The Washington State Senate last week approved a bill to allow cannabis companies to engage in interstate commerce.

The measure, approved by a 40-8 vote, would give the governor the authority to enter into agreements with other U.S. states where cannabis is legal to allow imports and exports between licensed cannabis businesses.

“It’s no secret that Washington has been a leader in the cannabis industry,” Republican Senator Ann Rivers, the bill’s author, said ahead of the vote. “We have taken massive steps to ensure that the product made here is well framed, tested and of the highest quality. We know that federal legalization is coming. We have seen bills introduced and we have the impression that it is getting closer. »

But state industry “could be left in the dust if we are absent and unable to act” when federal law changes, she said. “So we can trust our governor to watch over this industry and ensure that goods can move from our state to other states and back to us in a legal, safe, and enforceable manner.” »

Under SB 5069, cannabis products from out-of-state businesses would be required to comply with Washington regulations, including packaging and labeling.

However, it would only go into effect under one of two conditions: 1) if federal law is amended “to permit the interstate transfer of cannabis” between lawful businesses, or 2) if the United States Department of Justice United States issues advisory “permitting or tolerating” cannabis trade between U.S. states.

If either of these conditions are met, state regulators will be required to provide written notification of the federal policy change, as well as any “statutory amendments necessary to authorize the sale, delivery, and receipt of cannabis” from companies outside the state. Regulators should also adopt the necessary rules for cross-border trade.

The governor of California signed a similar measure last year. Prior to that, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed an interstate cannabis trade law into law in 2019.

On the other side of the country, the president of the New Jersey Senate tabled a similar proposal last year, but it has yet to be signed into law.

The Israeli medical cannabis market, long considered years ahead of its European counterparts, no longer seems to be the Eden it once was.

Local media reports warning that the industry is “withering away rapidly” and “dismantling from within” are reflected in the continued stagnation in patient growth and the continued exodus of Israeli players from the stock market and the market itself.

While many point to regulatory hurdles enacted by successive administrations across the country, further measures expected in the coming months could see the industry grow rapidly.

New reforms to how cannabis is prescribed, currently being passed, will move medical cannabis entirely into the realm of national health insurance, a move that is expected to see patient numbers double.

The Israeli cannabis market

As in many markets, 2022 has been a tough year for Israeli cannabis companies, especially those listed on the stock exchange.

Of the 15 Israeli cannabis companies listed on the stock market at the start of 2022, four had left or announced their intention to leave the market before the end of the year.

This included the planned withdrawal of Panaxia, one of Israel’s largest players, from the public market and the Israeli cannabis market altogether in December.

Speaking at the time, Panaxia Labs Israel Founder and CEO Dadi Segal told BusinessCann: “Recently, given the situation in the public markets and the very strong negative sentiment towards cannabis listed on the stock exchange, we have decided that we no longer benefit from our status as a public company. »

He added that as a medical cannabis company with two large EU-GMP sites, unique products already on the market in Germany, there was a “significant advantage” for the company in the European market.

“These advantages do not materialize in the Israeli market, given the kind of particular regulatory framework available. I think Israel is in a difficult situation. Until there is a significant change in the regulatory landscape and the way the government views the cannabis sphere, I think it will be a very tough market. We saw it coming for almost two years and announced that we were going to focus on the European market. »

This sentiment is widely shared by the country’s cannabis operators, a growing number of whom are choosing to either branch out into other markets or go out of business, including Canomed, Intelicanna and Pharmacan.

Last week, CannAssure announced its departure from the Tel Aviv stock exchange, while IM Cannabis recently carried out a reverse stock split to avoid its shares being delisted from the NASDAQ stock exchange and was forced to close its operations in Canada as part of ongoing cost reduction measures. Elsewhere, Univo has earned the undeniable title of becoming the first publicly listed Israeli cannabis company of 2022 to file for bankruptcy.

Kanabo CEO Avihu Tamir recently told BusinessCann that he predicts that within two years, “more than 50% (of Israeli cannabis companies) will be bankrupt or taken over.”

“The main reason, and this is a common theme in all medical markets, is that profit margins are not pharmaceutical profit margins, but regulatory standards are pharmaceutical regulations. The standard margins are similar to consumer products, but the costs are much higher,” he explained.

He added that in Israel, a country of around 9 million citizens, there is only room for “a dozen large cannabis companies” for the market to function properly, but that currently , “there are between 50 and 60, so the market is saturated”.

A new regulatory framework for medical cannabis

These issues have been exacerbated by anemic market growth, with the number of patients only increasing by 500 in January 2023 and 200 in December 2022, according to the report. The Israeli Cannabis Magazine.

This stagnation is partly due to the arrest of seven doctors licensed to prescribe cannabis, suspected of exploiting a gray area under the current medical cannabis licensing framework which allowed them to charge patients “up to hundreds thousands of shekels.

In the coming months, all of that may be about to change, as reforms to move medical cannabis away from the private market and into the realm of the domestic healthcare industry are on the way. about to be implemented.

Currently, the approximately 120,000 Israeli patients who use cannabis for medical purposes must obtain a state license in order to legally access the drugs.

According to a first outline of these proposals published in August 2022 by the Medical Cannabis Unit of the Ministry of Health, “it involves a bureaucratic process involving a relatively small number of doctors certified to work in this field, and many patients turn to private doctors and pay large sums in order to obtain this license”.

The proposed changes, which the health minister was tasked with initiating by the new government in mid-January, would see this licensing structure replaced by a new prescription model, run by the four official health insurance organizations in the country.

Participation in a medical insurance plan with one of these four “sickness funds” is compulsory.

The project would also dramatically expand access to medical cannabis for patients, allowing any pharmacy in the country with a safe to dispense prescriptions, which could create thousands of access points.

In addition, any doctor specializing in his field will be able to prescribe medical cannabis, and a uniform payment of 720 shekels for a new prescription and 360 shekels for the renewal of an existing prescription will be established.

Mr. Tamir suggested that “the market can double now with this new shape. If roughly we have around 120,000 patients, we would have double the number of patients.”

Deputy Health Minister Moshe Arbel said: “This is a milestone that will affect tens of thousands of people and symbolizes to me the importance of providing a comprehensive response in one place – our system is based on health insurance funds as administrators of treatment – ​​and if we believe that cannabis is a therapeutic means, we must integrate it into the place where the medicine is administered. »

Earlier this month, Czech activist and editor of cannabis magazine Legalizace, Robert Veverka, was found guilty on appeal of “inciting and promoting drug addiction”, he revealed in a Facebook post. , after being sentenced in November 2021.

The following text is a free translation of his message:

“Legalizace magazine has spread drug addiction through its content, the court confirms it.

With today’s verdict, the Land Court of Ostrava upheld the finding of the District Court of Bruntál that I committed the crime of spreading drug addiction by publishing the magazine Legalizace. According to a report by ČTK, the court changed my suspended sentence to a fine of 100,000 CZK, (€4,281.16) for the publisher of the magazine Legalizace, on the other hand, the fine was increased to 150,000 CZK (€6,421.74).

As for the exact definition of the act and the justification of the verdict, we are waiting for the written preparation and, after studying it, we will decide with the lawyer whether to approach the license application. Regardless of this decision, however, the award stands.

The future of Legalizace magazine remains uncertain until I know the exact definition of my illegal conduct, that is, where exactly and with what I accomplished the true essence of the crime of spreading drug addiction, l he existence of the first cannabis magazine remains in legal limbo.

The fact that I was convicted for publishing information about cannabis, I continue to consider it a systemic fault of the paragraph on the spread of addiction. It is mostly outdated legislation which, combined with a conservative view of cannabis and its users, perpetuates the narrative that informing about cannabis or its unauthorized consumption must be severely punished.

I firmly believe that not only will this help my cause, but also the long-awaited drug law change that is being discussed today at the highest political and expert levels and will lead to a definitive end to the senseless war against drugs.

PS If you are not indifferent to the fact that Czech courts restrict the right to free dissemination of information on cannabis, you can support the cause here: https://osvetanenizlocin.cz/podpora/. Any support is greatly appreciated! »

Czech Republic on track to legalize cannabis

The timing of this legal action is quite extraordinary. Indeed, the Czech Republic is about to legalize cannabis, including home cultivation.

Two-thirds of the population are in favor of it and estimates provide for 26 to 75 million euros per year in the state coffers. The President of the Czech Republic is also in favor of the legalization of cannabis.

Via CannabisIndustry

The Duke of Sussex has opened up about his drug use during a Q&A as part of the release of his book The Substitute (Spare in the language of Shakespeare).

Speaking of cocaine, Prince Harry told Dr Gabor Maté: “It didn’t get me anything. It was more of a social thing.”

He added: “It gave me a sense of belonging, for sure. It also made me feel different from what I was feeling, which is kind of the point. »

Moving on to cannabis, which he admitted to having used before, Harry said: “Cannabis is different, it really helped me. »

The interview was conducted by Dr. Gabor Maté, an expert in childhood trauma and development, specialist in addictions and a strong advocate for the decriminalization of drugs. He himself has used ayahuasca to treat patients with addiction and mental illness.

Prince Harry’s interview with Dr Gabor Maté

The discussion was more generally about how to live after the loss of a loved one and the importance of personal healing. The live event took place a month after the release of the highly anticipated book, which explains how the young prince coped with the death of his mother, Princess Diana.

He also revealed that he felt strong peer pressure to drink alcohol.

The Prince said, “I was at a dinner party and people were all drinking and I wasn’t the one drinking. I felt excluded from the conversation, so much so that I was told ‘if you don’t want to have a drink, leave’. So I said ‘Okay, I’m going to leave’. »

“I began to realize that the world was like that. »

“If for some reason you don’t drink or don’t want to drink that night, there seems to be this peer group pressure. »

The Duke also recounted using psychedelics like ayahuasca.

He continues: “It was a way to cleanse yourself, to purify yourself, to remove the filters from life like on Instagram, with these layers of filters. »

“It exposed me and gave me a feeling of relaxation, liberation, comfort, a lightness that I managed to hang on to for a while. »

“I started doing it recreationally and then I started realizing how good it was for me, I would say it was one of the fundamental parts of my life that changed me and helped me deal with the traumas and pains of the past. »

IOffice of Cannabis Management (OCM), the New York state cannabis regulatory body, will double the number of licenses granted to dispensaries run by people with previous cannabis convictions, bringing the maximum number of such dispensaries to 300 .

From 150 to 300 pretty quick

CMO Executive Director Chris Alexander announced the expansion at a meeting of the Cannabis Control Board THURSDAY. One of the main reasons the agency decided to expand the program, Mr. Alexander said, is that a significant number of licensed business owners Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD), these licenses granted on a preferential basis, indicated to the CMO that they could finance their dispensary directly rather than through the State loan program.

“Given this large number of applicants, the ability of some of them to bring their own premises and our desire to expand the market as quickly as possible, we are pleased to announce that we are extending the program CAURD to 300 licensees,” Alexander said, noting that they had received over 900 qualified applications.

The first 150 CAURD licensees will be the first to take advantage of the $200 million public-private investment fund that Governor Kathy Hochul announced last year “if they choose a location supported by the fund.” “. The last 150 CAURD licensees “will be able to access any remaining support from the Fund.”

Reuben McDaniel, member of the Cannabis Control Board and CEO of the Dormitory Authority of New York, spoke in favor of expanding the number of CAURD licenses. McDaniel gave no information on progress in raising the remaining $150 million for the fund.

“It is important to understand that the resources of the fund are not unlimited, and as part of the expansion, the first 150 licensees will continue to have access to the fund if they wish. Those who refuse will free up resources that will be made available – but not guaranteed – to those in the expanded group of 150 applicants,” Alexander said.

Chaotic deployment of legal cannabis distribution

Although regulators opened up the Retail License Access Program fairly quickly, its rollout so far has been difficult.

According to the initial rollout plan, at least 60 retail stores should be open at this stage. There are currently only four – three in midtown Manhattan and one in Binghamton – and only one of them is run by someone with a previous cannabis conviction.

The $200 million public/private Cannabis Social Equity Fund failed to raise $150 million in private capital for the CAURD program, with the other $50 million provided by the state.

Additionally, many applicants have complained about a complicated and flawed online application process, which some fear has mistakenly rejected qualified applicants.

The slow rollout of regulation has benefited unlicensed sales in physical stores or through food trucks converted into weed trucks.

The New York City Sheriff’s Office estimates that more than 1,000 such businesses sell unlicensed cannabis.

Will the Thai Parliament run out of time to pass its legalization of cannabis? The country’s lawmakers remain divided on the main provisions of the legislation, leaving the cannabis industry in Thailand in the middle of a gray zone.

Gray areas and disagreements

The House of Representatives failed to conclude the second reading of the bill, the last session devoted to studying the plan to legalize cannabis in Thailand before the recess.

The delay was caused by certain factions of lawmakers who argued that the bill did not go far enough to deter recreational cannabis use and called for the plant to be re-listed. narcotics.

With Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha planning to dissolve parliament next month ahead of elections scheduled for May, the fate of the bill will depend on the next government. A bill must generally be adopted by a majority of deputies in three readings, before being submitted to the approval of the Senate to become a law.

Vanguard’s Ransom

Thailand became the first country in Asia to decriminalize cannabis last year by removing the plant from the list of narcotics. Officially, only consumption for medical purposes is legal and consumption for recreational purposes cannot be repressed, under certain conditions (non-presence of children, no sale without a licence, etc.) and without being legally regulated.

This decriminalization has led to the proliferation of dispensaries that sell all kinds of cannabis products, which gives a glimpse of everything that already existed on the black market despite a very strong previous policy in the country.

Growing concerns over the impact of legalization on young people have also threatened to falter an industry estimated to be worth more than €1 billion by 2025.

The liberalization of cannabis has divided Thailand’s political parties, the Bhumjaithai party, led by Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, spearheading the widespread use and cultivation of the plant by households. Many opposition parties and the Democratic Party, a member of the ruling coalition, want to return to decriminalization.

“It is clear that the bill will not pass during this session. We will resubmit the Cannabis Bill to the next parliament,” said Supachai Jaisamut, a Bhumjaithai Party lawmaker. “People who don’t want cannabis to be criminalized again should vote for Bhumjaithai.”

The government has repeatedly said that the June decriminalization is aimed at medical and commercial cannabis use rather than recreational use, although the bill fell short of explicitly banning recreational smoking.

According to Supachai, the cannabis rules issued by the Ministry of Health are sufficient to control the industry for the time being. These rules include restrictions on unpleasant odors in public, sale to pregnant women or people under 20, and commercial advertising.

Two entrepreneurs from Whately, a small town in Massachusetts, are looking to reinvent their current business to offer what would be a unique offering in the state’s cannabis industry.

The owners of Club Castaway, a strip club, plan to turn their business into a topless cannabis dispensary, which would set them apart in the state’s legal industry, which accounts for several billion dollars, reports the Boston Business Journal.

“The market is very saturated. There are a lot of operators, and everyone offers the same experience,” said owner Nick Spagnola. “It’s definitely a way to stand out while keeping the spirit of the existing business. »

According to the outlet, the club originally closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 and still hasn’t reopened.

The idea was presented to the Whately town council earlier this month.

Both men bring some cannabis industry experience to the table. They already own two cannabis businesses in Lynn and Boston.

“We have some experience on the cannabis side and some on the nudity side,” Spagnola told Whately officials. “We want to replace that nightclub scene and the booze with something harmless in comparison.”

A dispensary topless would indeed be a novelty in Massachusetts, a state that now has more than 200 cannabis dispensaries. The upcoming clearance and approval process for Spagnola and Sokol is therefore a bit unclear, local media reports.

However, the two men have hired a lawyer and agree to buy a cannabis business in Whately which has already obtained a license. The two men hope to transfer the license to their club.

In the meantime, Club Castaway will reopen under its current business model at the end of March. Before being renamed Ganja Girl ?

During its general assembly on February 18, 2023, the UFCM-i Care association decided unanimously by the voices represented to finalize the closure of the association’s activities.

Since 2012, UFCM-I Care has been raising awareness among the public, health professionals and the political community of the need to legalize therapeutic cannabis in France.

The objectives of the association were in particular to inform and fight against stigmatization, to guide patients and healthcare professionals and to support and defend the rights and interests of patients.

Each year, UFMC-I Care organized an international symposium on pharmacological advances and therapeutic uses of cannabinoids, usually in Strasbourg but in Paris in 2018, which brought together between 200 and 300 people. Renowned panelists came to these conferences: Raphaël Mechoulam, Franjo Grotenhermen, Ethan Russo or Raquel Peyraube.

As soon as it was created, patients took over the management of the association and decided to stop when health professionals and the medical production sector came to the fore.

“This is what is happening today and this is what we are doing, perhaps a little more radically than envisaged but the context is there” explains the press release.

In the press release, the members of the association’s board of directors thank “all those thanks to whom the success of its activity has been ensured as well as our financial partners (Sensi Seeds, Storz&Bickel, Aurora, Solanaceae editions, etc.). »

The UFCM – I Care conferences remain available on Youtube.

Vanuatu has become one of the first countries in Oceania to allow companies to cultivate cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes, after the government enacted a law allowing the import, cultivation, processing and export of this plant.

The new law was signed into law on the 9th of this month by the Minister of Agriculture, Nako Natuman.

Individuals or businesses wishing to legally cultivate cannabis for medical and industrial purposes in Vanuatu will be able to apply for a license as soon as the regulations come into force. They will have to submit a number of documents in their license application, such as proof of at least 10 years’ experience, a business plan and proof of land ownership or a copy of the lease.

The experience requirement means that only foreign companies in the country already working in cannabis, such as some companies from the United States or Canada, will be able to obtain a license.

As a first step, the government made available five licenses valid for 10 years, two for the cultivation of medical cannabis and three for industrial hemp, to be renewed each year upon payment of a tax of 10 million vatus (nearly of €79,000).

According to the director general of the Vanuatu Ministry of Agriculture, Moses Amos, the number of licenses could increase once the government fully understands how this activity works.

Mr Amos, who is also chairman of Parliament’s advisory committee on medical cannabis and industrial hemp, told local broadcaster VBTC that these policies are aimed at encouraging foreign investment in the country.

“The government is particularly focused on alternative resources that we can use, and one of them is industrial hemp and medical cannabis,” he said. “It is a potential resource that we can use and develop into an export product and at the same time bring money into the country. »

Vanuatu, which until recently criminalized cannabis entirely, decided to change its relationship with the plant after partnering with an American medical cannabis company.

In March 2019, Phoenix Life Sciences opened its first clinic in the country to test a cannabis-based drug on patients with diabetes. In 2020, the company reached an agreement with the government to use its products to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases in hospitals.

Shortly thereafter, the government sought to amend its Dangerous Drugs Act to allow the commercial cultivation of cannabis: the amendments were enacted in 2021.