provide information about the extent to which legalization and a move away from the black-market influences’ consumer behaviour and impacts consumer health. Participants will be subject to checks by officials running the experiment.

The Basel city director of Health, Lukas Engelberger has already said that while he would prefer a no-cannabis use policy, prohibition has clearly failed. As a result, the goal of the study is to create a “minimally harmful” regulatory model to create a market which is safe.

Basel is one of five Swiss cities to embark on such a trial. The southern town of Lausanne appears to be the second municipality on track to implement the same – although it will create a trial about three times larger that consists of 1,000 people.

Medical cannabis use became legal on a federal basis in Switzerland as of the end of July. The government made amendments to the national Narcotics Act in May 2021 to allow such trials to proceed.

Could The Swiss Experiment Impact European Reform?

While there have been many naysayers on the German side of the border, it is very likely that the Swiss recreational cannabis trial is likely to influence cannabis legalization discussions in other countries. This does not mean that it will be a carbon copy. For example, in Switzerland, the first distribution of recreational cannabis will happen through pharmacies. That is unlikely to happen in Germany.

However, the idea of starting with limited home grow options as well as specific city trials, albeit not necessarily with limited participation, is very likely to be adopted across borders – potentially starting in places like both Germany as well as Luxembourg and Malta.

Estonia To Allow Farmers To Cultivate Hemp With Higher THC

Written by Marguerite Arnold on August 29, 2022. Posted in Policy.

A regulatory amendment is now being drawn up by the Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs to allow hemp with higher THC limits to be cultivated in the country

In a major advance for the European hemp industry, Estonian regulators are planning to allow hemp farmers to grow crops with a THC level higher than the current 0.2%. By 2023, that limit will be at least .3%. This in turn will bring the country up to regional standards created by the EU last year.

The change will require an amendment to the country’s Narcotic Drugs schedule.

This new liberalized policy however is not a move to legalize recreational cannabis – but rather is being touted as a way to help domestic hemp farmers who have repeatedly complained about their limited cultivation options under the current regulations. Currently there are only two varieties of hemp that can be legally grown in Estonia. The proposed regulatory update would allow between three and five new varieties of hemp to be cultivated.

The difference will also certainly make the country a more competitive market for the burgeoning CBD industry. About 6,800 hectares (16,000 acres) are currently under hemp cultivation in Estonia. Farmers who cultivate hemp crops with THC under the set limits are eligible for agricultural subsidies.

Normalizing Regulations in the Hemp Industry

The EU regulations on hemp have now been set at 0.3% across the region. Switzerland, outside of the EU, allows for hemp varieties that contain up to 1% of THC. It is unlikely that the rest of Europe will follow in Swiss footsteps in this regard until full recreational legalization. However, what this development does do is move Estonia to the front of the line of European countries which are on the cusp of changing their national policies on cannabis to conform to EU rather than outdated national standards.

The lack of regulatory homogeneity across EU countries is one of the largest impediments to a regionally strong cannabis industry – of any kind.

What Impact Will Recreational Reform Have on THC Limits on Hemp?

Recreational cannabis reform may impact regional standards on the amount of THC allowed in hemp. In all likelihood, however, just as is the case in the United States and Canada, the European cannabis market is likely to remain stratified between “medical,” “recreational” and “industrial” in terms of licensing and specific cannabinoid limits after full legalization. Such regulations will define which verticals cultivators are allowed to operate – and come, almost undoubtedly, with additional levies and taxes based on the amount of THC in cultivated plants.

In the meantime, Estonia will be one of the first countries to formally implement “new” EU standards on THC levels allowed in hemp.

Is Costa Rica On Track For Recreational Cannabis Reform?

Written by Marguerite Arnold on August 29, 2022. Posted in Policy.

The newly elected president Rodrigo Chaves, has laid out a plan for full legalization within his first 100 days in office that he says should be presented to Congress by November

Costa Rica is now on a fast track to full cannabis reform. The country’s president, Rodrigo Chaves, who took office this April, has just announced exciting plans for the full and final legalization of cannabis.

Chaves said his administration is now preparing regulations for the implementation of medical cannabis and hemp cultivation (which became law before he took office). Beyond this, he is also on track to legalize recreational use, an issue which he discussed during his campaign in the run-up to the election.

A bill is now being prepared by his office for full legalization, which will be presented to the country’s congress by November 1 (at the latest).

On Track with Germany?

While it is not directly connected, it is clear that the German plan to move ahead with recreational cannabis reform is influencing the global discussion. While no definitive plans have been revealed yet, it is widely expected that the draft German legalization legislation will be presented to the Bundestag on about the same schedule as Costa Rica.

If that is the case, the discussion about how to implement recreational reform while still honouring the majority of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs will be undoubtedly broadened. Right now, this is the largest single roadblock to proceeding with adult use, according to the conventional wisdom coming out of Berlin this summer since the June hearings.

If Costa Rica becomes the first country in Central America to fully legalize cannabis, it will also almost certainly do three things. The first is that it will certainly galvanize the discussion in other neighbouring countries (starting with Mexico). The second is that this reform will undoubtedly attract even more American tourists if not expats frustrated with the slow pace of federal reform in the continental US. The third likely impact is that the country could stand poised to become a major exporter for recreational cannabis markets elsewhere. That starts with not only Germany, but other countries in Europe (like Luxembourg) now on the cusp of recreational change and where there is unlikely to be enough recreational cannabis grown domestically (at least at first).

In fact, international regulations for the export of recreational cannabis could be one of the first discussions of a growing club of nations who are now seriously contemplating such reform.

In the meantime, Costa Rica has indicated that it is certainly joining the club.

Malaysia To Decide On Medical Cannabis Reform By End Of Year

Written by Frank Schuler on August 29, 2022. Posted in Policy.

As we previously reported, government officials from Malaysia met with their counterparts from Thailand this week with the goal of determining what Malaysia can learn from Thailand’s current cannabis policies and the efforts to get Thailand’s policies to where they are at now.

Historically, the region that Thailand and Malaysia are located in is where some of the harshest cannabis laws on earth could be found, and in the case of Malaysia, can still be found. Malaysia is one of a handful of countries around the world, most of them located in the same region, that still issues the death penalty for cannabis-only offenses.

Malaysia is currently exploring ways that it can improve its cannabis laws for medical cannabis patients, and coming off of the heals of the recent meeting between Malaysia and Thailand dedicated to the topic of medical cannabis, Malaysia’s Health Minister has indicated that the country will decide on medical cannabis by the end of the year. Per The Star:

The government will take a stand on the use of cannabis for medical purposes before the end of the year, says Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Khairy who concluded a bilateral working visit to Bangkok, on Thursday (Aug 25) said Thailand had shared a lot of views and experiences during his visit on the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes and its cultivation.

“I am confident that we will be able to study Thailand’s experience to adapt it to the Malaysian context later when we will decide whether or not to allow the use of cannabis for medical purposes.

The effort in Malaysia is far from guaranteed to succeed, and even if something is eventually adopted, it will likely be a far cry compared to robust medical cannabis programs found in other countries in North America and Europe.

Still, it is very encouraging to see neighboring countries take notice of the shift in cannabis policy in Thailand, and for them to be seeking out advice from the regional cannabis leader. Hopefully more countries in the region follow suit.

Fair Trading Commission Recommends Government Funding For Jamaican Cannabis Pursuits

Written by Frank Schuler on August 29, 2022. Posted in Business, Policy.

Finding proper funding in the cannabis industry, including cannabis research, is not an easy task. Ask anyone involved in cannabis in any meaningful way, and they will likely be quick to tell you that they are either having a hard time finding proper funding, or in the cases in which fundraising already occurred, it proved to be a harder task than they initially expected.

That is certainly proving to be the case in Jamaica where members of the nation’s emerging cannabis industry are expressing frustration regarding finding proper cannabis funding for their projects, whether it be for their company or their research projects.

The cannabis industry’s cries for help in Jamaica seem to be moving the needle, at least to some degree, with the government’s administrative body responsible for overseeing the Fair Competition Act, the Fair Trading Commission, recently recommending that Jamaica create a funding mechanism to help the cannabis industry. Per Jamaica Observer:

The recommendation follows the completion of a market study of the cannabis industry which revealed that funding is one of the major impediments in the industry.

The FTC report, which was released in August, stated “policymakers should consider establishing [a] source of funding to encourage easier entry/expansion of the legitimate trade of cannabis”.

The agency said this is crucial as potential entrants may encounter difficulties accessing loans through local financial institutions given global efforts to limit the illegal trade of cannabis.

Much of what is going on in Jamaica is also going on elsewhere, due in large part to international banking regulations that make it very hard for traditional lending institutions to work with the emerging cannabis industry.

Banking legislation lagging in the United States is partially to blame for the problem, although, other countries also have many domestic hurdles that need to be overcome in order for the cannabis industry to gain full access to the international banking system and to ever reach its full potential.

Cannabis Industry Leaders And International Policymakers To Attend Croatia Retreat

Written by Johnny Green on August 22, 2022. Posted in Business, Entertainment, Policy, Science.

After a historic Global Investment Forum and B2B conference in Berlin in July, the International Cannabis Business Conference is hosting a Mediterranean retreat in Rovinj, Croatia at the stunning 5-star Grand Park Hotel on September 22-23, 2022.

“It’s a critical time for the international cannabis industry, including for the Balkan region. The emerging legal cannabis industry is expanding at an ever-increasing pace in virtually every corner of the planet right now. It’s extremely important for industry leaders and policymakers from around the world collaborate.” stated Alex Rogers, founder of the International Cannabis Business Conference.

“The cannabis industry is going global, and in order for the industry to reach its full potential and provide numerous benefits to society it is vital for leaders to meet, network, brainstorm, and compare ideas. That is why we created the retreat in Croatia. The retreat will certainly contain some of the elements that our events are famous for, however, it will be in a more intimate setting so that leaders from dozens of countries can dive deeper into the more granular aspects of creating the next great global industry.” Rogers went on to say.

Cannabis reform is spreading across the European continent. With Germany expected to launch a regulated adult-use industry in the near future, every European nation is trending closer to reforming its own cannabis laws, including Balkan nations. The Balkan region is already home to a number of ancillary industries that would greatly benefit from cannabis reform, including and especially the scientific research industry.

The International Cannabis Business Conference’s Mediterranean retreat in Croatia will be unlike any other cannabis event to-date. The retreat will feature a blend of education and networking, with topics for the retreat’s curriculum to include:

Current legalization efforts in Europe
Economic benefits of regulating cannabis
Embracing cannabis research
Product development for an international market
Sustainable industry strategies
Educating medical professionals
Reforming Balkan region cannabis policies
Raising capital for Balkan cannabis markets

Individual speakers and panelists have already been announced, with more expected to be announced in the near future. Of course, it would not be an International Cannabis Business Conference event without an after-party, and this particular event’s after-party will be unmatched. The one and only DJ Muggs will provide the music for the poolside after-party at the 5-star Grand Park Hotel to cap off a productive and historic retreat.

The International Cannabis Business Conference is the leading B2B cannabis event series on earth. Events have been held in the United States, Canada, Spain, Germany, and Switzerland. Additional locations in other countries are being identified and will be announced in the future.

International Cannabis Business Conference events are attended by leading policymakers, executives, and entrepreneurs from all over the world, with over 85 countries being represented at previous events.

You can secure your spot now and take advantage of the early bird pricing discount.

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About the International Cannabis Business Conference

The International Cannabis Business Conference is Europe’s longest-running and largest industry B2B tradeshow and conference series. For more information, including how to register for upcoming International Cannabis Business Conference events, please visit: Internationalcbc.com. Find out more on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

For more information or media inquiries, please email noelle@internationalcbc.com or call 541.864.0090.

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German Traffic Court Association Recommends An Increase In THC Driving Limits

Written by Marguerite Arnold on August 22, 2022. Posted in Policy.

In a rather shocking victory, the German Traffic Court Association has recommended that legislators increase the level of THC found in blood of drivers suspected of drugged driving before being able to charge them

There has been an unbelievably surprising if not progressive victory on the recreational cannabis front in Germany this August that will certainly have long term implications. Namely, the German Traffic Court, by definition a conservative group that helps set rules on road safety, has recommended to legislators now trying to write cannabis reform legislation, that the current limits on THC levels should be raised from their current level before drivers can be charged with drugged driving.

The current limit is currently one nanogram of THC per millilitre of blood (or the smallest measurement possible). In other words, if one has inhaled any cannabis within the last 60 days, it might prohibit one from driving altogether.

Clearly this is an impossible standard. Yet unlike the police, the Traffic Court has suggested that this limit be increased, citing the impossibility of enforcement once recreational reform becomes legal.

What that limit should be, however, is another question – and further one that went unanswered by the Association.

Regardless this is a highly significant advance for reform. The Association’s recommendations are frequently used by lawmakers when crafting legislation. It is likely that this one will be too.

Driving and Cannabis Use

The entire conversation about driving and cannabis use is one that has been festering in Germany ever since 2017. Namely, patients, who are likely to have the largest concentrations of cannabis in their system but are the least likely to be “high” when driving, have been left in an uneasy legal limbo.

It appears that the Traffic Court has recognized both this, and the other large issue lurking in the room – namely how to judge if someone is impaired by weed while driving by measuring any body fluid.

Impairment from THC intoxication generally lasts no longer than five hours. The problem is finding a test that will accurately reveal if a driver was on the road within this window of time.

Blood tests, rather than hair or urine, are the go-to tests for police inquiries in drugged driving cases.

In the United States, new breathalysers are also being used in some states by the police, although their use is still not only controversial, but even the police prefer blood tests.

It is not clear how such testing would be performed in Germany post legalization.

One thing is for sure. It is far easier to recommend that the current ridiculously low limits be raised – and another to determine what those limits should be.

Emmanuel Macron’s Left Flank Presses Him On Full Cannabis Reform

Written by Marguerite Arnold on August 22, 2022. Posted in Policy.

31 senators challenged President Macron on the pages of Le Monde last week to implement full cannabis legalization – but what does this really mean for reform in France?

Cannabis usually exists, still, in the political fault lines, just about everywhere.

That is certainly true in France at the moment. Last Monday, thirty-one federal French senators published a letter in Le Monde, one of the most popular newspapers in France, calling for full legalization. Decrim, as they argued, is a cynical half step.

It is a fascinating development – and for several reasons – both about and beyond the legalization discussion specifically. On the cannabis front, it comes during the first year of France’s much delayed medical trial. It is also happening in a country which has already helped set European cannabis policy – on CBD.

Apart from this, however, the political impetus behind this declaration is absolutely a challenge to the status quo – and from a place that sitting president Emmanuel Macron cannot ignore. Namely, despite the fact that he has repeatedly said he would never implement recreational reform, this new challenge is coming from a group he needs to stave off the extreme right wing – both of whom are anti Europe and cannabis – after he lost a majority in Parliament this summer.

Despite the fact that Macron has repeatedly shown that he is a politician who can only be moved by increments, the fact that this bloc has also called for him to speed up, rather than incrementally implement the cannabis reform process says a great deal about the political climate locally, beyond just cannabis reform.

France’s Role in the European Cannabis Bloc

Right now, Germany is very publicly debating how it might implement recreational cannabis reform without violating the international treaties on drug control that, of course, also cover cannabis. The one that is most mentioned in Europe is the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. This is why three countries (so far) – namely Germany, Luxembourg, and Malta – have begun to meet on a multilateral basis to discuss how to proceed.

France as the bloc’s second largest economy, no doubt, should join that table. And Macron, as a committed pro EU politician, is going to have little wiggle room to completely ignore this development. This will be even more true as other countries begin to join this conversation – from Portugal and Italy to Greece and Spain beyond that.

One thing is for sure. France may not be on the leading edge of the revolution, but it is certainly joining the party – despite the wishes of its top politician.

Latin American Cannabis Exports To Europe Are Increasing – And Increasingly Important

Written by Marguerite Arnold on August 22, 2022. Posted in Business, Policy.

Central and South America are playing an ever more vital role in European cannabis market development

The first shipment of CBD from Ecuador to Switzerland has successfully landed. Even though the amounts were small – 5kg of hemp flower and one litre of CBD extract – the longer-term impact is potentially very large. Indeed, this step is an important one across the EU’s map of cannabis reform where there is a growing need for both hemp and higher THC products – but a growing question about where affordable flower and products will come from.

So far, the Ecuadorian experiment has been neither cheap or easy. Bureaucratic hurdles on both sides of the border were the order of the day. However, the potential of Latin American and African exports entering Europe is something that is beginning to trickle down – from the largest producers to smaller enterprises.

This is true of the CBD and medical market. It is also clearly going to be on the drawing board for recreational too.

Costa Rican President Fast Tracks Recreational Cannabis Reform

The newly sworn in President, Rodrigo Chaves, has prioritized the legalization of recreational cannabis while also promising to publish long awaited regulation on the medical side – which has already been approved by Congress.

This in turn will open up two important sources of income for the country – both domestically and via export.

Whether recreational reform clears the Costa Rican political opposition still aligned against it is another matter – but with a president enthusiastically behind the same, this is much more likely to happen in Chaves’ first term. This is even more the case when one considers evolving reform discussions elsewhere.

Beyond this, such developments will cement Costa Rica’s popularity as a medical vacation destination – if not create the second recreational market in the region (after Uruguay).

On the export side of the discussion, things will also become very interesting. One of the outstanding questions about pending recreational reform in Germany is where such product would come from, if outside of the country. Shipping properly regulated product between countries where cannabis reform is federally and recreationally legal may well end up being one solution to the problem of compliance with international drug control treaties still in force.

This discussion of course is not just limited to Ecuador and Costa Rica. Columbia is beginning to look even more strategically important in the provision of at least medical cannabis to Europe. And then of course there is the unrealized potential of Uruguay.

No matter what, it is clear that Europe is going to see an influx of cannabis flower if not products from this part of the world – and increasingly it is on a timeline of sooner rather than later.