• Canada’s unsold cannabis inventory balloons to 1.5 billion grams

    Falling prices are putting the squeeze on businesses across the cannabis supply chain in Canada
    MJBizDaily (US)
    Tuesday, June 6, 2023

    canada cannabis industrialBusiness failures and consolidation failed to stop Canada’s stockpile of unsold cannabis from reaching a new high in the final quarter of 2022, the latest sign that shrinking prices and margins could continue to squeeze companies. Packaged and unpackaged inventory of dried cannabis jumped to an all-time high of 1.47 billion grams (3.2 million pounds) as of December 2022, according to the latest data from Health Canada, which tracks overall unsold stockpiles of licensed producers, wholesalers and retailers. That’s an increase from 1.3 billion grams in December 2021. Last year, Aurora Cannabis closed its flagship Aurora Sky facility in Edmonton, Alberta – one of the biggest in Canada.

  • New report describes growing complexity and change in cannabis laws in Europe

    Cannabis laws in Europe: questions and answers for policymaking
    News release EMCDDA (Europe)
    Monday, June 5, 2023

    cannabis europaWhat forms of cannabis regulation are under consideration in Europe? What types of cannabis are controlled? Are cosmetic and wellness products containing cannabis legal? These are among the questions answered in a new report out today from the EU drugs agency (EMCDDA). The report — Cannabis laws in Europe: questions and answers for policymaking — addresses key issues and frequently-asked questions around cannabis legislation in Europe. The speed, and possible scope of, cannabis policy change and the potential impact of these changes on public health and safety, are among the factors which prompted the EMCDDA to publish the report. Updating a 2017 review, the report describes the state of play of cannabis policies and laws in Europe and current approaches to regulation and control.

  • Swiss capital city wants to test controlled sale of cocaine

    The municipal council should express its interest in participating in such a pilot project to other cities
    Swissinfo (Switzerland)
    Friday, June 2, 2023

    cocaine bagSwitzerland's capital city, Bern, has signalled its intent to conduct a scientific pilot trial of controlled cocaine sales. With 43 votes to 18, the city parliament approved a motion from the Alternative Left to extend trials with cannabis to the future legal sale of cocaine. Despite recognising that cocaine is a harmful drug, Bern politicians believe that supervised sales could lead to better control of the narcotic, reported SRF. Bern's vote is intended to send a signal to the government and to other cities to consider the idea. This cocaine sale proposal was narrowly rejected by the Bern parliament in 2019, but a second version featuring more restrictions gathered enough additional support from the leftwing Social Democratic Party to force the motion through

  • Proposals for regulated cannabis market may end up in European Court, says official

    If the Czech state loses the lawsuit, which could take years, it has other solutions available
    Brno Daily (Czech Republic)
    Monday, May 29, 2023

    Jindrich Voboril2The introduction of a legal, regulated cannabis market in the Czech Republic may end up in the European Court of Justice, said drug policy coordinator Jindrich Voboril. He believed this to be the best option, as prohibition has been proven not to work and only brings costs and risks. Voboril's draft proposes the authorisation of domestic and commercial cultivation of cannabis, special clubs for recreational use, and licensed sale in shops for people over 18. Given the European legislation and the fact that the Czech government is now the only one in the EU envisaging a commercial market for recreational cannabis, it is likely that another member state will challenge the measure in the European Court of Justice. (See also: We are waiting for Germany to legalize cannabis, says Minister Válek)

  • Industry up in smoke?

    Entrepreneurs say MFP cannabis policy puts their business at risk
    The Bangkok Post (Thailand)
    Sunday, May 28, 2023

    thailand dr ganjaThe memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by eight prospective parties on forming a coalition government in Thailand could be bad news for advocates of the current freer cannabis policy. Under the 23-point agreement, the Move Forward Party-led bloc has agreed to reinstate the plant as a narcotic drug under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Health and pass new laws supporting just certain beneficial uses while regulating all other use, cultivation, import and export of the plant. The move marks a reversal of the cannabis policy which has become divisive and politicised due to the absence of an umbrella law to govern its use despite the introduction of regulations to prevent abuse, particularly by children.

  • Blow to red light tourists: cannabis smoking banned in public

    Amsterdam is a city that’s built on freedom, but it’s often misused by people who want to just make money, or want to party
    Dutch News (Netherlands)
    Thursday, May 25, 2023

    nl amsterdam smoking banSmoking cannabis in public is forbidden in the centre of Amsterdam from Thursday, as part of a raft of measures to restrain party tourism. In the Burgwallen Oude-Zijde central area, tourists and residents smoking cannabis in public now risk a €100 fine. On streets such as the Oudezijds Achterburgwal – brimming with prostitution windows, bars, ‘cannabis museums’ and erotic shows – signs warn tourists of the new ban in English and in Dutch. The council has introduced a set of measures, including earlier closing times for brothels and bars, a crackdown on alcohol sales in the red light district, a “stay away” advertising campaign to deter nuisance visitors and now the ban on smoking cannabis in public. (See also: Smoke signals: will public cannabis ban deter nuisance tourism?)

  • Move over, CBD: HHC is the new ‘legal cannabis’ these European countries want to ban

    After the boom of CBD, authorities worry about HHC, which can be ingested, smoked or vaped, with effects similar to those of cannabis
    Euronews (Europe)
    Thursday, May 25, 2023

    hhcIt may be the next big thing after the cannabidiol (CBD) wave and its controversies: HHC, also known as “synthetic cannabis”. HHC sellers tout the euphoric sensations and mental and physical relaxation it brings. But health professionals worry it could get people hooked, and say it should be regulated. HHC stands for hexahydrocannabinol, a semi-synthetic molecule. That means it needs to be made in a laboratory, where the THC extracted from the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa) is combined with hydrogen molecules. HHC emerged in late 2021 in the United States and then became popular in Europe in 2022, according to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).

  • ‘It will create a police state’: Dagga Party calls cannabis bill ‘fascist’

    Dagga Party founder Jeremy Acton said the cannabis bill has a 'clear intent of criminalising people'
    The Citizen (South Africa)
    Tuesday, May 23, 2023

    south africa concourt celebration2The Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill, which aims to cater for those who use marijuana for medical and recreational purposes, has been met with fierce opposition in Parliament. The cannabis plant in South Africa was decriminalised by the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) in September 2018 and gave Parliament 24 months to amend the relevant laws. Almost five years later, Parliament is now looking to finalise the bill, which was tabled in 2020. Although it is not a criminal offence for an adult citizen to use, possess or grow cannabis for personal consumption at home, the buying and selling of marijuana remains illegal. The public was invited to provide comments on the proposed amendments to the bill.

  • You can’t legalise cannabis for private use and criminalise selling it, says farming group

    The Southern Africa Agricultural Initiative rejects Cannabis Bill in its current form, calls government out for criminalising sales
    The Citizen (South Africa)
    Saturday, May 20, 2023

    Four years ago, when the Constitutional Court decriminalised the use and cultivation of dagga in a private space, the court also provided Parliament a 24-month period in which they could amend the relevant laws. Decriminalising the private adult use of dagga signalled the beginning of a new industry that could bring the ailing South African economy to new highs, but four years later, government doesn’t seem to care. The Southern Africa Agricultural Initiative (SAAI) has opposed some of the elements in the Cannabis Bill. The organisation, which describes itself as a group that protects the rights and interests of family farmers, have highlighted the same elements that critics have argued stifle profitability in the sector, particularly that of rural farmers.

  • European cannabis legalisation moves into the slow-dopey lane

    Germany has got nervous
    The Economist (UK)
    Thursday, May 11, 2023

    europe cannabisGermany’s plans to move to full legalisation of consumption and sales of cannabis came to an abrupt halt last month. Until recently, Germany’s health minister, Karl Lauterbach, had been upbeat about the prospects for radical change. But following talks with the European Commission the plan has gone up in a cloud of smoke. Martin Jelsma of the Transnational Institute, a Dutch-founded think-tank, thinks the reason is that the proposals are not in compliance with an EU Council framework decision on drugs in 2004, nor with three relevant UN treaties. Mr Jelsma says it would be helpful if the European Commission were to give some indication as to what its position is on the question.

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