Albanian MPs last Friday approved a measure legalizing cannabis for medical purposes. The Albanian parliament voted by 69 votes against 23 the authorization of a limited and controlled cultivation of Cannabis plants, a decision strongly contested by the opposition.

As noted by theAssociated Pressthe passing of the bill is remarkable given Albania’s history as a “European crossroads for cannabis trafficking”.

“Cannabis cultivation flourished in Albania in the past, as drug traffickers exploited the lack of strong governance in the post-communist country. After coming to power in 2013, Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Left Party government made the destruction of cannabis plants its main objective,” the Associated Press reported.

“Over the next two years, he destroyed millions of cannabis plants with an estimated market value of 7 billion euros ($8.5 billion), more than two-thirds of the country’s annual gross domestic product at the time. In 2014, a policeman was shot and fatally injured during a crackdown on a village in the south of the country using armored personnel carriers. Police came under automatic weapon and rocket fire from drug growers. Albania remains one of the main routes for hard drugs. The police still crack down on isolated cases of cannabis cultivation, but much less often than ten years ago”.

Legalization of medical cannabis in Albania

Albanian lawmakers began their work to legalize medical cannabis last summer by drafting a proposal. The bill at the time provided very few details on how the new medical cannabis program would be regulated.

“The purpose of this law is to determine the rules for the cultivation, production and controlled circulation of the Cannabis plant and its by-products, for medical and industrial purposes, through licensed entities and under the supervision of the National Agency for the Control and Supervision of the Cultivation and Transformation of the Cannabis Plant for Medical and Industrial Purposes and the Production of its By-Products,” the bill stated.

After the measure was passed this week, it seems little has changed. How medical cannabis will be regulated is unclear, but the government believes allowing limited cannabis production can increase the country’s tax revenue.

A new law legalizing the possession and personal cultivation of marijuana for adults in Luxembourg officially entered into force on Friday 21 July.

The Department of Justice published a statement on the policy change in the Official Gazette last Tuesday, a procedural step that means the legislation will come into force four days later.

The announcement comes about a month after the Luxembourg Parliament passed a legalization bill, which makes Luxembourg the second country in the European Union to end cannabis prohibition, following Malta’s vote in favor of legalization in 2021.

Luxembourg’s law, first proposed by justice and homeland security ministers in 2021, will allow adults to possess up to three grams of cannabis and grow up to four plants in a secure location within their private residence.

Here is the full statement from the Department of Justice:

“On July 17, 2023, the law of July 10, 2023 amending the amended law of February 19, 1973 concerning the sale of medicinal substances and the fight against drug addiction, providing for the legalization of the domestic cultivation of cannabis under certain conditions, was published in the Official Journal. It will enter into force on the fourth day following that of its publication, i.e. Friday, July 21, 2023”.

The legislation provides penalties for possession and cultivation of more than the authorized amount. Purchasing and possessing more than three grams of cannabis, a relatively low limit, could result in a prison sentence of up to six months. Public consumption will also remain prohibited.

At the end of last month’s debate, Justice Minister Sam Tanson said the criminalization of cannabis had been an “absolute failure”. That is why, she added, “we must dare to take another path” and “seek solutions”.

This development has been a long time coming, as a coalition of Luxembourg’s main parties agreed in 2018 to enact legislation allowing “the exemption from punishment, or even the legalization” of cannabis.

Meanwhile, the government of neighboring Germany remains committed to enacting cannabis legalization under a tiered regulatory model.

Ukrainian deputies have approved the first reading of the draft legalization of cannabis for medical purposes.

Officials voted to pass draft law on regulation of cannabis for medical, scientific and industrial purposes in first reading in Verkhovna Rada [parlement] of Ukraine on Thursday 13 July.

A total of 268 MPs voted in favor of the bill during the plenary session, with President Zelenskyy and Health Minister Viktor Liashko publicly expressing their support.

The bill proposes to create regulatory conditions for the limited legal circulation of cannabis, cannabis resin, cannabis extracts and tinctures for their use for medical, industrial and scientific purposes.

Ukrainian MPs voted in favor of the bill. Courtesy of Iryna Rachynska.

Doctors will be allowed to prescribe cannabis-based drugs to treat conditions such as pain and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The country has endured more than a year of conflict since Russia invaded in February 2022. The Ministry of Health has already estimated that around four million people will suffer not only from post-traumatic stress disorder, but also from other trauma-related mental health problems.

A few weeks ago, Zelenskyy urged MPs to legalize medical cannabis to help the country recover from the “trauma of war”, while in a June 7, 2022 Facebook post, Liashko said there was “no time to lose” in approving the bill that would allow more patients to access “necessary treatment for cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from war”.

A national poll conducted during Zelenskyy’s election campaign also found that 65% of the population favored the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes.

Millions of patients will benefit

Activists have been campaigning for the legalization of medical cannabis in Ukraine for several years, believing it could help millions of veterans and patients in the country.

Two previous bills on the regulation of medical cannabis were rejected by the Rada. Ahead of Thursday’s vote, international organizations including the International Alliance for Cannabinoid Medicines (IACM), the IACM Patient Council, the European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies and the Drugs Peace Institute Netherlands sent letters and videos in support of the medical use of cannabis.

Iryna Rachynska, from Patients of Ukrainetold CannabisHealth “For six long years, we have fought to persuade our civil servants to vote in favor of making these drugs available in our country. We organized dozens of patient actions, press conferences, patient appeals to parliament, letters, media interviews, but it was too difficult to get our parliamentarians to vote in favor of these drugs. Today, the public sector, patients, the military, doctors, and even celebrities participate in activities in support of the law. »

Iryna Rachynska, from Patients of Ukraine.

Ms Rachynska says many patients were using medical cannabis illegally, with some able to access it legally after fleeing to other European countries with more liberal laws when the conflict broke out.

“In Ukraine, millions of people are suffering from the consequences of war. »

“We already have hundreds of thousands of amputees. The number of people with post-traumatic stress disorder is increasing and the Ministry of Health officially states that four million people will need medical treatment for their psychological disorders. These are people who have lost their families and homes, who have witnessed terrible war events, who have themselves suffered war trauma. The war continues to kill us even when we return home”.

She adds: “In addition, Ukraine has two million patients with serious illnesses who needed medical cannabis before the war. Today, six million people urgently need these drugs”.

A “victory” for Ukrainian civil society

The bill will now go through a series of amendments and proposals before being put to a second vote.

Addressing CannabisHealth Immediately after the vote, Rachynska called the news a “victory” and said the bill had taken the “hardest first step.”

“We have opened up the possibility of alleviating the pain and alleviating the psychological trauma of war for millions of wounded and terminally ill,” she said.

“This is another victory for responsible civil society in Ukraine. This means that civil society has an influence on the parliament and the president and that we have the capacity to build a European path of development and respect for human rights”.

After a decade of events, Expogrow organizers have made the difficult decision to postpone the 2023 edition of the show. This decision is the result of deep introspection and a need to reimagine the future of the project. The organizers expressed in a Facebook post their gratitude to the exhibitors, brands and attendees who helped make Expogrow the unique and extraordinary event it has become.

More than a hemp fair

In their statement, the organizers apologized for the delay in communicating this decision, acknowledging the time and effort required to carefully consider the future of Expogrow. They emphasized that the event was more than just a business venture; it was a personal journey for them. Their goal was to create an in-depth and analytical experience, paying attention to every detail to ensure exhibitors, brands and store owners felt truly represented.

Throughout its ten years of existence, Expogrow has stood out for its playful and educational nature. It was notably the first to combine concerts with the cannabis fair, attracting renowned bands and artists from different genres. From MAREA to CYPRESS HILL, from LANGUI to ASIAN DUB FOUNDATION, the Expogrow stage witnessed some outstanding performances that added to the overall appeal of the event.

Beyond the festive aspect, Expogrow has also hosted conferences and symposia bringing together international personalities from various fields, such as science, culture, medicine, law and cannabis activism. These discussions were intended to shed light on important topics and foster unity in the ongoing battle for acceptance and understanding of cannabis.

Although previous editions have had their ups and downs, the organizers have always appreciated the unwavering support of the public, acknowledging their role as an essential pillar of the event. However, the recent decline in footfall, which reflects the European and French cannabis landscape, has given rise to reflection.

The decision to discontinue Expogrow in 2023 was not taken lightly. The organizers acknowledged that some mistakes may have been made along the way and took responsibility for them. Nevertheless, they expressed their sincere gratitude for the empathy, support and closeness shown by exhibitors and attendees, which allowed them to feel a real connection with the Expogrow community.

This break in 2023 marks the start of a new chapter for Expogrow. The organizers promised to take this time to rethink the future of the event, infusing it with new enthusiasm and innovative ideas, while preserving the quality roots that have made it a beloved gathering in the cannabis industry.

The organizers assure that this is not the end of Expogrow, but simply a break, a moment of reflection and an opportunity to reinvent oneself. The cannabis community will therefore look forward to the return of Expogrow, which remains a symbol of progress, unity and celebration of all that Cannabis represents in our changing world.

A majority — 61% — of registered voters in the United States support legalizing psychedelics for therapeutic use, according to the University of California, Berkeley’s inaugural survey of psychedelics. 56% of respondents are in favor of obtaining authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for prescription psychedelics.

An overwhelming majority of respondents (78%) support making it easier for researchers to study psychedelics, while nearly half of respondents (49%) support removing criminal penalties for personal use and possession, and 44% support allowing the use of psychedelics for spiritual and religious purposes.

Of the 61% of people in favor of allowing the therapeutic use of psychedelics, 63% said psychedelics weren’t “something for people like me”, 56% said psychedelics weren’t “something I’m interested in”, and 47% said psychedelics weren’t “a good thing for society”.

Of those who agreed with decriminalizing substances, 57% said psychedelics weren’t for them, 39% weren’t interested in learning more, and 41% said psychedelics were “not good for society.”

Just over half of respondents (51%) said they had a “first degree” connection to psychedelic use – either themselves or someone close to them had used a psychedelic drug.

“Respondents with first-degree knowledge and connection to psychedelics are also more likely to support political reform, have a positive view of psychedelics, and trust almost all sources of information about psychedelics (except law enforcement). With the exception of research expansion, no psychedelic policy reform is overwhelmingly supported by voters who do not have a first-degree connection to use,” according to the study.

The poll found that 47% of voters had recently heard of psychedelics, with 48% saying they had heard of the use of psychedelics for mental health treatment.

Among those polled, liberal voters overwhelmingly favor legalizing therapeutic access to psychedelics (80%), compared to 66% for moderates and 45% for conservatives.

The majority of voters surveyed agree that psychedelic therapy is used to treat people with terminal illnesses (80%), veterans (69%) and people with treatment-resistant depression and anxiety (67%).

They are less likely to accept free access to psychedelic therapy for anyone over the age of 21 (44%) or the use of psychedelic therapy to treat addiction (45%).

THE Hop latent viroid (HLVd), a viroid found worldwide in hops but which in recent years has spread to cannabis, continues to threaten crops.

SFGate, however, reports that scientists from Medical Genomicsa Massachusetts-based company, observed a cannabis strain, Jamaican Lion, which appears to be partially resistant to HLVd and turns purple when fighting the viroid.

Kevin McKernan, scientific director of Medical Genomicspresented the study “ Hop Latent Viroid Shares a 19 Nucleotide Sequence with Cannabis sativa COG7 at the CannMed23 conference in Florida.

The Jamaican Lion strain was thus found to be resistant to the viroid and turned more purple as it fought against the viroid. Jamaican Lion is a CBD-rich strain.

“We don’t know why [cela se produit]. It could be an immune response, but we don’t see this [coloration violette] also strongly increase in the uninfected control,” McKernan said.

Viroids can spread biologically or be transmitted by growers through hands or tools. Sterilization using a 10% bleach solution can reduce infection.

The scientists rubbed the viroid directly on the cut leaves of the plant to infect them, then they injected the viroid into a plant. Six weeks later, the plant variety was still not infected after repeating the test 57 times. While the researchers were able to detect HLVd in the plant’s roots, leaf and flower tissues tested negative until harvest time.

This is Jamaican Lion 10 weeks into flowering. 2 weeks past Harvest time (8 weeks of flower). It flowered all last summer. Was reverted to Veg in the fall. Failed to pick up HpLVd infection with several attempts at inoculating cuts with viroid. pic.twitter.com/ik8TUGza2m

— Kevin McKernan (@Kevin_McKernan) April 5, 2023

Effects of HLVd viroid on plants

HLVd results in smaller flowers and significantly less THC. Viewed under an electron microscope, mature trichomes—where most of the THC is found—look like a deflated balloon instead of ball-shaped. A study shows that 90% of Californian cannabis is infected with HLVd and that yield losses could reach $4 billion. While the viroid is bad news for cannabis, viroids only infect plants and therefore pose no physical danger to humans.

The reason why the plant resisted the viroid is not yet clear. McKernan explained that she turned purple due to increased production of anthocyanin, a chemical that can turn plants purple. The team believes that scientists should investigate whether there are more HLVd-resistant purple plants, since anthocyanin production is already linked to viroid control.

“There are studies linking anthocyanin production to viroid infection. It relates to different plants and different viroids, but these anthocyanins are a known plant immune response,” McKernan told SFGate.

Zamir K. Punja told the conference that HLVd should be considered a “major threat” to cannabis farms. Punja calls HLVd the “COVID of the cannabis world”. The results suggest that THC yields from infected plants can drop by up to 40%.

The long term solution to Medical Genomics in the fight against HLVd is to help breeders develop resistant cultivars – perhaps purple varieties – that do not suffer loss of yield or potency.

Gardenz, a CBD boutique born out of a passion for botany shared by five friends, has quickly become a go-to destination for CBD enthusiasts. Since its inception in 2020, Gardenz has made it its mission to share its expertise and passion with the public, offering a wide range of premium quality CBD products designed to meet everyone’s needs.

The journey began with their first store, “REPUBLIK GARDEN”, nestled in the heart of Paris at 21 bis rue Albert Thomas in the 10th arrondissement. Thanks to the enthusiastic reception of its customers, Gardenz expanded its reach beyond the physical realm and launched its online platform in late 2021. This initiative allowed them to extend their dedication to a wider audience, breaking down barriers and dispelling misconceptions along the way.

At the end of 2022, Gardenz proudly unveiled its second store, “ALEXANDRIE GARDEN”, ​​located at 2 rue d’Alexandrie in the vibrant 2nd arrondissement of Paris. This new store is not only a testament to their growing success, but also showcases a unique urban garden concept, challenging the conventional image of a CBD store. Gardenz aims to create a space where visitors can immerse themselves in the history of urban gardening, encouraging a connection between people and nature.

The Gardenz shop

Quality and proximity

At the heart of the Gardenz philosophy is a commitment to providing top quality products at the best prices. The company strives to provide an unparalleled shopping experience by implementing a series of customer-centric initiatives. For example, customers can benefit from reduced prices depending on the quantity purchased, whether it is flowers, resins or extracts and sometimes even other products derived from cannabis cultivation.

In addition, Gardenz regularly presents tempting offers and gives a generous 20% discount on the first online order using the code “NEW”. Beyond the transactional aspect, the team emphasizes top-notch customer service, ensuring that every interaction is accompanied by a smile, engaging conversations and an unwavering dedication to finding solutions.

With strong ties to the music scene, particularly in the areas of reggae and hip-hop, Gardenz brings the worlds of CBD and music together, providing an unforgettable experience for everyone. These events allow CBD enthusiasts to explore the diverse range of Gardenz products while enjoying musical events.

Gardenz takes its commitment to information sharing and community engagement one step further by hosting “Live Gardenz Sessions” which provide a unique platform for enthusiasts to immerse themselves in the world of CBD and discover the talents of renowned artists and musicians. With one of his associates, TIWONY, who has an extensive network in the music industry, Gardenz bridges the gap between music and botanical exploration.

Gardenz firmly believes that it is not just there to sell products; it’s here to inform, provide enjoyable experiences, and deliver something truly extraordinary. By pairing premium CBD products with captivating events, Gardenz has carved out a niche for itself in the industry, elevating the understanding and appreciation of CBD to new heights.

For those looking for premium CBD products and the opportunity to embark on an unprecedented botanical journey, Gardenz is ready to welcome you with open arms. Enter their stores or explore their online platform Gardenz.fr, and discover a world where knowledge, quality and unforgettable experiences intertwine.

The Czech government has decided not to ban HHC and kratom, two substances that have recently caused controversy. This decision is motivated by the conviction that a prohibitionist approach would not be realistic.

Expected rules

According to a proposed amendment currently being considered by the Czech Parliament, HHC and other synthetic psychoactive products will be restricted to persons over 18, may only be sold under the supervision of a salesperson and not in vending machines, and may not be advertised.

Experts hailed the move, saying these substances pose less risk than other drugs.

HHC is made by subjecting CBD to a synthetic process. The appearance of HHC raised the threat of a CBD ban in the Czech Republic, but this position was eventually abandoned by the government.

Earlier this year, the Czech Republic was identified as one of 20 or more EU countries where HHC products were widely available, prompting the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction to issue health warnings. In March, the Czech government issued warnings about HHC, urging consumers to avoid these products due to potential health risks.

“Prohibition is not the solution”

“It became clear that outright prohibition was not the solution. Instead, the focus will be on greater protection for children and adult users,” according to the Czech Pirate Party, which supports the proposed amendment and, more broadly, the legalization of cannabis in the Czech Republic. “Instead of a ban, the focus will be on providing greater protection for users. »

Kratom, which had also been considered for banning, will also be regulated, but not banned, the health ministry said. Often used for its pain-relieving, uplifting, and mood-boosting effects, kratom is used to treat symptoms of opioid withdrawal, fatigue, and depression.

Brazilian President Lula’s government has pledged to regulate the cultivation of cannabis for medical purposes, including to replace cannabis imports.

Currently, the cultivation of cannabis is only permitted by court order. In March, the Ministry of Justice had already asked the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) to allow cultivation in the country.

In its statement, the ministry emphasizes the importance of comprehensive and adequate regulations for the importation and cultivation of low-THC cannabis for industrial, pharmaceutical and medical purposes.

In an interview with Folha, Marta Machado, national secretary for drug policy, said that the legalization of cultivation will be one of the priorities on the agenda of the National Council for Drug Policy (Conad). This council is made up of members from the Ministry of Health, the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), the Federal Police and other portfolios.

According to Marta, the goal is to discuss the best possible regulatory model for the country, in order to reduce the price of cannabis products. Brazilian justice has already granted more than 2,000 individual authorizations for the cultivation of cannabis, without many controls behind it.

The secretary also reminds that there are different authorization models, from those aimed exclusively at the pharmaceutical industry to those that recognize cultivation associations. The Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Senad) does not have a predefined model, but intends to discuss with all stakeholders a prudent system of regulation, inspection and control. The objective is to avoid excesses and to favor local production and Brazilian industry which, according to the secretary herself, is capable of entering this market.

Medical cannabis should be one of the Brazilian government’s priorities. Telling sign, the appointment of people linked to the sector in the Council for Social and Sustainable Economic Development, known as “Conselhão”.

While the government debates this issue, Anvisa is also working on new rules to regulate the cultivation of cannabis for clinical research.

Anvisa data shows that 80,258 authorizations were granted in 2022 for the import of products containing cannabis, double the number recorded in 2021. They were 10,000 in 2019.

The second way to obtain medical cannabis is Resolution 327, which authorizes the marketing of cannabis products in pharmacies, provided that the quality, efficacy and safety of the products are assessed by the regulatory agency. before the authorization is granted.