A conference on cannabis entitled “ Legalization of Personal Use of Cannabis: Exchange of Best Practices (Legalization of the personal use of cannabis: exchange of good practices) takes place today at the European Parliament in Brussels. It is broadcast live, which will allow it to be followed throughout the morning, until 12:00 p.m.

Tomorrow, in the @Europarl_ENwe will host a conference on the legalization of personal use of #cannabis. We have two panels filled with experts from countries where legalization already took place, and from countries which are currently planning to legalize cannabis. pic.twitter.com/zvNgaAntD5

— Legalize It EP (@LegalizeIt_EP) June 27, 2023

Legalization of the personal use of cannabis: exchange of good practices

The conference is organized by MEPs who are members of the “Legalise it EP” campaign, founded last July. The founding members are Cyrus Engerer (Malta, SD), Monica Semedo (Luxembourg, Renew), Mikuláš Peksa (Czech Republic, Greens), Dorien Rookmaker (Netherlands, formerly FVD and Otten Group, now European Conservatives and Reformists) and Luke “Ming” Flanagan (Ireland, Left).

The Cannabis Conference takes place in the form of two round tables.

The first debate begins at 9.30 am and is entitled “Exchange of good practices”. According to the program, experiences from Colorado, Malta, Canada and Uruguay will be exchanged.

The second round table, which will start at 10.30 am, will be entitled “Legalization plans in the EU” and will cover developments in the Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland and Luxembourg. The main absentees from this debate are therefore Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Fortunately, you don’t need to travel to Brussels for this, but you can simply follow the conference from home thanks to the online stream.

Avalanche of simplistic titles for truncated information likely to mislead. Following a recent decision by the Court of Cassation, numerous press titles and other blogs have announced the ban on CBD while driving. However, driving while having consumed CBD is not prohibited and the court decision does not say that. Back on the case to understand everything.

Driving under “CBD”

On January 21, 2021, a man was heard in criminal court regarding his arrest for speeding. In accordance with the usual procedure in this type of case, the man underwent saliva tests which revealed the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The court therefore found him guilty of driving a vehicle under the influence of narcotics and speeding between 40 and 50 km/h. The sentence imposed included a two-month suspended sentence with probation. He was given a two-month suspended prison sentence, a six-month suspension of his driving license and a 50 euro fine.

Although the defendant accepted the charge of speeding, he decided to appeal the court’s decision regarding driving under the influence of narcotics. He argued that he had not consumed cannabis but only cannabidiol (CBD), probably in the form of hemp flowers whose THC content was below the legal limit of 0.2% at the time of the events. . On September 5, 2022, the Rouen Court of Appeal agreed with him and dismissed this charge.

However, the Court of Cassation invalidated the Appeal. According to the Court, the offense of driving a vehicle while having used narcotics is constituted “if it is established that the defendant drove a vehicle after having used a substance classified as a narcotic, regardless of the dose absorbed “.

THC being classified as a narcotic, the Court of Cassation overturned the judgment of the Court of Appeal. The case was therefore returned to the Court of Appeal for a new trial.

So driving after consuming CBD is legal?

Driving after consuming CBD – and we are talking about cannabidiol, the molecule – therefore poses no problem. On the other hand, if the CBD product that has been consumed also contains THC, even in minute doses, the latter can cause a positive saliva test. The Court of Cassation thus ruled that, even if the dose of THC measured reveals the consumption of a legal product, any trace of THC leads to a driving offence.

The confusion in the press no doubt comes from the fact that the term “CBD” is widely used to refer to all forms of CBD products, at the risk of causing confusion.

Which CBD products do not contain THC?

The decision of the Court of Cassation is obviously a warning for consumers of CBD products. Until the law changes and allows driving after consuming a legal product that does not cause impairment, people wishing to stay in the nails can turn to:

• CBD e-liquids that are consumed with an electronic cigarette. Vape pens containing CBD distillate generally contain a small level of THC which, even if lower, would potentially be able to give a positive test.
• CBD oils broad-spectrumalso called broad-spectrum
• isolate-based CBD products, generally less qualitative but free of any other cannabinoid than cannabidiol
• all hemp oils and foods containing hemp flour or hemp seeds. They contain very few cannabinoids, CBD included, but do not make you positive. They are also very good sources of omega 3 and 6 and antioxidants.

Everything that is flower or CBD extracts and all “full spectrum” products are at risk of testing positive for THC since they contain it.

In a statement released Friday, June 23, a group of UN officials and human rights experts called for an end to the “global war on drugs”.

On the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (2023), the organization is advocating for a step change in the way countries around the world approach drug policy, emphasizing on health and human rights, rather than on criminalization.

The experts, including several representatives of the Human Rights Council, point out that current policies disproportionately affect marginalized groups and ethnic minorities, in particular people of African descent, indigenous peoples, women and people who identify as LGBTIQ+.

The ‘war on drugs’ can be viewed to a large extent as a war on people,” the statement read.

“Its impact has been greatest on people living in poverty, and it often overlaps with discrimination against marginalized groups, minorities and indigenous peoples. »

In several countries, the “war on drugs” has been more effective as a system of racial control than as a tool to reduce drug markets… Criminal laws and the punitive use of administrative and other sanctions stigmatize already marginalized populations”.

In the United States, blacks are 9 times more likely than whites to be prosecuted for possession of cannabis. Furthermore, a recent government-funded study found that Aboriginal Australians were more likely to be charged with a cannabis-related offense than the rest of the population.

The United Nations also points out that criminalization and incarceration prevent people from accessing the care and support they need. According to its own data, only one in eight people with drug addiction has access to proper treatment.

“Criminalization results in significant barriers to accessing health services (including for HIV and palliative care) and other human rights violations,” the experts continue.

“As called for in the common position of the United Nations system on drug-related issues, the use and possession of drugs for personal purposes should be decriminalized as a matter of urgency. Drug use or addiction is never sufficient justification to detain a person.”

They conclude: “We urge Member States and international bodies to replace their current drug policies with policies based on the principles of applying a comprehensive, restorative and reintegrative justice approach. Effective, community-based, inclusive and preventative measures are equally important.”

EU drug report highlights need for reform

This statement comes the week after the publication of the latest European Drug Report, which highlights the prevalence of drug use and trends across Europe.

According to the findings of the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), cannabis remains the most commonly used illicit drug in Europe, with around 8% (22.6 million) of European adults (aged 15-64 years) estimated to have consumed during the past year.

The number of offenses related to the use or possession of cannabis has also increased, with cannabis seizures reaching their highest level in ten years, while cannabis is believed to be responsible for almost a third of all drug treatment admissions.

The findings led to renewed calls for policy makers to address the need for reform, with cannabis remaining widely available across the continent and new products made from semi-synthetic cannabinoids, such as HHC, also becoming increasingly accessible.

Kenzi Riboulet-Zemouli, a researcher in international drug policy, says the report reinforces the importance of adopting a “preventive harm reduction approach”.

Research carried out by the EMCDDA has shown that trends in cannabis use are not linked to changes in policy or legislation, whether it is a greater or lesser penalty.

“People use cannabis for a variety of reasons that, on the whole, are little affected by legislative changes or more or less police presence in their lives,” he told Cannabis Health. .

“The increase in the number of police officers makes life more difficult for cannabis users, but does not affect their consumption. It only makes it more risky. »

“This only reinforces the role of prevention and harm reduction as the best way to combat the health effects of cannabis use. »

In his recent publication, Sustainable Cannabis Policy ToolkitMr. Riboulet-Zemouli offers key recommendations for leaders to take a public health approach to cannabis regulation and education.

It calls for an end to prevention campaigns based on fear, stigma and misinformation, as well as those carried out by law enforcement.

Instead, governments should shift public spending on drugs from law enforcement to health, with an emphasis on harm reduction, prevention and education programs.

Decades of civil society work has summarized key aspects of cannabis prevention, which should be “evidence-based, non-judgmental and open to interactive dialogue, genuinely inclusive, delivered by trained facilitators or peers, who fully integrates harm reduction and pays particular attention to intersecting issues of gender, racism, social justice and stigma,” he explains.

Prohibition has also impeded research and “knowledge sharing” regarding the health effects, risks and safe use of cannabis, leading to “significant gaps” in our understanding, according to Mr. Riboulet-Zemouli .

It recommends that all governments fund independent research into “all aspects” of the cannabis plant.

European states adopt new approaches

A number of European countries are introducing or planning to introduce new approaches to regulating cannabis for recreational or adult use. These include Germany, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, as well as Switzerland.

The first trial for adult use in Switzerland was launched in the city of Basel at the beginning of the year, and others should be set up soon. Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Germany are all expected to follow this ‘trial’ approach, after Germany scaled back plans for full legalization, citing difficulties with EU and UN law. united.

This is the first part of his incremental approach to reform. Germany is also expected to decriminalize personal use and self-cultivation by the end of the year, with Cannabis Clubs to be set up in the meantime.

Kenzi Riboulet-Zemouli believes that the Cannabis Social Club model is an “effective” and “non-stigmatising” tool to help prevent potential cannabis-related harm.

“Today, there is a significant body of academic literature showing that a well-thought-out, small-scale regulatory model like the Cannabis Social Club is an effective tool to mitigate the potential harms of cannabis use while providing a link for prevention and education campaigns to reach users in a direct and non-stigmatising environment,” he commented.

“In this respect, it is satisfying to see that the model of the Cannabis Social Club – a form of eminently sustainable and born in Europe, social economy adapted to cannabis – has found favor with a number of governments of European countries. EU in their plans to regulate the substance. »

Meanwhile, France is tightening the screw

Faced with these paradigm shifts in various European countries, France is doing the opposite.

Cannabis is still the most widely used illicit drug in France. The latest statistics on cannabis consumption in France indicate that in 2021, 7.3% of adults aged 18 to 64 say they have already used cannabis in their lifetime. Use during the year concerns 10.6% of 18-64 year olds.

For the past 50 years, French politicians have been calling for and implementing increasingly severe sanctions to combat drug consumption.

In this regard, the authors of the report state: “The objective of drug policy should be above all to reduce harm in order to maximize health and well-being. While primary prevention of population risk behaviors (such as drug use) is a key element of public health approaches, it must be a means to reduce harm, not an end in itself. »

“This nuance has been lost in contemporary approaches to drug policy, which equate use and harm. »

Faced with the low rate of collection of cannabis fines, which does not exceed 35%, Emmanuel Macron announced in an interview in Provence that they “can be paid immediately”, by credit card or in cash. 5,000 payment terminals should be fitted to agents by the end of the summer.

“We have implemented a fixed fine of up to 2,500 euros. 350,000 have been trained in France since September 2020, including 29,000 in Marseille. But what we have found is that as payment is made by telepayment between 45 and 60 days, we have a recovery rate of 35%. And it is below this average in Marseille. »

Calling the situation “unacceptable”, the Head of State asked “the Minister of the Interior to prepare a decree for the end of the summer, so that the payment of fines can be immediate, by bank card or in cash. We have started equipping agents with 5,000 payment terminals. It’s very concrete. »

It should also be possible to pay in cash, Emmanuel Macron told the Provençal daily.

The police union Unit SGP Police, presenting itself as the first union of the National Police, considers through the voice of its secretary general that the presidential announcement “is not a good idea”.

The police are not debt collectors!
AFD = simplify their work + sanction consumers
The charge of their recovery, going as far as cash, imposed on the police is not a good idea!
The Press Comm of@UNITESGPPOLICE below ⬇️#AFD pic.twitter.com/xZwK1yuw73

— Gregory JORON (@gregjoronusgp) June 26, 2023

First tested in a few cities in France and then in Val-de-Marne, the system of fixed fines targeting drug users was then extended to all of France in September 2020. In Bouches-du-Rhône, 18 600 Pouillat fines, named after its instigator, were drawn up for the year 2022 alone, an increase of 50% over 2021, the first year of full application of this device, according to the police headquarters of Bouches-du-Rhône.

14 associations, most of which are now calling for the decriminalization of drugs in France, had rallied against the plan to penalize the simple use of cannabis, the Human Rights League having even appealed to the council of state.

On the occasion of the international day Support Don’t Punish on June 26, 2023, the collective for a new drug policy (CNPD) invites people to sign a petition for the adoption of a law abolishing criminal penalties for drug use in France. Its objective is to collect, by 2027, 100,000 signatures in order to request the examination by the National Assembly of a new law.

Marie Ongün-Rombaldi, general delegate of the Addiction Federation and member of the CNPD, believes that “priority must be given to health over repression”. According to this official, the sanctions aimed at consumers constitute “an obstacle to access to care, prevention and risk reduction” and symbolize France’s failure in terms of drug policy.

“We are one of the most repressive countries in the world and one of the biggest consumers of cocaine and cannabis”, adds Marie Ongün-Rombaldi, appealing to “pragmatism” in the face of a “moral and ideological” position.

Considering therefore that repression is ineffective, costly and has no real impact on trafficking, the CNPD would like to see a new law putting an end to criminal penalties for the simple use of drugs (consumption and possession). More specifically, the collective asks that the public health code be reformed to allow:

• consumers to fearlessly seek support from associations and professionals in risk reduction and care
• to develop information, prevention and risk reduction actions which would then no longer be in contradiction with the law: it is a question of protecting people’s health and reducing the health and social cost of drugs which weighs on the community
• to reinvest the public money thus saved, for example in actions of prevention, reduction of risks and damages and care
• to free up resources and time for the police and justice services in order to refocus their mission on the protection of people, in particular the most socially vulnerable.

If this petition collects at least 100,000 signatures, it will first be posted on the National Assembly website. One of the eight standing committees of the National Assembly could then take it up, either to decide to examine the text during a debate that is the subject of a parliamentary report, or to file the petition – probably alongside reports from the Mission for Information on the Use of Cannabis and from the ESEC.

The CNPD brings together around twenty organizations representing players in the medico-social field (Addiction Federation, Aides, Médecins du monde, Safe, SOS Addictions), users (Asud), the Collectif Police contre prohibition, the Syndicat de la magistrature , the League for Human Rights, the International Observatory of Prisons, etc.

The timetable for the legalization of cannabis in Germany is becoming clearer. According to information from Spiegal, the revised legalization project should be presented to the government by mid-August.

“I expect the bill to reach us in parliament at the latest after the non-session period,” said Katja Mast, parliamentary secretary of the SPD group in the Bundestag, which corresponds to the middle of August . The project is currently being coordinated between ministries.

The key points presented in April by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) and Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) constitute, according to Katja Masta, “a very good basis”.

A revised legalization project

Originally, Ampel had planned a complete legalization of cannabis, with controlled sales in specialized stores. Just last fall, Lauterbach announced extended legalization.

Germany has nevertheless faced the approval of the European Union which considers for the moment that a complete legalization of cannabis is not compatible with EU rules.

The ruling coalition has therefore worked on a lighter cannabis legalization project, which Lauterbach and Özdemir presented in mid-April.

Cannabis would initially be removed from the Narcotic Control Act and possession of up to 25 grams should be permitted. Individuals would be allowed to grow 3 or 4 plants and a network of Cannabis Social Clubs would provide access to cannabis through their traditional membership system.

In a second step, the commercial cultivation and sale of cannabis under license in specialized points of sale or in pharmacies would be tested for five years in pilot regions and under scientific control, in order to respect the spirit of the International Conventions.

Several points are still under discussion. Lauterbach, for example, wants to ban the sale ofedibles, cannabis-infused foods. Some members of the FDP and the Greens consider this form of cannabis consumption to be less harmful than combustion and would therefore like to allow them.

For the model regions, a second draft law will be necessary and will have to be examined by the EU.

“We are counting on the draft law on regional and municipal pilot projects in the fall,” said Katja Mast. We want “a paradigm shift in drug policy”.

“For us, the legalization of cannabis is not only a matter of justice, but is necessary in particular in the light of the protection of children and young people as well as the protection of health”.

At the end of last week, the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) published its annual report on drugs in Europe, which gives an overview of the main trends in drug use in the EU.

According to the findings of this report, cannabis remains the most commonly used illicit drug in Europe, with around 8% (22.6 million) of European adults (aged 15-64) estimated to have used it in the past. past year. It is estimated that around 1.3% of adults in the EU (3.7 million people) consume it on a daily or almost daily basis.

Cannabis seizures also reached their highest level in ten years, accounting for a significant share of all drug seizures in the EU.

In 2021, 816 tons of cannabis resin were seized, along with 256 tons of herbal cannabis, indicating that cannabis is widely available on the continent.

At the same time, around 566,000 cannabis use or possession offenses were reported in the EU in 2021 (an increase of 10,000 on 2020 figures), as well as 100,000 supply offenses .

Spain accounts for 66% of the number of cannabis seizures in the EU and just under three quarters (74%) of all seizures of cannabis plants in the EU, based on weight.

The scale of cannabis use in Europe

The report also presents the prevalence of cannabis use and patterns of use in Europe.

The countries with the highest prevalence of cannabis use are: Czech Republic (11.1%), Spain (10.6%), France (10.6%), Netherlands Low (10.4%), Croatia (10.2%) and Italy (10.2%), followed by Germany (8.8%) and Finland (8.2%).

Looking specifically at cannabis use among young adults, an estimated 15.3 million people between the ages of 15 and 34 used cannabis in the past year, with men typically twice as many. likely to report having used cannabis than women.

Among 15-24 year olds, 8.6 million (18.2%) have used cannabis in the past year, and 4.5 million (9.6%) in the previous month.

If we examine the prevalence of use among the youngest (15-34 years), the Czech Republic is also the country where the prevalence of use is the highest (22.9%), followed by Italy (20.9%), Croatia (20.3%), France (19.2%), the Netherlands (19.2%) and Spain (19.1%) .

Cannabis and its impact on public health

Cannabis is thought to be the cause of almost a third of drug addiction treatment admissions in Europe. An estimated 97,000 people will be in some form of drug treatment for problems related to cannabis use in 2021. Of these people, 83% are men and only 17% women, and slightly more than half of them report using cannabis daily.

The report says there is a need to better “understand the types of problems experienced by cannabis users, as well as the referral pathways and treatment options available to those with cannabis-related problems.”

It also highlights the challenges posed by “new cannabis products”, which may contain synthetic cannabinoids and high levels of THC, as well as hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), the first semi-synthetic cannabinoid reported in the EU and which has been identified in two thirds of the Member States.

New policies and steps towards reform

These findings come as five EU member states (Czech Republic, Germany, Luxembourg, Malta and the Netherlands) and Switzerland introduce, or plan to introduce, new approaches to regulating the supply of cannabis for recreational use. .

These changes “underline the need to invest in monitoring and evaluation in order to fully understand their impact on public health and safety,” the EMCDDA said in a press release at the launch of the report.

Malta made history in 2021 by becoming the first country in the EU to legalize cannabis for recreational use for adults. By law, adults are allowed to carry up to 7g of cannabis and grow 4 plants for personal use.

Speaking to local media last week, Karen Mamo, head of policy, research and harm reduction and member of the Responsible Cannabis Use Authority (CURA), said the changes made the law to allow “responsible use of cannabis” within certain limits have not normalized the use of cannabis, nor encouraged people to start using the drug.

Like Malta, more and more European countries are looking to move away from criminalization towards a public health approach to drug policy. There is growing evidence that punitive policies are ineffective in preventing drug use and even exacerbate the risk of harm.

Then there are the economic benefits that a regulated cannabis market could bring. With 22.6 million consumers, a report released last year by analysts at Prohibition Partners estimates that the European cannabis market could be worth up to 11.6 billion euros.

Stephen Murphy, co-founder and CEO of Prohibition Partnerswarned that the illicit market is “taking advantage” of strong demand for cannabis in Europe and could put consumers at increased risk.

“The EMCDDA has always provided solid research on drug use, particularly cannabis, but the lack of integration with other government agencies in the EU has meant that most of this data has not resulted in only with little or no action,” he told CannabisHealth.

“The increase in prosecutions is also accompanied by a significant shift in police services across Europe, which have taken a more liberal approach to cannabis, preferring to reserve their resources for serious crime and policing matters. »

“The report clearly shows that the growing demand for cannabis among Europeans is being exploited by the illicit market, which increases the risks for consumers. »

He added: “What is positive in a way is the increase in the number of users who seek treatment for drug abuse, although it is obvious that more research is needed on this subject. However, current drug policies have enabled the establishment of toxic supply chains that exacerbate the need for treatment”.

To find out more about the European Drug Report, click here.

Vermont patients who consume medical cannabis can now grow 12 plants, including 6 growing ones, and medical cannabis products can now contain up to 100 milligrams of THC per serving compared to 50 milligrams before, under a bill that Republican Gov. Phil Scott let go into effect without his signature

The law also expands access to medical cannabis for patients with post-traumatic stress and increases the total number of patients a caregiver can serve at any one time.

Other provisions of the law create a new category of licensed growers, known as propagation growers, who will be allowed to grow and sell immature plants and clones. Another section of the law creates an advisory group to make recommendations to direct funding to communities that have been disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition.

A cannabis analysis laboratory will also be created at the state level. It will allow the Vermont Cannabis Control Office to randomly test products to ensure that the tests performed by one of the independent labs are accurate in terms of potency and other key ingredients like terpenes.

Vermont lawmakers initially legalized medical cannabis in 2004. Lawmakers decriminalized possession of cannabis for adult use in 2018. Two years later, they passed a separate law legalizing the production and retail sale of cannabis-based products. of cannabis.

Governor Scott also allowed this measure to become law without his signature.

The Italian government is attacking cannabis light again.

After twice trying to declare its ban through bills, plus a directive from the Ministry of the Interior ordering searches of all stores by passing it off as sensitizing dealers, the Meloni government is changing its strategy and wants impose a monopoly regime.

According to the Italian press agency Ansa, the Italian government has in fact tabled an amendment to the fiscal power of attorney in the Finance Committee which, in addition to “an authorization scheme by the Customs Agency for marketing”, provides for the prohibition online sales, the ban on sales to minors, the ban on advertising and the same taxation as for cigarettes.

A Monopoly for Light Cannabis

The text thus provides for the establishment of “a system of taxation of the cultivated parts of hemp” intended for use in “products to be smoked or inhaled”. Its marketing would be mainly reserved for “monopoly retailers” or specialized outlets with a monopoly sales license. Distance selling would also be banned, as would vending machines and advertising.

The marketing and sale could only be done through “approved tax warehouses”, “special vigilance measures” being provided for tax warehouses authorized to manufacture.

Finally, the same smoking bans will apply to CBD cannabis as those that already exist for cigarettes, for example in enclosed spaces, and warning labels on the health risks of consumption are also envisaged.

If the Italian cannabis media Dolce Vita recognizes the need to put in place a real regulation, he regrets that the stores which already sell light cannabis are excluded from the project and that the high taxation risks “cutting the legs of the sector”. In addition to a fundamental question: the sector has suffered years of lawsuits, with legal companies labeled as drug traffickers. For the media, “the least it deserves today is recognition of the mistakes made so far by politicians, who want to cover their own mistakes with a clean slate”.