Large-scale clinical trials of medical cannabis in the UK will begin “as soon as possible”, the Department of Health and Social Care has said. the National Institute for Health Research of the UK government will oversee studies that will look at the effects of cannabis on people with epilepsy.

Britain’s NHS currently only prescribes cannabis-based medicines as a last resort and says “very few people in England are likely to get a prescription” for the substance.

But some people with epilepsy, multiple sclerosis or chemotherapy would like to be prescribed cannabis to help with pain and nausea.

Cannabis is not prescribed for epilepsy as the NHS commissioning body, NICE, judges that there is not “sufficient evidence” to recommend the full use of cannabis, but that the medicine can always be considered by doctors if it is “clinically appropriate in an individual case”.

The UK government therefore supported the creation of two large-scale randomized controlled trials to provide evidence to NICE. The details of these trials are still being finalized.

“Families across the UK are desperately waiting for these medical cannabis trials to begin. We have seen the huge impact these treatments can have and how they can bring people back to life,” said Christine Jardine, a British MP who has already tabled a private member’s bill to legalize medical cannabis.

“The government has dragged its feet for too long on this. It is welcome that trials are planned, but they need to start immediately – so that we can start rolling out these treatments as soon as possible. »

Health Minister Maria Caulfield said: “The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) considered the best available evidence when developing its guidance on the prescription of herbal medicinal products. cannabis”.

“However, NICE found that current research is limited and of low quality. Observational studies with small numbers of patients do not produce results robust enough to inform routine clinical or commissioning decisions. »

“To build evidence on medical cannabis, the Department, through the National Institute for Health Research, will support two randomized controlled trials in epilepsy in adults and children. »

“Trials will begin as soon as possible and results will be published once they are complete and the findings have been peer reviewed. »

Danish officials from five political parties have proposed a plan for a pilot cannabis legalization project. The proposal was presented to the Danish Parliament earlier this month, instructing the government to begin legislative work that will culminate in a bill legalizing cannabis for five years.

According to the documentation submitted, the bill will allow cannabis sales at state-controlled outlets, in municipalities that wish to join the program, and Danish citizens will be able to buy, possess, cultivate and consume cannabis for their personal use.

Production would be legalized and would take place in Denmark. Prices would be set to “meet the expectations” of cannabis consumers and to be competitive with the illicit market. Buyers must be at least 18 years old and resident in the country.

Officials say proceeds from the sale of cannabis should be used for the prevention and treatment of addiction problems.

“The existing cannabis ban has not restricted the consumption or sale of cannabis products in Denmark since the introduction of a ban 40 years ago,” the parliamentary document reads.

Data from 2020 shows that 41% of people under the age of 25 have ever used cannabis in Denmark. General consumption among 16-44 year olds has doubled since 1994.

“Existing legislation therefore criminalizes more and more citizens, and up to half of the population have actively violated it,” the document continues.

Officials point to programs in place in Portugal, the United States and Canada, saying there is no evidence that legalization leads to increased use, especially among young people.

They also note other drug reform efforts in eurozone countries, including Norway, Sweden and Luxembourg.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Denmark under a four-year pilot project that started in 2018.

It only makes sense that a Cousteau would launch a brand of seaweed-enriched wellness products to save the oceans. What if this brand added real weed to the mix? That’s what two Cousteaus, couple Ashlan and Philippe Cousteau, grandson of explorer, scientist and conservationist Jacques Cousteau, did with SeaWeed Naturals.

Their products combine seaweed with cannabis to harness the benefits of land and sea plants. The launch line includes eight products. Some of them, like Comfort Body Oil and Lip Balm, contain hemp-derived CBD, while others, like Comfort Tincture and Body Comfort Balm, come in both CBD and THC versions.

High Tide daytime gummies and Low Tide nighttime gummies contain 10 milligrams of sativa and indica per gum, respectively. In a charming homage to the ocean, the erasers are shaped like a starfish.

Products are currently only available in California at select dispensaries and for statewide delivery through the SeaWeed Naturals website via the Grassdoor delivery service.

“We spent a lot of time thinking about this,” admits Philippe. “We saw a gap in the cannabis market, which is very early, very young and unsophisticated in many ways. In the traditional wellness cosmetics space, algae is pretty well established. People are used to it, but nobody does it in the cannabis business. It was really exciting from a business point of view. »

The goal is to soon expand the distribution of SeaWeed Naturals from California to other states, including Massachusetts, Colorado, Washington and Oregon, and to develop CBD products that can be sold throughout the country into more traditional beauty and wellness retail environments.

A personal relationship with cannabis

Cousteau’s heirs believe in the power of THC for a myriad of issues. Older family members and friends with chronic muscle and nerve pain have tried many remedies, but nothing worked except THC-enriched creams and balms.

On a personal level, Ashlan suffered from insomnia due to postpartum depression until a friend gave her some THC candy.

“Not being able to sleep was really overwhelming for me,” says Ashlan. “I tried the erasers, and it helped me. After a week or two, I felt like myself again because I was sleeping. I was able to feel normal again. »

Environmental protection is an integral part of SeaWeed Naturals. 5% of the company’s profits will be donated to ocean conservation and education.

“We wanted a business that was truly an impact business by design,” says Ashlan. “We wanted to make sure that we had a positive impact on the planet or at least a non-negative impact. Obviously, given our work with the oceans and Philippe’s family heritage, we wanted to make sure we put the ocean first. »

“We truly believe this brand can help change the world, because everything we do in our lives, from our books to our speeches, to our TV shows, to our documentaries. »

Jacques Cousteau and cannabis

The late Jacques Cousteau, on the other hand, was adamantly opposed to cannabis. Leafly reminds us that he compared, in the preface to a book by Gabriel Nahas (Keep Off the Grass: A Scientific Inquiry into the Biological Effects of Marijuana), a prominent prohibitionist of the 70s and 80s, the narcotic effects of cannabis suffered by deep-sea divers or freedivers who stay underwater a little too long.

“The adverse biological effects associated with the habit of marijuana are of the most serious nature,” Cousteau wrote at the time. “If we are concerned about external pollutants threatening our environment, we should be equally concerned about internal pollutants – like marijuana products. »

But who knows? If Jacques Cousteau had lived long enough to witness the various legalizations, he might have filled his famous pipe with something other than tobacco?

The Californian cannabis industry is still struggling with the black market. In addition to a lack of points of sale, only 23% of cities accepting cannabis businesses on their territory, Californian cannabis suffers from very high taxation, preventing it from being competitive in the face of an unregulated market.

The price of cannabis products sold in legal dispensaries can thus be two to three times higher than that of nearly identical items sold in unlicensed stores, which are not subject to the growing cultivation or excise taxes. costs for retailers.

Among the taxes, the tax on culture is the subject of particular attention. This tax is determined by weight, which means that the tax burden does not decrease as the value of their crop drops due to competition with these unlicensed growers. This tax is also adjusted for inflation.

Last February, California Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire announced a tax reform bill.

“Crop taxes are crushing small farmers all over the North Coast and California. This legislation will provide much needed tax relief to struggling small cannabis growers before the market collapses,” McGuire tweeted last month. “We cannot continue to tax family farmers based on the weight of the product – because when prices fall, taxes remain disproportionate. It’s just not viable. »

🧵🚨 We’ll be advancing SB 1074 this year focused on helping small cannabis farmers who are drowning under an unfair tax burden via the cultivation tax…

— Mike McGuire (@ilike_mike) February 17, 2022

Its proposal, SB 1074, calls for removing the cultivation tax next July and simultaneously increasing the excise tax on cannabis, which is currently 15% at retail. From July 2025 to July 2026, this increase “would generate half the amount of revenue that would have been collected under the culture tax”. Then, from July 2026, the increase would be such that it “would generate the full amount of revenue that would have been collected under the culture tax”.

Legislative push

To solve the problem, several proposals had already been put on the table, for example taxing products according to their THC level. At the end of February, three other bills tackling cannabis taxes followed. And each of them takes a different approach.

Draft SB 1281 would also “end the imposition of the cultivation tax,” but would also “reduce the excise tax to 5%,” from 15% at retail. The bill also provides that this tax does not include a mark-up, usually set by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration every six months. Finally, the bill provides that distributors no longer have to “collect the excise tax from the cannabis retailer” and “remit the excise tax to the department,” but that the rebate is the responsibility of the retailer. All this would take effect at the beginning of the year 2023.

Proposal AB 2506 “suspends the imposition of the culture tax from July 1, 2023 to July 1, 2028, and removes the requirement for the department to adjust the culture tax rate for inflation to the calendar year 2023 and during the suspension”. Then, like McGuire’s bill, it would increase “the excise tax by an additional percentage which, according to the Department of Finance, will generate the amount of revenue which would have been collected under the cultivation tax”, but would do so “from July 1, 2023 to July 1, 2028”.

The AB 2792 project contains the largest number of changes. It would eliminate the consideration of the amount of the increase in the excise tax, but only from July 1, 2022 to July 1, 2025. It would also suspend, during this period, the excise tax for “purchasers of cannabis or cannabis products sold in this state by licensees entitled to a fee waiver or deferral pursuant to the program established by the Department of Cannabis Control under the California Cannabis Equity Act“. It also suspends, during this period, the culture tax and “removes the obligation for the ministry to adjust the rate of the culture tax according to inflation during the suspension”.

It will probably be difficult to find a consensus on a tax plan. But the health of California’s legal cannabis industry depends on it.

Moetai Brotherson, MP for French Polynesia, tabled a bill on Tuesday March 15 to legalize cannabis in Polynesia.

Acting on the one hand on the failures of the French prohibition of drugs in general and cannabis in particular, and on the other hand the impossibility of carrying out an experimentation of therapeutic cannabis in Polynesia, the Polynesian deputy proposes more simply to experiment with the legalization cannabis for 5 years in the archipelago.

This legalization experiment called “Social Regulation of Cannabis” would be organized through several tools:

• A “Public Authority for the regulation and control of cannabis” which would make it possible to secure any activity relating to cannabis, including medical
• An ambitious deterrence and care policy focused on the challenges of problematic cannabis use, for optimal protection of young people and dignified, multifactorial care for people with addictive use
• A training policy for those involved in experimentation, to raise awareness and professionalize the professions in the sector
• An anchoring in the reality of the territory of Polynesia, which will be able to create the model that suits it, for example by favoring the cultivation of endemic varieties

The sharing of competences between France and the overseas collectivity would be framed by 3 laws: an organic law which sets the framework for experimentation, an ordinary law which organizes the competence of the State within the framework of the experimentation, and a law of the country organizing the competence of the territory of French Polynesia in experimentation.

The details of the experiment

The experimentation of a legalization of cannabis called “social regulation of cannabis” on the territory of Polynesia would be authorized for a period of 5 years. It wants to be “solidarity, eco-responsible and local[e] “.

Any adult adult or any person suffering from a pathology certified by a doctor, on medical prescription, may possess up to 30 grams of cannabis or its equivalent, 1 gram of dried cannabis corresponding to 5 grams of fresh cannabis, 15 grams of edible, 70 grams of liquid product or 0.25 grams of concentrate. Sick people will be able to have more as prescribed by their doctor.

Specialized points of sale will be responsible, under licence, for the distribution of cannabis, with a ban on advertising outside the place of sale and on setting up near a school or similar establishment.

Self-cultivation of cannabis would be authorized and limited to six plants per household, with the obligation to declare to the public authority.

Cannabis Clubs are authorized to grow and distribute cannabis to their members, up to a limit of thirty grams per member per month.

The Cannabis Regulation and Control Authority will determine the cultivars accepted for experimentation, on the non-limiting basis of an official catalog of cannabis cultivars already present in French Polynesia, established by the Ministry of Agriculture of Polynesia. French.

The experiment would allow de facto the cultivation of cannabis for medical use and its export.

Commander Solochi, the general in charge of national service in the Zambian army, said in late February that his forces would acquire land in several provinces across the country to cultivate medical cannabis, with planting expected to begin in March.

More than 3,000 jobs are expected to be created through this new industry, supported for traditional chiefs, land custodians in Zambia, who have ‘agreed’ to freely cede some of their land for the deployment of cannabis.

Cannabis in Zambia

Zambia, unlike its neighbours, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Lesotho, is one of the African countries that is taking its time to commit to the legalization of medical cannabis, or at least its cultivation and of its export of cannabis. Medical cannabis is banned for Zambians but the country, like the UK until recently, allows its cultivation and export.

“Zambia has some of the most ecologically rich soils in Africa and, given the massive size of the country, dense virgin lands which, on paper, are fantastic for top quality cannabis. It is a mystery that Zambia has so far been absent from all the cannabis deals struck in Lesotho, South Africa, Malawi or Zimbabwe,” says analyst Dennis Juru of the South Africa International Cross Borders Traders Association.

According to local feedback, so far the Zambian parliament has only “approved the publication and introduction of a bill in parliament for the legalization of cannabis cultivation”.

“Zambia sees cannabis as a security crop, hence the army’s decision to preempt legalization to seize cannabis land,” says Deogracias Kalima, freelance ecology editor for the magazine. Unsustainable and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in neighboring Malawi, where Mike Tyson has been appointed cannabis ambassador.

Zambia is not the only country in the region that appears to be weaponizing cannabis. Its southern neighbor Zimbabwe, which legalized cannabis as early as 2018, is also a place where cannabis has been weaponized. First, the Zimbabwe Police and Prisons Service, which are heavily militarized organs of the state, in 2019 obtained the first licenses to cultivate cannabis plantations on prison sites for export.

“Zambia’s military, like that of neighboring Zimbabwe, is the ultimate ‘deep state’. She clearly observed the tendency of neighboring Zimbabwe to partially militarize lucrative cannabis deals and thought, “Why can’t we do the same here? » explains Kalima

“Securing cannabis, I think is cannabis policy poor enough to build a weed industry.”

It will be remembered that the Italian army had also started to cultivate medical cannabis, with catastrophic results in terms of quantity and quality, which had prompted the Italian government to open up cultivation to the private sector.

Mike Tyson, the iconic American boxer, has just launched a new product from his cannabis brand: edibles shaped like an ear, a reference to the bite he inflicted on Evander Holyfield in 1997.

The most striking of all? His new ear-shaped THC gummies, called Mike Biteswhich can be translated as “Mike bites” but also “Mike’s Bites”, are not whole, to formalize the piece of ear that Holyfield is missing after Tyson bit off his ear in this famous fight .

These THC gummies are currently only available in California.

Mike Tyson and cannabis

Beyond his drug use as a boxer and later, Tyson began selling cannabis products in 2016 through his Tyson Holistic brand. He also set up a farm, the Tyson Ranch, which cultivates his varieties and manufactures products in his image.

“I have been an opioid user for most of my life. I am bipolar, tripolar and manic-depressive. I am all that fucking stuff. So I took all these pills and it got worse. I became obese, I became a zombie. So I changed my whole life, I started smoking and I stopped using opiates. I lost 45 lbs. My life has changed,” he said in an interview with Weedmaps in 2019.

Similarly, Tyson recommends the use of cannabis in athletes: “I believe that all athletes should smoke cannabis if they wish. I don’t put pressure on anyone. I just say to people who are like me, who suffer from a long career, [d’envisager] cannabis. »

Will Germany’s decision to legalize cannabis increase pressure on its neighbors to do the same? A recent survey carried out in Austria shows in any case that the Austrians are also ready to legalize cannabis.

Nearly 50% for legalization

The opinion poll institute UniqueResearch interviewed on behalf of the Austrian magazine Profil 800 people in Austria from February 21 to 24 by telephone and Internet on their feelings about the legalization of cannabis and controlled sales in stores.

In total, 49% voted in favor, with 26% of the participating population aged 16 and over even voting “absolutely” for controlled regulation. 23% answered the question “rather yes”.

The proportion of opponents who would not like cannabis to be legalized rises to 40%. 17% were “rather not” in favor of controlled regulation, and 10% had no clear opinion on legalization.

When asked about access to medical cannabis for patients, support for its use was even higher. A total of 78% of Austrians surveyed were in favor of the availability of medical cannabis. 51% answered “Yes, absolutely”. Only 15% consider the possibility of use questionable, with only 8% voting against use with “No, absolutely not”.

A central front in Europe for legalization

In addition to Germany, Luxembourg has also announced its desire to legalize the personal use of cannabis. Switzerland is also making decisive progress, with on the one hand the holding of pilot projects for the controlled distribution of cannabis and on the other a legislative text which is beginning to be approved by various Commissions.

In Austria, a consumer went to the Constitutional Court which will have to rule on the legal compliance of the ban on the private use of cannabis, which could lead to the need for regulation as happened in South Africa and Mexico.

A young British lawyer upends the age-old tradition that lawyers wear wigs made of white horsehair. He launched vegan court wigs made from hemp and began selling them to his fellow lawyers for £600 each.

The traditional wigs worn by lawyers in England and Wales date back to the 17th century and have been made from white horsehair since 1822. Samuel March, the mastermind behind these biodegradable and eco-friendly wigs, offers an alternative to traditional headdresses.

A closer look at the world’s first plant-based barrister’s wig, swapping horsehair for hemp… pic.twitter.com/jMK8WDuEMa

—Samuel March (@Sam_Oscar_March) March 6, 2021

“As a vegan, I oppose all forms of animal exploitation, from wanton cruelty like bullfighting or fox hunting, to the industrial-scale cruelty of factory farming, to by more subtle forms of cruelty that nonetheless involve the ownership and commodification of animal bodies,” commented Samuel.

“For me, horsehair is at the bottom end. Sure, it’s conceivable that there are ways to harvest it without immediate physical pain, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t exploitative. I refuse to sponsor the exploitation of horses by purchasing expensive items made from animal products, as it adds value to the practice of owning and selling them as parts. »

“That’s why I decided to make wigs accessible to everyone.”

Within 48 hours of unveiling his idea, he had received more than 30 order requests. All proceeds from the wigs will go to causes that advance animal welfare.

On the initiative of a call from citizens of Marseille, a forum for the legalization of cannabis will be held at Parc Chanot on Saturday March 19, from 9 a.m.

Organized in partnership with the environmentalist and citizen group of the city of Marseille, NORML France and Alpha-CAT, and the support of the Les Verts/ALE group of the European Parliament, the event will bring together activists for legalization, elected e s, doctors, researchers and experts specializing in the subject.

On the sidelines of the conference, an associative village and information stands will allow citizens, users and associations to meet.

Admission is free but registration is required, on this link.

Program of the day 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

9 a.m. – Opening and press briefing

Opening of the premises, verification of invitations and reception of the public at the associative village

10am-10.30am – Welcome speech by the organizers

David Cormand (Les Vert/ALE), Fanny Fontan (EELV Marseille), Sébastien Béguerie (Alpha-CAT/Kanavape), Hugo Bessenay (NORML France).

10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. – Prohibition failures & findings:

Prof Christian Muller (researcher from the Faculty of Pharmacy of Strasbourg), Bénédicte Desforges (Former police lieutenant, collective “Police Against Prohibition” – To be confirmed -), Khadidja Sahraoui (Researcher), Béatrice Stambul (ASUD Mars Say Yeah) .
– Animation / Moderation: Michel Henry (Journalist)

12:00-1:30 p.m. – Lunch break

1:30-3:15 p.m. – Current regulations and the cannabis market: feedback in France and abroad.

Me Charles Morel (UPCBD), Jouany Chatoux (AFPC/La Ferme Bio de Pigerolles), Ludovic Rachou (UIVEC), Maître Xavier Pizarro (Lawyer Kanavape), Nicolas Todorovski (BuralZen), Mao Aoust (High Society).
– Animation / Moderation: Sébastien Béguerie (Alpha-CAT/Kanavape).

3:30-5 p.m. – The state of the legislative debate in France

Eric Coquerel (LFI), David Cormand (EELV), Ludovic Mendes (LaRem), PCF (awaiting response).
– Animation / Moderation: In the process of being confirmed

5:15 – 7:00 What normative framework and economic model of legalization for France?

Kenzi Riboulet (Independent researchers, FAAAT), Farid Ghehiouèche (CSF/FAAAT/NORML/ASUD), Davide Fortin (Researcher), Christian Ben Lakhdar (Professor at the University of Lille), Céline Burgos (resident of Busserine).
– Moderation / Animation: Karima Berriche (Sociologist, specialist in the Northern Districts of Marseille)

7-8 p.m. – Conclusion of the day:

A moment of interpellation of the candidates (or their representatives) in the presidential election on the question of legalization is planned. Priority will be given to journalists and participants who are members of the various associations present in the room.

An update on the state of #ScoreNORML responses will be made, in addition to inviting candidates and parliamentarians to participate: https://score.norml.fr