Spain had set a goal to regulate and distribute medical cannabis nationwide by the end of 2022. With no announcement, these ambitious plans appear to have been delayed.

December 27, 2022 was the deadline for the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) to ensure that the proposals, adopted in June, “fit into the regulations”.

As this deadline has passed, the Spanish government has been very tight-lipped about the reasons for the delay and when the legislation could be enacted.

Like Germany’s “traffic light” coalition, the current administration is now engaged in a “race against time” to deliver on its promise of cannabis reform before regional, municipal and general elections set the stage. project in jeopardy.

Doubts remain, however, as to whether this rapid legislative reversal will result in a competent and effective medical cannabis program.

Medical cannabis by the end of the year

After more than a year of research, a subcommittee tasked with studying medical cannabis frameworks deployed around the world has presented its proposals for how a similar framework would look in Spain.

Later in June 2022, the Health and Consumer Affairs Commission of the Congress of Deputies voted to approve these proposals on the wire, with last-minute amendments and threats to scuttle the process entirely.

After the proposals were given the green light, the task fell to AEMPS to prepare a document with recommendations on how to integrate this framework into the country’s regulations and ensure that they are legally viable.

However, AEMPS has only had six months to complete this task, as the government strives to reduce delays and get the medical cannabis project through as quickly as possible.

More than two weeks after the initial six-month deadline, this document cannot be found, which blocks any progress in the adoption of these proposals.

“We have no idea what’s going on,” Carola Pérez, president of Spain’s Medicinal Cannabis Observatory (OECM), told BusinessCann. “We have no response from the Spanish government… We are afraid that the Spanish government is playing with us. »

According to Ms. Pérez, while the AEMPS promised the OECM that it had to meet its deadline, there is now radio silence on the situation.

She added that some news reports have suggested the report could be ready by January 20, but nothing has been confirmed.

In a statement to the Spanish publication El Mundo the day after the original December 27 deadline, the AEMP said it intended to publish the recommendations before the end of the year, if not in the first days of January.

“Everything indicated by the sub-commission has been collected, and has been compared with all the guides of the European Union and with the models of other countries. They are looking for the best way to guarantee the quality, safety and efficacy of the drug. Even though we know that not everyone will be satisfied, we must act as a scientific-technical body. »

Furthermore, the government has given little indication of what will happen after the report is released.

She continues: “No one has answered the question: when the agency publishes the report, what will happen next? Should we go back to Congress and vote? Should we go to the Minister of Health? Are we going to ask for an interjurisdictional opinion? We don’t know anything at all. »

“There are so many questions that need to be answered, and no one is answering them. »

A race against time

With so much up in the air, the race is on for the current administration to deliver on its cannabis reform promises before an election takes place, which could derail the project entirely.

Regional and municipal elections are due to take place in many parts of Spain on May 28, with general elections expected to take place later in the year.

The conservative People’s Party (PP) is currently leading the polls, and it may need the support of the far-right Vox party to form a government. Both parties voted against the medical cannabis bill in June 2022.

“If we have a new election and the Conservatives win, that’s going to be a problem. It’s a race against time. »

Some also fear that even a delayed program will be too restrictive for patients, forcing many to return to Spain’s predominant illicit market.

According to the OECM, one of the issues AEMPS has spoken about is its reluctance to include the use of flowers in vaporizers, a method approved in many EU countries, including France as part of its experimentation.

Concerns also remain over whether prescriptions for medical cannabis will be limited to specialist doctors, in which case Ms Pérez believes there is a risk that patients will be forced to choose between waiting lists of up to one year or private prescriptions, which may be out of budget for the majority.

Afroman, singer, songwriter and 2024 US presidential candidate, has some questions for the police.

In September, the 48-year-old’s Ohio property was raided by heavily armed police who reportedly had a search warrant on suspicion of narcotics, drug trafficking and kidnapping.

The musician then posted on social media security camera footage of the police raid, during which law enforcement confiscated a vape pen, butt joints and a CBD flowerpot. Police also seized approximately $5,600 in cash from the pocket of one of his suits.

A raid that raises questions

Afroman, whose legal name is Joseph Foreman, has now turned those videos into a music video for a song called “Will You Help Me Repair My Door?” » [ndlr : M’aiderez-vous à réparer ma porte].

“Why does the warrant mention narcotics? Yes, I know narcotics. But why kidnapping? asks Foreman in the song.

As security footage shows police going through his belongings, Foreman asks a few more questions, including whether there are any kidnapping victims or thousands of pounds of weed in his suit pockets.

When the police move to another room in the house containing thousands of CDs, Foreman says, “Are there any kidnap victims on my CDs? “.

Foreman was in Chicago at the time of the raid, and security footage shows police breaking down his gate and front door to enter the property. The agents can also be seen taking money out of the pocket of one of Foreman’s suit jackets, which the rapper said was payment for a gig.

This also prompts another question from Foreman. “Why are you stealing my money? he asks, adding, “You represent the law and it’s funny.” You’re stealing my hard-earned money that I pay taxes on. »

Some of the money was later returned, $400 missing on appeal. The issue of the “vanished” money has been turned over to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which will oversee the investigation.

Although no charges have been brought against Foreman, some of the items seized from the property are still being tested for the presence of narcotics.

Medical cannabis is legal in Ohio and possession of small amounts of cannabis for adult use, less than 100 grams, is a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum fine of $150.

Afroman, future American presidential candidate

Last month, Foreman announced that he was aiming for the White House in “Twenty Twenty Fro”, and that he planned to “get recreational cannabis legalized in every state”.

“My American friends, There comes a time in the course of human events when change must come. This moment has arrived. Americans are hurting, and the status quo is no longer acceptable,” his campaign manager, Jason Savage, said in the statement posted to Afroman’s Instagram.

The statement refers to Foreman as the “Commander in Chief of Cannabis,” and notes that he is “representative of the blue state of California and the red state of Mississippi. »

“Who better to occupy the highest office in the country than the highest and most fickle playa in the game ? »

A Canadian researcher has found a “significant negative association” between sales of medical cannabis and alcohol.

Professor Michael J. Armstrong’s study was published online in the journal Health Policy last November. She compared legal sales of medical cannabis to sales of beer, wine and other alcohol in Canada from 2015 to 2018.

Armstrong’s study found that every dollar of medical cannabis sold was associated with lower alcohol sales of between 74 cents Canadian (51 cents) and 0.84 cents Canadian.

“The negative association was robust to several alternative modeling choices,” writes the study author.

Armstrong said his study suggested medical cannabis use replaced some alcohol use, but said it did not prove causation.

The study found that alcohol sales in Canada in 2017-2018 were about 1.8% lower than they would have been without legal medical cannabis. She also suggests that reduced alcohol sales may partially offset the harms and benefits of cannabis legalization.

Armstrong’s 1.8% figure is much lower than the 15% drop in alcohol demand estimated for Washington state in a study that looked at recreational cannabis.

“For example, the increase in cannabis-related health problems could be accompanied by a decrease in those related to alcohol. And new government revenue from cannabis taxes could offset declining alcohol tax revenue,” Armstrong said.

The Canadian study took into account differences in alcohol prices, retail spending, unemployment rates and penalties for drunk driving. It can be read here.

A US analysis published in 2017 identified a similar drop in alcohol sales after the adoption of medical cannabis by the various US states, as did another 2021 study of data from the Youth Risk Behavioral Survey. In contrast, a more recent study evaluating the impact of the legalization of adult cannabis use in the United States reported an association with increased alcohol consumption among those aged 21 and older.

The Syndicat Professionnel du Chanvre team, which among other players challenged the decree prohibiting the sale of hemp flowers, is meeting on Friday January 20, 2023 in Cergy for its Happy New Hemp event!

In order to celebrate the victory at the Council of State, the Syndicat Professionnel du Chanvre wishes to start the year 2023 by proposing an event open to all professionals in the sector and to all those interested in well-being hemp and CBD!

On the program: conferences, business round tables, moments of exchange and conviviality, aperitif cocktail,…

Among the speakers, the event will notably welcome:
– Ludovic Mendes, deputy of the Republic En Marche and rapporteur of the parliamentary mission on cannabis. For several years, he has been committed to the CBD market.
– Maître Uzan-Sarano, lawyer at the Council of State who supported and accompanied the Syndicat Professionnel du Chanvre throughout its legal recourse
– Aurélien Bernard, founder of Newsweed

The afternoon will be reserved for members of the various pro-CBD hemp unions who will be able to take advantage of several business round tables dedicated to meetings and exchanges between professionals in the sector. The afternoon event is co-organized with the French Association of Cannabinoid Producers (AFPC) and the Union of CBD Professionals (UPCBD).

The event will take place at La Turbine (Cergy), a space dedicated to entrepreneurship and innovation.

Online ticketing
For more information, do not hesitate to contact the SPC at:
07 63 87 81 23
reseau@syndicatduchanvre.fr

Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) has decided to remove a snack containing hemp flour from vending machines in the city-state.

The CNB ordered the company supplying the Piranha Power Pack to remove it from vending machines and warned anyone who purchased the snack to dispose of it immediately.

The product is said to contain nuts, seeds and crisps and is believed to also contain hemp seed flour.

“Did you know that Cannabis Sativa is the botanical name for the hemp plant? You read that right: hemp is cannabis,” notes a CNB post on Facebook. “This means that all proteins, fibers, seeds, oils… of hemp that are derived from the hemp plant are derived from the Cannabis Sativa plant. »

Singapore has a zero-tolerance approach to drug offences, which is among the toughest in the world. All cannabis use in the country is banned, although since 2019 at least two little girls have been allowed to import Epidiolex, a pharmaceutical CBD oil, to treat their epilepsy.

The CNB states that “despite product labels stating otherwise, any product derived from the cannabis sativa plant or its seeds may contain controlled drugs such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive chemical in cannabis that gives users the sensation of “hovering”.

Although not specifically targeting the snack in question, the CNB reports that “numerous reports have been made of adverse health effects related” to THC consumption.

That said, the agency “wishes to remind importers, retailers and members of the public that any product containing hemp derivatives should not be imported, supplied or offered for sale etc. “.

“The CNB asked the company that had imported the product to withdraw it from sale. Investigations by the CNB are ongoing,” the agency reports.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda says he opposes the idea of ​​decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of cannabis in the country.

Medical cannabis is legal in Lithuania, as is the production and sale of CBD.

“I am opposed to this idea at the moment because I think we have failed so far in our fight against the spread of drugs in schools and among the young people who are the future of our state,” Gitanas said. Nausėda on Lithuanian LRT RADIO on Friday answering questions from the audience.

According to the President, it is necessary to stem the spread of narcotics among young people before taking any initiative to decriminalize the possession of these substances.

“I don’t find it convincing when someone says that we are going to liberalize this area a little and then move on to education and various other projects. We reverse the order of things in this place. I think we should first educate and work to stop this evil and negative trend. And then we can talk about legislative initiatives,” he said.

Earlier in December, the Lithuanian Parliament approved a proposal to supplement the code of administrative offenses with fines imposed for possession of small amounts of cannabis, but failed to remove this offense from the criminal code during a separate vote.

In this project, fines of €300 to €1,000 would be imposed in the event of a repeat offence. Either way, the cannabis would be confiscated. The amount of cannabis to be considered small would be decided by the Ministry of Health.

Parliament also approved a proposal by Jonas Varkalis of the Liberal Movement that a person caught with cannabis three times in a year should be required to go to a center for addiction-related illnesses and undergo a treatment program. treatment designed by a psychiatrist.

Currently, possession of a small amount of any type of narcotic is punishable under criminal law in Lithuania.

In 2018, the Lithuanian Parliament twice rejected amendments aimed at decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of narcotics.

Thailand’s Ministry of Health has released a guide titled ’10 Things Tourists Should Know About Cannabis in Thailand’ to improve visitors’ understanding of what they can and cannot do with cannabis in the country. .

Thailand is the first Asian country to have decriminalized cannabis by removing cannabis from the list of narcotics even before real regulation was considered. There followed a rush to open shops – more than 2,500 today – and recreational use that is not always controlled.

Thai lawmakers are currently discussing a bill to regulate the consumption and sale of cannabis. However, it is not certain that it will be adopted before the House is dissolved later this year, prior to new elections.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul insisted that the aim of decriminalization is to promote the medical use of cannabis and create economic opportunities for the local population. Foreigners who want to travel to Thailand just to “get high” should think twice, he said.

In the current legal vacuum, hundreds of cannabis dispensaries – recreational or not – have proliferated and are well documented on websites such as Highthailand or Weed.in.th

The Ministry of Health, however, wants to make sure that tourists are clear about what Thai law allows for cannabis. It has asked provincial tourist offices to distribute an English guide to visitors and plans to make it available in other languages, including Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Russian.

The guide can also be downloaded here.

The 10 things tourists should know are:

• It is prohibited to transport cannabis seeds or parts of cannabis plants to and from Thailand for personal use.
• Cannabis cultivation is legal, but you must register on the Plook Ganja application of the Food and Drug Administration or on a government website
• The use of cannabis flowers for research, export and sale, as well as their processing for commercial purposes, requires an official license
• Persons under the age of 20, pregnant women and breastfeeding women cannot consume cannabis, except under the supervision of health professionals
• Possession of extracts containing more than 0.2% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and synthetic THC is subject to authorization
• Cannabis-containing dishes are available in licensed restaurants
• Approved cannabis health products are accessible through specific channels
• Smoking cannabis in public spaces, including schools and malls, is illegal
• Avoid driving after consuming food or health products containing cannabis
• People who experience serious adverse health effects after consuming cannabis should seek prompt medical attention for treatment.

Minnesota lawmakers have unveiled plans to legalize cannabis that they hope to pass in 2023.

At a press conference Thursday, bill sponsors in the House of Representatives and the state Senate previewed the legislation, which largely aligns with an earlier measure already passed by the House. in 2021.

“Cannabis should not be illegal in Minnesota. Minnesotans deserve the freedom and respect to make responsible decisions about cannabis for themselves,” said Zach Stephenson, the representative bringing the bill to the House. “Our current laws do more harm than good.”

Minnesotans are ready. 2023 is the year we legalize adult use cannabis in Minnesota. Today, @Lindsey_Port and I introduced legislation. We’ll have our first committee hearing next Wednesday. Full bill language is available here: https://t.co/vCv6BBEjAt

— Zack Stephenson (@zackstephenson) January 5, 2023

On the Senate side, Lindsey Port carries the project. She said she would take the time to educate Senate members to “build the same kind of bipartisan support that was built in the House.” She hopes that a first committee hearing will take place within two weeks.

Here are the main elements of the cannabis legalization project in Minnesota:

• Adults 21 and older could buy up to two ounces of cannabis (56 grams), own up to 2.5 pounds at home, and grow up to eight plants, including four in bloom
• The measure promotes social equity by granting certain licenses in priority to those affected by the war on drugs
• Old cannabis criminal records would be automatically expunged
• In addition to creating a private network of cannabis businesses, municipalities and counties could own and operate public dispensaries
• Unlike many US states that have legalized cannabis, municipalities would not have the right to prohibit the operation of cannabis businesses within their jurisdictions, but they could establish “reasonable” regulations on opening hours and location of these businesses
• Cannabis retail sales would be taxed at 8%. Part of the proceeds would fund drug treatment programs, as well as grants to support farmers
• The text prohibits synthetic cannabinoids

Health Canada, which manages the regulation of cannabis in Canada, will study the effects of different cannabinoids that recreate the effect of delta-9-THC.

The federal regulator plans to work with provinces and territories on this issue and “will continue research and monitoring, data collection and analysis to support possible future regulatory changes,” according to a statement. shared with StratCann. The results of the project are expected this year.

Precautionary principle

The statement comes after two of Canada’s largest cannabis markets, Ontario and British Columbia, announced they were suspending approval of any new delta-8-THC products pending advice from Health Canada. The research will focus on different cannabinoids, including delta-8.

To reduce the risks associated with accidental consumption and overconsumption, federal cannabis law and regulations set limits of 10 mg per package for delta-9-THC in ediblesor 1000 mg for extracts and topicals, but no such limit yet exists for products that contain other THC polymers than delta-9.

“While there is currently no similar legal requirement for other intoxicating cannabinoids like delta-8-THC, Health Canada strongly recommends that the total amount of intoxicating cannabinoids not exceed the regulatory limits set for delta-9. -THC, and that testing and accurate descriptions of intoxicating cannabinoid content be clearly stated on product labels,” explained a Health Canada adviser.

“Delta-8-THC is an intoxicating cannabinoid,” he continues, “and one of many cannabinoids found in or produced naturally by the cannabis plant. However, delta-8-THC does not occur naturally in significant amounts in the plant. As such, delta-8-THC is usually made from cannabidiol (CBD) by a licensed cannabis processor. »

Unknown health effects

“Cannabis products containing delta-8-THC pose potential health and safety risks that may be similar to those of delta-9-THC, some of which may be serious or life-threatening. Products containing high levels of delta-8-THC have little or no history of use, so the scientific and medical understanding of their biological effects and health risks is still developing. Health Canada is closely monitoring the emergence on the Canadian market of products containing high levels of delta-8 THC, as well as products that may contain high levels of other intoxicating new cannabinoids. »

“Health Canada is currently commissioning preliminary research projects in rodents to begin comparing the psychoactive effects of various cannabinoids other than delta-9-THC. This will make it possible to better know the equivalence of intoxication of these cannabinoids other than delta-9-THC with delta-9-THC. The data generated by this project and other potential projects on this topic could contribute to public education and awareness efforts, potential risk assessments, and any policies or regulations regarding these substances. The results of this initial pilot project are expected in calendar year 2023.”

Delta-8 THC products hit the Canadian market in 2022, with a handful of companies offering products like candies, drinks, and vape pens. However, sales of these products appear to be relatively low according to various local reports.

Health Canada says it will “continue to monitor the effects and risks of all cannabis products, including products high in delta-8 THC, and take appropriate action as needed,” without announcing at this time. national policy change.