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European Parliament Members Form New Cannabis Reform Group

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Policy.

The European continent is in the midst of a cannabis revolution with policies being reformed for the better in a growing number of countries. Malta became the first country on the continent to pass an adult-use cannabis legalization measure late last year, and it most certainly will not be the last to do so.

Cannabis reform is a serious issue that every country needs to explore thoroughly and with an open mind. Also, countries need to collaborate as much as possible to help ensure that their domestic laws don’t create unnecessary hurdles for the emerging industry.

In order for Europe’s legal cannabis industry to reach its full potential, not only do domestic laws within individual countries need to be sensible, but there also needs to be a concerted effort at the continental level to adopt policies, rules, and regulations that make sense.

Members of the European Parliament seem to agree with the previously stated needs and have formed a group involving multiple political parties and representing multiple nations. Per Malta Today:

Five members of the European Parliament hailing from different political groups and different EU Member States have come together to create an informal interest group of MEPs who support human rights-based policies relating to the personal use of cannabis.

In an open letter to the 705 Members of the European Parliament encouraging MEPs to join the informal group, MEPs Cyrus Engerer (Malta, SD), Monica Semedo (Luxembourg, Renew), Mikuláš Peksa (Czech Republic, Greens), Dorian Rookmaker (The Netherlands, ECR) and Luke “Ming” Flanagan (Ireland, The Left) welcome the recent developments on cannabis legalisation in Germany, Malta and Luxembourg and call for more information sharing between Member States on the topic.

How fruitful the group’s efforts will end up being is anyone’s guess at this point, however, it’s definitely a worthwhile endeavor and hopefully more members will join, especially from countries like Germany and Switzerland where the cannabis industry is booming.

With Germany inching ever-closer to legalization, and the likely opening of the legalization floodgates once that happens, it’s more important now than ever for lawmakers across Europe to join the conversation if they haven’t already, and to let facts and evidence lead the way instead of letting prohibition politics drive the conversation.

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Setting Cannabis Home Grow Standards Across Europe

Written by Marguerite Arnold on . Posted in Policy.

Current proposals range from 4-5 plants – but is this a number based on any kind of reality?

Malta has just allowed it. Luxembourg and Portugal are on the brink of doing so. Germany almost certainly will put language in place allowing the same.

The real question is how are governments coming up with this number? Further, does it really do anything other than supply recreational users who are diligent with their horticultural efforts? And perhaps more importantly, will patients be bound by the same regulations?

The reality is that this critical part of reform is not getting the attention it deserves.

A Numbers Game

As anyone who has actually grown cannabis knows, a successful, bountiful grow takes a couple of things to maximize yield. The first is the right growing environment. Indoors, which is ideal for users in Europe, requires a good LED light, a grow tent, fans, and an extractor. This is easily a four-to-six-hundred-dollar investment (at the low end). Outdoors, it means that you are limited to one crop a year.

Beyond this, there is then yield to consider. A good cultivar can yield about 400-600 grams per plant every three to four months. An auto strain (meaning that the plant produces flower regardless of light intensity) can speed up this process to two months per crop, although yields tend to be lower. The bottom line is even if you use a high-yielding auto flower crop, you are unlikely to get more than 1 kilo of flower per plant every two months.

Most recreational users cannot use 4-5 kilos of flower every two months. Most patients can. But this is just the optimal situation. More likely is the production of perhaps several kilos a year.

This is fine for the average recreational user. It is, however, sub-optimal for those who need the most help.

Decrim and Patient Licensing

Another option, which has not caught on in Europe, yet, is the idea of issuing limited cultivation permits for patients and patient groups. This ensures that a person who needs a steady and larger than average amount of cannabis will be kept in meds without bankrupting them. It does not mean that a cannabis patient cannot go to a doctor too and obtain some help with regulated meds too.

It also creates a non-profit medical market. See Canada.

This concept is problematic in a highly regulated medical market like most European countries. However, so is the reality that a majority of patients who should qualify for treatment not being able to access it without incredible hurdles or the possibility of a criminal conviction.

The bottom line is that every European country is still struggling with acceptance – and that starts with a humane home grow policy beyond creating an infrastructure that helps the legitimate industry flourish.

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Home Grow Europe?

Written by Marguerite Arnold on . Posted in Policy.

Several political initiatives are moving forward in multiple countries that would give European citizens the right to grow their own – what are the opportunities and pitfalls?

Home grow is a controversial topic in the cannabis industry just about everywhere. On one hand, it is the legal loophole that began to establish the industry in places like Canada (and one presumes European countries like Luxembourg). On the other hand, it represents considerable competition to the nascent medical and recreational industry. After all, if people are growing their own, they won’t buy it.

The cost of cannabis, especially for patients who use far more of it than recreational users, is one of the biggest reasons this entire discussion remains politically relevant. This is especially true in places like Germany – where theoretically at least, sick patients should be able to get their meds covered for a co-pay of about $11 a month. Many – if not still the majority of those who should qualify – are not or just falling out of the system altogether.

However, it is clear that the debate has progressed significantly in Europe. Mention home grow even a few years ago in an industry event in Germany and one would be looked at as a dangerous “radical.”

Now the government is again considering the same as Luxembourg and Portugal move towards legalizing limited home grow, Italy has a legal precedent set by its highest court, and Germany tries to figure out how to incorporate this idea into the recreational system they are now holding hearings on. Patient home grow briefly became legal here in 2016 before the medical law was passed in 2017.

How Do Patients Fit In?

One of the most important reasons for legalizing home grow is patient need – especially at a time when most doctors are still not educated about cannabis – and the sickest patients are still struggling with access on the cost front.

However, so far in Europe at least, this is not a discussion that has gotten much traction. Indeed “home grow” has been a topic that is mostly focused on those who want to use the plant for “recreational” purposes. Growing four to five plants in an indoor grow box will not create enough cannabis for patients. It is, however, plenty for the average occasional rec user.

Beyond this, the idea of having legal non-profit patient collectives has not entered the discussion (so far). In Spain the clubs are “non-profit,” but they are not targeted to patients but rather the general cannabis-using public.

However, the reality remains that without some kind of relief, or at least recognition that patients need to not only use more cannabis to manage their conditions, but also grow more, any reform that excludes this reality will continue to put the sickest and most vulnerable people in danger of being criminalized merely for being sick.

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The Top 10 Cannabis Economies In Europe

Written by Marguerite Arnold on . Posted in Business.

Things are starting to change in a hurry on the cannabis front across the EU. Here is a brief overview of the leading cannabis countries across the region as it experiences a European “summer of cannabis love”

Things are definitely moving in Europe on the cannabis front this summer. Countries are beginning to see a post-Covid wave of enthusiasm if not continual reminders from the industry as it exists so far, to finally address lingering cannabis prohibition of both the medical and recreational kind.

Just as in the United States, where conservative states (like North Carolina) cannot deny at least medical efficacy anymore, there is a certain logic that is driving reform across Europe right now.

There has already been a raft of interesting announcements this spring – starting of course with Germany. But things are not just moving aus Deutschland.

Read on for a brief overview of the top ten cannabis countries in Europe

Germany

If there was a tipping point, it would be Germany’s to claim. The largest economy in Europe is going recreational – at least legislatively – this year. This is going to be a very interesting waterfall moment. Come 2024, at the latest, the cannabis map of Europe is going to look very different. Germany currently has three cultivators of EU GMP cannabis, scores of hemp farmers, multiple narcotics distributors, and a growing ecosystem of a country just pre-reform. Think a much higher regulated Colorado circa 2012 but with a very different sprache. It will also be in a position to rival London for fundraising – and not in Berlin but in Frankfurt. When Deutschland goes green, expect a tidal wave of reform to follow across Europe.

Holland

The land that created the eponymous symbol of reform – the coffee shop, is certainly in the heavy hitter column, no matter how many threats keep popping up to shut out tourists in Amsterdam. In the meantime, a national cultivation system that supplies such establishments outside of major cities is setting up to finally get going next year. And do not count out the country when it comes to medical cultivation – even if it is just for export.

Portugal

It looks like recreational reform is back on the national agenda after the Left Bloc raised the topic recently. The country whose world-famous laissez-faire approach to decriminalization (and copied by Oregon) is shaping up to be a major feeder market for the European medical biz. In the meantime, the calls for full reform, which were stymied last year with the fall of the old government, are clearly back on the table this summer.

Greece

Unlike their Dutch neighbours to the north, the Greeks are opening up the country to the cannabis industry because of foreign investment. It is also clear that medical tourism is going to be high on the agenda as things continue to cook. In the meantime, the country is beginning to export medical cannabis, but it is still not living up to its full potential. Give it a few summers, however, and the ability to travel, as a patient, to a warm, inviting climate where a new doctor will issue a prescription, will be understandably enticing – and to a global clientele.

Switzerland

The trial is on! Cities are continuing to announce their cannabis plans. Switzerland may be proceeding slowly and cautiously, with few participants, but right now they are the leader in rolling out a regulated industry of the recreational kind – and from scratch. Cultivation is also happening here, although it will not necessarily be the most economical export. Swiss farmers are competing against those in warmer climates – and with lower labour rates.

Italy

The country’s highest court may have blocked a referendum on reform this year, but medical cannabis cultivation is expanding, as is the hemp market. Beyond this, Italy is on the list of one of the top countries in the region to allow home grow by legislative muster. Despite being more conservative in many ways than Spain, the Italians are managing to beat them to the punch on the cannabis conversation. It may be happening in stranger ways, but right now, there is definitely a regulated industry that is popping and getting stronger.

Spain

Home of the cannabis club, Spain is teetering right now on the verge of medical reform at a federal level. It is an advancement, but there is so much more bubbling just beneath the surface. The clubs are not going to go away. The hemp industry is established. The country has pharmaceutical-grade cannabis being shipped to other European countries. It is certainly ahead of other countries, but there is a great deal of resistance to full and final reform. Don’t expect Spain to be a market leader, but rather a follower.

UK

If certain members of Parliament get their way, the UK’s CBD biz could go into overtime. The reason? The proposed elimination of Novel Food applications. In the meantime, there are close to 6,000 products on, or close to, the market. Medical cannabis cultivation and extraction projects are also underway, especially on the islands surrounding the mainland. Beyond this, the mayor of London, the country’s largest city, is loudly and internationally suggesting that, at minimum, cannabis be decriminalized in certain boroughs of London and that the police might stop racially profiling minor drug offenders. The British investment market, however, is one of the hottest in the world right now. If you are looking for financing anywhere in Europe, you cannot ignore London right now.

Luxembourg

The country’s government has been dangling recreational cannabis reform like a carrot for the last four years. With time running out on fulfilling their pledge, the country is apparently moving forward with a surprisingly conservative home grow proposal at a federal level. When Germany passes reform legislation, expect Luxembourg to be close behind. This was the pattern on the medical front too. It is a rich, but small country. Major policy changes like this are best done by larger countries in the bloc.

The Czech Republic

The CR has taken forward steps on this entire conversation consistently over the last five to seven years. Right now, medical reform is in full swing. Even more interestingly, much like Thailand, the country is more concerned with treating patients than enforcing EU GMP standards. This means that when Germany goes recreational, expect the Czechs to follow shortly thereafter.

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Will Suing Governments For Cannabis Legalization Work In Europe?

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

Large, multi-state operators in the US are teaming up to sue the federal government over reform. Will the same strategy work in Europe?

Several large U.S. companies are teaming up to sue the U.S. federal government over what they claim are unconstitutional limits on their commercial operations across the US. One of the suits will focus on the federal government’s prevention of intrastate commerce. Another will challenge the 280E tax provision blocking the industry from taking tax deductions for state taxes from their federal returns.

The approach is certainly a novel one in the history of cannabis reform.

The question is, could such a tactic work in Europe, and at what level?

Lawsuits Move Policy – But Only So Far

In Europe, legal challenges have already begun to move policy – and on both a country and EU level – but it has been unpredictable so far.

For example, in Germany, a patient legal action directly led to national medical reform in 2017. A current lawsuit hopes to do the same to determine, finally, the legal status of hemp. Recreational legislation may settle this out of court, but lawsuits clearly help to focus legislative attention right now on this issue.

Beyond this, at the EU level, the decision to normalize CBD – namely to redefine it as a non-narcotic substance – went through the court system, rather than being decided initially as policy in a national legislature.

A French case on imported CBD vapes also helped set policy at the EU level about the cross-border trade in CBD.

That said, the European Court of Justice refused to accept the case of Albert Tio in Spain, who was criminally charged and convicted for being a central part of the club movement, presumably because of its implications for recreational reform.

What Happens When Germany Legalizes?

There is clearly a place for such lawsuits after Germany legalizes recreational use. This development will absolutely drive policy across the EU – as Luxembourg has already noted. But when will this translate into similar kinds of lawsuits?

For now, it is too early to tell what might land first. However, with several countries in the EU on the brink of legalizing recreational use, even of the home grow kind, and both Germany and Switzerland in a trade alliance that goes beyond the EU, there is certainly a window of opportunity for legal challenges of this ilk, starting with the free movement of goods.

A non-pharmaceutical provider in Holland, for example, might be able to sue to gain access to the German market. So might a Swiss company. Beyond this, growers in countries like Portugal, Spain and Greece might be able to try to litigate market access for their high THC product, even if of pharmaceutical quality.

Market access is a powerful incentive for change. This in turn is also likely to instigate litigation to allow trade in the first place.

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How Accurate Are European Cannabis Industry Projections?

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

It is still far too early to be able to project any real numbers with authority as multiple countries have still not passed comprehensive market reform

By now, guestimates about cannabis market size in Europe it is a veritable cottage industry. Namely “projecting” the size and growth of the European cannabis industry – either by country or region is a regular “thing.” How accurate such guesswork is, however, is highly debatable. Here is why.

Medical Demand Is Still Patchy

The German cannabis market has definitely grown in the last five years. This is for several reasons. The first is that in 2017, the German government mandated that insurers reimburse the costs of medical cannabis when prescribed by a doctor. The second is that while it is possible to track the slow growth of this market, future volume is also unclear. From the start of market sales here, German producers have not come close to meeting market demand, and insurers have been routinely turning down about 40% of applicants and for a variety of reasons. Until more trials are done, insurers are able to refuse coverage based on old trial data. This was not the intent of the 2017 legislation – namely the law says that if a doctor prescribes cannabis for a patient as a drug of last resort, the insurer is supposed to reimburse. That has not been how it has worked in practice.

Recreational Markets Are Too Young to Gauge

Here are a few absolutes about the market now. Germany will legalize a recreational market, but what the parameters will be are impossible to predict. This includes real sales, and of course, home grow. Beyond this, at least in Germany, the CBD industry still has no protection (like in the UK). Even here, other economic conditions, namely inflation, are going to have a damper on market growth – simply because this is still a “luxury” industry. In Italy, medical cultivation happens solely on a military base and the CBD biz, while growing, also has to compete with inflationary pressure. There is certainly a great deal of potential, but anyone who tells you that they can predict, with any accuracy, how big any of these markets will be is lying.

Switzerland Can Create a Little Insight

Here is why Switzerland may be a more fertile ground to create guestimates. There will be a set number of participants per Canton (or state) for the next couple of years. It will be able to project how many participants will be a part of the trial, and potentially the worth of what they might buy. For this reason, the market here is a good straw man – but not really applicable anywhere else.

Holland Is Unreliable

Yes, there is a national cultivation trial in progress, however, the Mayor of Amsterdam keeps making noises about shutting tourists out of the semi-legit market in Amsterdam. Nobody really knows, including the Dutch, what is about to happen, much less what the market is going to look like in five years.

Legislation Is in Flux in Other Countries

Then of course there is the soft stance on cannabis reform everywhere else. It was supposedly a sure thing that Luxembourg and Portugal would have announced plans for their own recreational markets. That has not happened for the entirety of 2022. Nor has any other big movement anywhere else.

For all of these reasons, it is really impossible to accurately judge the size of the market other than to say that it will increase. That is, at least, a step in the right direction. However, beyond this, educated projections are still a long way off.

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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!

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What Should People Anticipate As Legalization Spreads Through Europe?

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

The European continent is at the forefront of adult-use cannabis legalization reform. Towards the end of last year, lawmakers in Malta passed an adult-use measure making the country the first in Europe to do so. With 2022 in full swing multiple other countries in Europe may follow.

Members of the governing coalition in Germany previously announced intentions to legalize cannabis for adult use as well as launch a regulated adult-use industry. The German lawmakers did not announce a specific timeline for doing so, however, the start of the policy shift is expected to happen sooner rather than later.

Cannabis activists in Italy have likely gathered enough signatures to put a cannabis legalization referendum before voters. The effort only needs to clear one more procedural hurdle, which is expected to happen later this month. Legalization is expected to occur this year in Luxembourg according to lawmakers.

Both Switzerland and the Netherlands are pursuing adult-use ‘pilot programs’ in which cannabis will be legal in certain jurisdictions for research purposes to help craft eventual national legalization policies. Switzerland already allows the sale of cannabis products with less than 1% THC content. In every measurable way, cannabis legalization is on the move in Europe.

Opportunities For Investors, Operators, And Consumers

It is truly an exciting time to be a cannabis enthusiast in Europe and looking towards the future, the situation should only continue to improve as more countries pursue and enact sensible reform measures. Every European country that legalizes, starting with Malta, builds momentum for reform in other countries on the continent. Lawmakers have to decide if they want to get on the right side of history and see their countries reap the benefits of cannabis reform, or continue to cling to failed public policy and let once-in-a-generation opportunities pass them by.

Now that the first domino has fallen, people can expect an uptick in policy changes in the coming years in Europe. Knowing what to anticipate and getting the timing right is extremely important for investors, operators, and consumers as there will be tremendous opportunities created by the inevitable policy changes.

The perfect time and place to learn more about what to anticipate in Europe is at the upcoming International Cannabis Business Conference B2B event in Barcelona on March 10th. The event is part of the world’s largest superconference, with the International Cannabis Business Conference once again teaming up with Spannabis. Jamie L Pearson, Bhang Inc.’s (CSE:BHNG OTCQB: BHNGF) President and CEO will provide the keynote at the B2B event.

Pearson is a proven leader in the cannabis space and brings nearly a decade of experience from operating an internationally-recognized brand in the ever-evolving North American cannabis markets. She will offer her top 10 observations regarding social justice, banking, taxation, wellness, and leadership in her keynote address.

Additional Speakers

The rich cannabis history and culture in Barcelona, Spain make it the perfect backdrop for the next International Cannabis Business Conference being held in March. The conference is co-sponsored by Bhang Inc and Grow Glide. At the conclusion of the superconference the International Cannabis Business Conference will host one of its world-famous after-parties. This year’s after-party will be sponsored by Juicy Fields.

The most entertaining man in cannabis, Ngaio Bealum, will serve as the International Cannabis Business Conference’s Master of Ceremonies in Barcelona. Additional speakers include:

    • Bernardo Soriano Guzmán – CO-CEO, S&F Abogados
    • Guillermo J Fernandez Navarro – CO-Founder, S&F Abogados
    • Nic Easley – CEO of 3C Consulting and Managing Director of Multiverse Capital
    • Luna Stower – VP Business Development, Ispire
    • Òscar Parés – Deputy Director, ICEERS Foundation
    • Sergio González aka Weedzard – President, 420 Movement
    • Iker Val – CPO, Sovereign Fields
    • Chloe Grossman – Executive Director of Corporate Growth, Trulieve Cannabis Corp
    • Roberto Algar – Managing Director, Curaleaf Switzerland
    • Santiago Ongay – CEO, Sabia
    • Kai-Friedrich Niermann – Founder, KFN+ Law Office
    • Dr. Juana Vasella – Attorney of Law, MME Legal Zurich
    • Joan Simó Cruanyes – Coordinator of Cananbis Hub UPC
    • Albert Tio – Founder of Airam and President of Fedcac
    • Aaron Smith – Co-Founder and Executive Director, National Cannabis Industry Association
    • Lisa Haag – Founder, MJ_Universe
    • Juanma Fernández – CEO, Easy CSC Group
    • Patricia Amiguet – Founder of Pachamama Cannabis Association and President of CatFAC
    • Zeta Ceti – Founder and CEO, Green Rush Consulting
    • Ruben Valenzuela Moreno – CTO, Valenveras

The International Cannabis Business Conference also has additional upcoming events in Berlin in July 2022 and Zurich in September 2022. You can secure tickets now and take advantage of the early bird pricing discount.

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Did Cannabis Reform In Europe Increase Use Among Young People?

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

One of the most popular talking points for cannabis prohibitionists is the ‘what about the children?’ talking point. Cannabis opponents go to that talking point early and often whenever cannabis reform is being proposed in any jurisdiction, including in Europe.

In recent years medical cannabis reform has spread across the European continent, with countless patients now being able to safely access medical cannabis products where they live. Not all countries’ medical cannabis programs are created equal, as proven by a comparison between the United Kingdom and Germany.

Germany is home to the most well-established medical cannabis program in Europe and the largest medical cannabis industry on the continent. Patients can easily acquire medical cannabis products from licensed pharmacies. Compare that to the United Kingdom where only three patients had received any medical cannabis products as of last summer.

With so much medical cannabis reform sweeping the European continent, many are wondering if it had any impact on youth consumption rates on the continent? After all, cannabis opponents tried so hard to convince people that reforming cannabis laws would lead to a doomsday scenario in Europe. A study was recently conducted that sought to answer that question, and spoiler alert – it was not favorable to the claims of cannabis opponents.

Youth Consumption Rates Spanning 20+ Years

A team of researchers in Sweden recently examined data of self-reported cannabis use spanning a period from 1994 to 2017. During that span of time many countries in Europe reformed their cannabis laws in one way or another, including the countries where data was sourced from (Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and United Kingdom).

“Cannabis policy varies greatly across European countries, but evidence of how such policy impacts on recreational cannabis use among young people is conflicting. This study aimed to clarify this association by investigating how changes in cannabis legislation influenced cannabis use.” the study’s authors stated.

“Available data on self-reports of recreational cannabis use among individuals aged 15-34 years was retrieved from EMCDDA. Information on cannabis policy changes was categorized as more lenient (decriminalisation or depenalisation) or stricter (criminalisation, penalisation). Countries that had implemented changes in cannabis legislation or had information on prevalence of use for at least eight calendar years, were eligible for inclusion. We used interrupted time-series linear models to investigate changes in country-specific trajectories of prevalence over calendar time and in relation to policy changes.” the researchers stated regarding their methodology.

The researchers concluded that “Our findings do not support any considerable impact of cannabis legislation on the prevalence of recreational cannabis use among youth and young adults in Europe.”

The Same Will Likely Prove True For Adult-Use Legalization

Europe’s cannabis community experienced a major milestone at the end of last year when Malta became the first country on the continent to legalize cannabis for adult use. The new law makes it legal for adults to cultivate, possess, and consume cannabis. The measure will also legalize cannabis clubs, although it will not legalize adult-use sales.

Legalization efforts are well underway in other European countries as well, with Luxembourg, Germany, and possibly Italy legalizing cannabis for adult use in the near future. That will increase pressure on other countries, including Spain where our next event will be held in March, to ramp up adult-use legalization efforts as well.

Unfortuantely, that ramping up of legalization efforts across the continent will likely be paralleled by claims from cannabis opponents that cannabis legalization will result in a stoned youth epidemic. Feel free to point to the results of the study contained in this article to debunk their claims. Just as those claims proved to be unfounded when it came to medical cannabis reform, the same will likely be true for adult-use reform.