In a press release dated March 10, 2023, the Neue Richtersvereniging (NRV), a German association of judges from different courts and disciplines committed to objective justice, made it clear that it considers the legalization of adult cannabis for recreational use pursued by the federal government as entirely logical, the criminalization of consumers can no longer be justified.

Simon Pschorr, on behalf of the NRV, stated in particular: “The criminalization of the possession of cannabis for personal use is no longer justifiable”.

The NRV is committed to ensuring that “the justice system works for the benefit of the community”. Among other things, the NRV calls for transparent and democratic decision-making processes in the administration of justice and wants human resource policies that reflect the diversity of all social relations.

Small quantity and driving license

The NRV believes that the establishment of a government-controlled distribution and cultivation process would be an essential part of the legalization of cannabis.

He also finds it impossible to now maintain substantial differences between alcohol users and cannabis users in terms of criminal law and driving license regulations.

The NRV also points out that the unequal treatment in the various Länder with regard to the “small quantity” admissible in the event of legalization no longer makes legal sense, as German citizens are then judged differently depending on their place of residence.

Cannabis ban failed

In its press release, the NRV also points out that the prohibition used so far has had no effect on the consumption of cannabis in society. The Germans continue to use this “narcotic” despite all efforts to ban it. He notes that while consumption at a young age is associated with “considerable dangers”, those dangers are less in adults compared to alcohol and cigarettes.

Given that setting up a state-controlled distribution system will take time and resources, the NRV considers the current transition period to be unfair to people who already use cannabis. It would be inappropriate to “permanently criminalize the possession of consumable quantities until this long process is completed”.

The legislator is invited to decriminalize the possession of cannabis up to 30 grams, which would already greatly relieve the police and justice, which prosecute 180,000 offenses related to consumption per year, and would put an end to the unequal treatment of consumers specific to each country.

The driving license law also needs to be changed

Traffic legislation should also be changed, according to the association.

Currently, people who use cannabis lose their driver’s license even a few days after their last use, due to residual inactive amounts of THC. To date, there is no legal standardization of driving impairment limits for cannabis. There is no minimum threshold for intoxication in German case law, such as a blood alcohol level of 0.3 per thousand.

In order to reduce the unequal treatment between alcohol and cannabis consumers, to effectively counter the real dangers that can be identified and to optimize the safety of criminal traffic law, a legal standardization of the relevant limit values ​​is necessary. .

Production should also be allowed

European legislation does not exempt the possession of cannabis for personal use from punishment. The NRV is aware that decriminalization is not complete without the legalization of the supply channel. In accordance with the requirements of the Framework Decision and the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement, they expect the legislator to replace sales on the black market with a controlled distribution system, suitable for the prevention of addiction and limited to the national market.

Finally, they share the opinion that the legal or illegal sale of cannabis to those under 18 must remain punishable.

Via CannabisIndustrie.nl

The important thing is not the fall, it’s the landing. And it would appear to be a tough one for Hexo, which its founders outlined in a book tracing its history as a “billion-dollar start-up.”

Hexo Corp revealed last night that it would be acquired by cannabis producer Tilray in an all-stock deal for US$56 million (€51.4 million).

Hexo shareholders will receive 0.4352 shares of Tilray for each Hexo share currently held, which equates to a price of $1.62 per share at the April 10 market close.

Hexo meanwhile closed the day at $2.23 after surging 30% on the day, with the sale representing a loss to shareholders based on the current share price. The price paid would represent a price of $1.25 per share, based on Hexo’s 60-day volume-weighted average price on the Nasdaq, a vindication shareholders will surely appreciate.

The transaction is said to “strengthen the successful strategic alliance between the two companies and position Tilray for continued strong growth and market leadership in Canada.”

“When we began working with Tilray last year, the value that could be achieved by combining our businesses to compete and drive profitable growth in the highly fragmented Canadian market was immediately apparent. Given the recent headwinds in the cannabis industry, our Board of Directors determined that HEXO shareholders would benefit from having a stake in Tilray’s diversified businesses and the strong plan in place to strengthen their leadership in the industry. industry, continue to strengthen results and drive value creation,” commented Mark Attanasio, Chairman of Hexo’s Board of Directors.

Over the past year, Hexo’s management had developed and implemented a turnaround and cost reduction plan.

The sale of Hexo to Tilray comes after the two companies announced a strategic partnership last year that will include collaboration in distribution and packaging to improve operational efficiency and generate savings.

The agreement also gave Tilray the option of acquiring a stake in Hexo.

Invited at the end of last week at the microphone of RTL, Florent Pagny confided in his consumption of cannabis. The singer, who published his autobiography “Pagny by Florent” on April 5, assures us that his illness is not due to his regular consumption of cannabis.

He explains himself on this point: “I don’t have cancer from forty years of smoking. Forty years of smoking, it leaves a lot of little traces and I don’t have them. It’s not the grass [qui est responsable de mon cancer]. I don’t know where it comes from, it corresponds to this cancer without it being him. »

And to add about cannabis: “What the firecracker brought me, and for me it’s THC, not CBD, is to better manage my hyperactivity and to open up to others, to become much more receptive, to have much more sensitivity and to be more in tune with sharing. »

He explains using cannabis mainly to manage his hyperactivity: “It helped me, but there are people who take cannabis and become stupid. Cannabis made me less stupid and allowed me to be more open to others. »

We invite you to review this sequence below.

While, according to numerous testimonies relayed previously, the General Directorate of Health (DGS) had not correctly anticipated the extension of the experimentation with medical cannabis, it is now trying to save the day.

The DGS thus published on Wednesday April 5 a new call for tenders to find a solution to the absence of oil with a high dose of CBD today delivered to the majority of patients in the experiment. For the context, the extension of the experiment was necessary because the DGS did not make progress on the 2 main subjects which were to be treated during the first 2 years, namely:

• the status of these products (ad hocin this case to be integrated into the public health code, or magistral preparation)
• reimbursement or not by health insurance

On the patients’ side, the experiment was widely praised during an evaluation report carried out by various external agencies.

A very wide call for tenders

Finished the price of 14€ per product proposed on the first call for tenders. The second leaves a range of 10,000 to 1 million euros for the supply of 56,250,000 milligrams of cannabidiol, the equivalent of 22,000 vials of 50mL dosed at 50mg/mL, a maximum quantity that the DGS deems necessary for the one-year extension of the experiment. According to our calculations, this would cover the needs of almost 1000 people for 2 bottles per month.

No more precise dosages of cannabinoids. The packaging must respect a maximum THC:CBD ratio of 1:50, without obligation of absence of THC while the missing oil did not contain any. The product may even exceed 0.3% THC, which will then place it on the list of narcotics, a category of medical products that require more authorizations for imports and distribution – but which is already the case for most of the experimental products.

Also modified the appreciation ratios of the different criteria to win the market. In the first call for tenders, the quality of the product weighed for 30% of the final score against 15% in the new call for tenders, and the capacity to deliver was scored at 12% in the first call for tenders against 30% in the second.

The capsules were no longer part of the first call for tenders for the extension.

The deadline for responding to the call for tenders, available online, is May 4.

Cannabis legalization could arrive in the Portuguese Parliament this year, with a likely political consensus to speed up the approval of the law.

After a demonstration that started from Luís de Camões Square in Lisbon, several participants in the March for Cannabis, organized by the Movement of Mothers for Cannabis, found themselves on the steps of the Assembly of the Republic building. During a moment dedicated to speeches, several political leaders unveiled the possibility of legalizing cannabis in the near future in Portugal.

Francisco Themudo, National Secretary for Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees of the Socialist Youth, addressed the audience. He explained that the will is obviously there, but above all the necessary political conditions must be met to achieve comprehensive regulation of cannabis.

According to the website CannaReporterthe leader said that “smoking is an act of freedom, and we have the right to do it safely”, defending a legal framework in which the cannabis plant is not illegal.

But in case there is any doubt, in the corridors of the Portuguese parliament, cannabis is more than just a debate, according to Liberal Initiative MP Rodrigo Saraiva. The MP told the participants that it could even be that in 2023, the Parliament will receive proposals for debate, “already with a certain prior consensus”.

On the other hand, Fabien Figueiredo, former deputy of the Bloco de Izquierda, also confirmed the party’s desire to contribute to the debate and the legalization of cannabis in Portugal. The former MP had presented a proposal in 2021 to legalize cannabis for personal use, which failed before the government at the end of the year.

Last June, the Portuguese left also presented a new cannabis legalization project, different from the previous one. Last December, the secretary general of the Socialist Youth (JS), Miguel Costa Matos, defended the idea that the PS should take advantage of its absolute majority to advance the cause of the legalization of cannabis in Portugal.

In 2019, the Portuguese parliament had already rejected 2 legalization proposals.

Since Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to decriminalize cannabis, thousands of cannabis shops and businesses have sprung up, especially in Bangkok and tourist spots.

The legal framework was never clearly defined, however, and long-promised legislation failed to pass parliament in February, leaving the country without a law to regulate recreational cannabis use.

In addition to the legislative vagueness, a certain disappointment seizes the local actors. Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul wanted to put them at the heart of national cannabis production, an announcement that did not materialize. They now face unexpected competition: illegal cannabis imports.

US imports flood Thailand

Kajkanit Sakdisubha, CEO and founder of Taratera, which operates cannabis farms and shops, told Reuters that illegal imports began when the post-decriminalization sales boom led to the depletion of the domestic supply.

“That’s when the imported flowers started arriving,” says Kajkanit.

According to three industry members, at least half of the cannabis sold in Thailand is smuggled in, although they have no estimate of the quantity or value of the imports.

Pro-cannabis activist and retailer Chokwan “Kitty” Chopaka said the United States was the main source of the cannabis that has flooded Thailand, especially in its tourist hubs.

“Much of the cannabis coming from the United States is destined for dispensaries in Bangkok, Phuket or Pattaya,” she said.

Local farmers impacted

Pornchai Padmindra of the Thai Industrial Hemp Trade Association, which has about 300 members, said that as profit margins shrink, many growers are considering exiting the industry.

“People are struggling,” he said. “Things are getting tough. »

The large quantities of cannabis smuggled from abroad have indeed depressed wholesale prices and ultimately to growers.

The Thai Chamber of Commerce has estimated the sector could be worth $1.2 billion by 2025, but cultivator Srapathum Natthapong, 37, who has invested much of his savings to get into the industry, said said he had seen his income decline.

“At first, I could sell a kilo for between 350,000 and 400,000 baht (10,000 to 11,000 euros),” Srapathum Natthapong, a cannabis grower who operates three indoor farms, told Reuters.

In April, the date of the next harvest, Srapathum expects the price to have fallen to 200,000 baht (5,500 euros) per kilo.

“Smuggling harms us,” he said.

1.1 million people in Thailand have registered with the government to grow cannabis. It is not known if all do this or how many people grow cannabis without registering.

While many doubts remain about the content of the legalization of cannabis in Germany, and the latest news reported light legalization, an official from the German Ministry of Health said that the bill will be presented by the government “immediately after Easter”.

The legislation was originally due to be published at the end of the first quarter of 2023, but that deadline was extended “for timing reasons” as officials reportedly worked to revise it to avoid a potential conflict with international laws.

Total legalization still possible?

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said on Wednesday that the aim was still to legalize cannabis nationwide and that he was “strongly convinced that we will present the new proposal immediately after Easter” next week.

Last month there were reports of a revision of the bill from the framework previously released by the government, with details indicating that officials planned to take a lighter, 2-step approach to reform.

First, it was said that the measure had been changed to allow growers to organize and distribute cannabis in “cannabis clubs”, similar to those in Spain.

Then there could be a part of “cannabis sales” in the form of a pilot test in certain regions of the country, such as in Switzerland.

The Minister of Health, however, did not confirm this information and said on Wednesday that “legalization is planned throughout Germany”, which means that a national commercial legalization could still be possible in the short term.

Lawmakers from the governing coalition meanwhile criticized the decision to scale back the project.

“We need Germany-wide legalization because the black market can only be pushed back if quality-assured recreational cannabis can be sold in certified stores throughout Germany,” said said Kristine Lütke of the FDP to Zeit Online. “If quality cannabis can only be legally purchased in a few cities, the black market will survive.

“Even though it is difficult to create a legally secure solution [selon les règles internationales]we must do everything in our power to implement the points agreed in the coalition agreement,” she added.

In the first releases, adults 18 and older could purchase and possess 20-30 grams of cannabis from federally licensed stores and possibly pharmacies.

They could also cultivate up to three plants for their own use, respecting the rules about putting up fences to prevent young people from having access to them.

All ongoing criminal proceedings related to offenses made legal by the reform would be suspended and closed as soon as it is implemented.

Cannabis would be subject to VAT and the plan provides for an additional “special consumption tax”. However, he does not specify the amount of this tax, believing that it should be set at a competitive rate compared to the illicit market.

Psilocybin is a mind-altering compound found naturally in certain species of mushrooms, commonly known as “magic mushrooms”, “hallucinogenic mushrooms” or “shrooms”. It belongs to a class of compounds known as tryptamines and is chemically similar to serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, appetite and other bodily functions.

When consumed, psilocybin is metabolized into its active form, psilocin, which interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain. This can lead to a change in perception, mood and thought patterns, often described as a “trip” or “psychedelic experience”.

Research suggests that psilocybin may have therapeutic potential for treating certain mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and addiction, although further studies are needed to fully understand its effects and potential benefits. However, it is important to note that psilocybin is classified as a schedule I drug of the United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances, which means that it is illegal in many countries, including France.

Is psilocybin legal in France?

Psilocybin has been on the Public Health Code’s list of narcotics since 1990, effectively making it illegal to possess, grow or trade any mushrooms that contain it, whether mushrooms/psilos or magic truffles. . The precision is important because in the Netherlands, magic mushrooms are prohibited but magic truffles are not. It is for this reason that many online players sell magic truffle grow kits.

Different varieties of hallucinogenic mushrooms grow wild in France (some will remember Billy Ze Kick’s music video, “Eat Me”), but the mushrooms are most often imported from abroad.

Medically legal psilocybin

Although on the list of narcotics, one of the authorized uses of psilocybin in France is medical. Some research is also resuming in France on psilocybin. There is currently no medical prescription or psilocybin medication in France.

The US state of Kentucky legalized the use of medical cannabis last Friday, after a decade of failed attempts. Kentucky is the 38th US state to legalize the medical use of cannabis.

Just a day after the House of Representatives approved Republican Senator Stephen West’s bill, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear delivered on his promise to sign it into law. The governor had mobilized citizens to pressure their representatives to pass the bill.

“Far too many of our fellow citizens face the hurdle of chronic or terminal illnesses, such as cancer, or that of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder or Kentucky residents with epilepsy, seizures epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease or other illnesses,” said Beshear.

“These people want and deserve safe and effective treatment methods. »

I have been pushing for medical cannabis and sports betting for years. Today, I signed these two bills into law. Team Kentucky delivers and we get results. Congrats, Kentucky. pic.twitter.com/mwkNjIBRA7

— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) March 31, 2023

“I would like to thank the many human rights defenders who have fought hard to achieve this day on behalf of their own health needs and those of others,” he also said.

What’s in the Medical Cannabis Program in Kentucky?

Proponents of medical cannabis were optimistic about its prospects this year. The House of Representatives had proposed similar measures in previous sessions, but they had so far stalled in the Senate.

Here is what the medical cannabis program in Kentucky contains:

• Patients recommended by a physician or nurse practitioner may be permitted to use cannabis if they have cancer, severe pain, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, muscle spasms or spasticity, chronic nausea or cyclical vomiting, post-traumatic stress or any other illness or medical condition deemed appropriate by the Kentucky Center for Cannabis
• Cannabis smoking will be banned, but patients will still be able to access raw cannabis to vaporize
• Home cultivation will not be allowed
• Patients can have a 30-day supply of cannabis in their residence and a 10-day supply on their person
• Patient registration will only last 60 days and the first visit will have to be in person
• The THC content will be limited to 35% for cannabis flower products and 70% for concentrates. Edibles cannot exceed 10 milligrams per serving
• Medical cannabis will be exempt from sales and excise taxes
• License categories include three levels of growers as well as growers, processors, safety compliance facilities and dispensaries
• Local authorities can decide not to allow cannabis businesses to operate, but citizens can ask their municipality to reverse their decision
• Regulations must be finalized before January 1, 2024