American states follow and resemble each other. While the state of Rhode Island sold $1.6 million worth of cannabis during the first week of legal sales, Vermont sold $2.6 million worth of cannabis in the first month.

The 14% excise tax brought in $329,231 to the state coffers. Customers must also pay 6% sales tax, which is an additional $144,000 for the state.

Under state law, a portion of the excise tax revenue must be used to “fill” any shortfall in the Board of Auditors budget. The rest is paid 70% to the general state fund and 30% to a “substance abuse prevention and control fund”. Proceeds from the cannabis sales tax are earmarked for after-school and summer learning programs.

The peculiarity of the State is the low number of licenses granted to the opening of sales for adults: only 7 were issued in October, with limited product analysis capacities and a reduced product supply. Only 3 stores were open on the 1st day of legal sales.

The state has since issued 29 additional licenses, which should improve access to legal cannabis.

Cannabis has been legal in Vermont since 2018, but the sales system was only voted on in 2020. The first sales were made last October.

According to MJBiz projections, Vermont is expected to generate $3-5 million in recreational sales this year and $120-145 million by 2026.

The executive director of Vermont Cannabis Control BoardBrynn Hare, told the local newspaper Seven Days that the receipts for November, December and even January might be more indicative of what the state can expect from a more established market.

Ontario and British Columbia, the two main cannabis markets in Canada, have decided to suspend the sale of products containing delta-8 THC.

L’Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS), which manages the cannabis supply for Ontario, invokes “a precautionary principle” regarding the potential health effects of this minor cannabinoid.

Cannabis dried flowers containing “low levels of naturally occurring delta-8 THC” will not be affected, the SCO said in an email sent last week to licensed cannabis producers, according to information from MJBizDaily.

In that email, the OCS said it had “monitored emerging concerns in the United States” regarding delta-8 THC, particularly the public health warnings from the Food and Drug Administration US and state government efforts “to regulate or ban products that contain this cannabinoid.”

The OCS said it has been distributing products containing delta-8 since the start of the year, including vape cartridges, ediblesbeverages, oils and topicals.

“Although we are not aware of any adverse reactions to these products on the legal cannabis market in Canada at this time, products containing delta-8-THC do not meet the definition of THC under federal law. on cannabis,” writes the SCO.

In British Columbia, a spokesperson for the BC Liquor Distribution Branch (BCLDB) also told MJBizDaily that products containing delta-8 THC “(do) not meet the definition of THC under the (federal) cannabis law.”

“Information about delta-8 THC and potential biological effects and health risks to consumers is new and emerging, and the BCLDB is working with its government counterparts to determine appropriate next steps. »

In its email to cannabis growers, the OCS said it had sought “advice and guidance” on delta-8 THC from Health Canada, Canada’s cannabis regulator, asking if the law Federal Cannabis Act needs to be amended “to deal with minor psychoactive cannabinoids and other synthetic derivatives that are not explicitly addressed in the (legislative) framework”.

Existing inventory of delta-8 THC products will continue to be sold but no restocking will be done. Delta-8-THC is banned in France.

A majority of US states will legalize psychedelics by 2037, according to a new analysis published in a journal of theAmerican Medical Association and based on a statistical model of the cannabis legalization movement in the United States.

Psychedelic drug reform has progressed “rapidly and patchily” in the United States – and while the decriminalization movement has begun in the most liberal states, “psychedelic drug reform is becoming a bipartisan issue”, According to the study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) psychiatry.

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis compiled and analyzed data on psychedelic laws that were introduced and enacted in cities and individual states across the United States, as well as ballot initiatives on the issue from 2019 to 2022.

Beginning with Denver’s landmark decision to decriminalize psilocybin in May 2019, the psychedelic renaissance has exploded in recent years, taking the form of proposals to end criminalization, promote research, and legalize it for uses therapeutics, as Oregon voters chose to do in the 2020 ballot. Colorado followed last month with a voter-approved initiative to legalize the possession of a wide range of psychedelics by adults while setting up “healing centers” for psilocybin.

Psychedelics are becoming decriminalizing in the US by state legislation at a dizzying and accelerating rate. See our analysis of legislation out today in JAMA Psych: https://t.co/BQinEm3Hlw

— Joshua Siegel (@realJoshSiegel) December 8, 2022

This movement “requires consensus on treatment models, education and guidance of healthcare professionals, and planning for implementation and regulation,” the study says.

The analysis shows that half of US states have reviewed a total of 74 psychedelic bills. 10 bills have already been enacted and 32 remain active. The researchers also noted that the majority of reform measures “specified psilocybin,” with MDMA being the second most frequently mentioned substance.

“While early legislative efforts were made in liberal states, the margin between liberal and conservative states has narrowed over time (although the difference is not significant), suggesting that psychedelic drug reform is in progress. becoming a bipartisan issue,” the researchers said.

“An analytical model based on cannabis legalization predicts that a majority of states will legalize psychedelics by 2034 to 2037,” they said.

The authors of the study added that the “future of psychedelics” in this country will also be influenced by several key factors such as the results of “decisions of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based on ongoing clinical trials”, the possible actions of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on the classification of psychedelics as controlled substances and “state-level legislative reform, which has been the primary driver of cannabis legalization.”

“Cannabis has achieved legalization through legislative reform in most states, despite the DEA’s continued Schedule I status and the lack of FDA approval,” the study said. “Now, state law reforms are changing the outlook for treating psychedelics and cracking down on illicit drugs. »

Future consideration of psychedelic policy change “should address key health care issues such as establishing (1) standards for drugs obtained outside the medical establishment, (2) licensing criteria for prescribers and therapists, (3) clinical and billing infrastructure, (4) potential contraindications, and (5) use in special populations such as youth, older adults and pregnant people. »

“The results of our study showed that, after decades of legal restriction, US states have rapidly moved towards increased access to psychedelics. Decriminalization is just one step in a complex process to turn these compounds into safe and effective therapies. This process will have important consequences for the medical and scientific community. Integrating psychedelic treatment into clinical practice will require peeling back many layers of legal prohibition and FDA approval, clarifying prescribing guidelines, and developing treatment models that work for drugmakers, doctors and patients. »

According to a new analysis by NORML, the American pro-legalization association, American states have erased nearly 2 million convictions for minor cannabis offenses in the last 5 years.

Federal interest in expunging cannabis convictions has grown since President Joe Biden issued a massive cannabis pardon in October, pardoning several thousand Americans for federal offenses of possession and encouraging state governors to follow the administration’s lead.

For while the presidential action is seen by human rights advocates as a step in the right direction, its reach is very limited, largely because the vast majority of cannabis cases take place at the level of the State and therefore do not fall within the competence of the President.

Some governors took amnesty steps in the weeks following Joe Biden’s mass pardon, but many other local and state officials had already taken similar steps before the president even intervened.

A recent report published by NORML last week examines public data in the United States, showing how officials have granted approximately 100,000 pardons and 1.7 million criminal records expunged since 2018.

Among states that have already moved on the matter, Nevada, under Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak, pardoned more than 15,000 people who had been convicted of low-level cannabis possession in 2020.

In 2019, Democratic Washington State Governor Jay Inslee announced that people with criminal records that included misdemeanor cannabis possession convictions were eligible for an expedited pardon. He estimated that 3,500 Washington residents would qualify for this relief.

A day before the launch of legal cannabis sales in Illinois in 2020, Democratic Governor JB Pritzker announced that his office was pardoning more than 11,000 people who had previously been convicted of simple possession of cannabis.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) announced last year that he had granted 1,351 pardons for convictions for possession of two ounces or less of cannabis (56 grams). Previously, he signed an executive order granting nearly 3,000 pardons to people convicted of possessing one ounce of cannabis or less.

The Governor of Oregon recently granted a mass pardon for cannabis possession offenses at the state level, which will provide relief to approximately 45,000 people – a decision she described as “a true act of clemency” and which was hailed by Biden.

“While amnesties offer some level of forgiveness for past crimes, they are not the same as record expungements, which seal past convictions from public view,” NORML’s report states. “To facilitate the latter, lawmakers in many states have in recent years enacted laws offering explicit avenues to expunge the records of those who have been convicted of minor cannabis offenses. »

“In some cases, those eligible for erasure assistance are not required to take action,” the report continues. “Instead, state officials automatically review past records and notify those that meet the state’s criteria for erasure. In other cases, state law requires individuals seeking expungement of their criminal records to file a petition with the courts to have their records reviewed and expunged. »

The 2021 edition of the Health Barometer developed by the French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Trends (OFDT) sheds light on trends in cannabis consumption in France.

While young adults tend to use less cannabis, annual cannabis use levels have remained broadly stable between 2017 and 2021. but the proportion of people over 35 tends to increase.

High but stable consumption

In 2021, 47.3% of the adult population aged 18 to 64 say they have used cannabis in their lifetime. Cannabis is still the most widespread illicit substance in the population, with 18 million people having used it in their lifetime. However, the share of consumers who have consumed at least once in the year has stabilized since 2017.

Thus, in 2021, 10.6% of adults consumed cannabis during the year, a level comparable to 2017, while consumption over the last 30 days fell very slightly over the last period, from 6.4% at 5.9%. More frequent consumption, whether regular consumption (ten or more times during the month) or daily consumption is also decreasing: it concerns respectively 3.0% and 1.7% of adults, against 3.6% and 2.2% in 2017.

In a separate study conducted in 2021, the OFDT interviewed 2,587 drug users, of whom 2,447 were cannabis users within the year. On average, current consumers declare that they smoke 1.8 joints on a usual day of consumption, a quantity which increases sharply with the frequency of consumption: from 0.8 joints for occasional users – that is to say, not all of them smoke months – at 4.1 joints on average for daily consumers.

An aging of cannabis users

While cannabis use remains statistically higher among those under 35, the average age of current cannabis users has increased since 1992: it has thus risen from 25.1 years to 32.8 years between 1992 and 2021. OFDT explains that this trend is the cumulative consequence of the aging of the generations of adults who declared that they consumed at the end of the 1990s and some of whom continued to consume, and on the other hand a reduction in consumption by people born in the 2000s.

Brittany and Occitania continue to consume more cannabis than other French regions, where Hauts-de-France constitutes the largest gap compared to the national average (-8%). The overseas regions and departments experiment less with cannabis, with very marked differences with the metropolitan average, which range from minus -9 points in Reunion to -25 points in Guyana compared to the national average.

At European level, France still ranks first in the prevalence of consumption in the adult population and among 15-34 year olds. Only the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Italy exceed France, by a few points, in the category “school population (15-16 years)”.

The OFDT survey was administered to 23,661 adults aged 18 to 64 residing in metropolitan France and overseas territories.

Available in France since 2018 through nominative temporary authorizations for use (ATU) before obtaining its European marketing authorization (AMM) on September 19, 2019, Epidyolex, a high-dose pharmaceutical CBD oil, comes to obtain its price and reimbursement in France. A first for a cannabis-based drug that Sativex, blocked since 2014, had not been able to win.

A decree published Friday morning in the Official Journal includes Epidyolex on the list of medicines reimbursable by social security in three indications:

• adjuvant treatment of epileptic seizures associated with tuberous sclerosis (TBS) in patients 2 years of age and older with drug-resistant epilepsy
• in combination with clobazam for the treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) or Dravet syndrome (DS) in patients 2 years of age and older

“The announcement of the reimbursement of Epidyolex in France is both positive and historic because it is the first and only cannabidiol-based medicine to be reimbursed”, rejoiced in a press release Franck Cousserans, the general manager of Jazz Pharmaceuticals, an Irish laboratory which bought the British GW Pharmaceuticals in May 2021. The latter is behind the development of Epidyolex, which also had its marketing authorization in the United States, and Sativex.

Epidyolex must be prescribed by secure prescription and is subject to an initial annual hospital prescription. It is an oral solution of cannabidiol (100 mg/ml) available in a 100 ml bottle, accompanied by two 1 ml syringes, two 5 ml syringes and two bottle adapters. Its price will be €1,066.74 including tax, with coverage by health insurance of 65% from December 20, 2022.

The Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndrome are severe forms of epilepsy that usually manifest during infancy or childhood. Affected individuals have several types of seizures, most commonly atonic, tonic, and atypical absence seizures, which can be difficult to treat because they are resistant (refractory) to many types of anticonvulsant medications. Some anticonvulsant medications can also exacerbate seizures.

” The consequences of crises on daily life are major, by their repetition but also the accidents they can cause; crises happen at any time and considerably degrade the quality of life of patients but also of those around them explains Prof. Rima Nabbout, neuropediatrician, coordinator of the Reference Center for Rare Epilepsies (CReER) and head of the CReER site at Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital.

The use of CBD to treat epilepsy was studied in the 1980s by Raphaël Mechoulam and his team. It was not until the 2010s and Charlotte Figi that the effect of CBD on epilepsy came back publicly and in the media to center stage.

A new approach to drugs in the 27 member states of the European Union should serve as the basis for cannabis reform at the continental level.

Earlier this month, the Council of the European Union (EU) adopted a guidance document entitled “Council conclusions on a human rights-based approach to drug policy”.

Under the impetus of the Czech Republic, which presided over the European Union for six months, this document provides immediate support for the initiatives of this country and Germany in favor of regulated cannabis markets for adults.

While acknowledging the right of countries to decriminalize personal possession and protect the health of their citizens, the document ticks all the boxes for diversity, equality and inclusion, while taking a new and tougher approach. drug policy and human rights.

National priorities and needs

One of the most significant points is the articulation, for the first time, of the possibility for nation states “to design and implement national drug policies according to their priorities and needs “.

Kenzi Riboulet-Zemouli, an international drug policy researcher based in Barcelona, ​​said: “It is great to have this new policy document which will reinforce the positions that have developed over the past few years. It will provide an important structural platform for gradual reform over the medium to long term. »

While the EU has already set out these positions orally, for example before the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, this is the first time that they have been formulated in EU Council policy.

The Council of the EU, which is made up of representatives of the governments of each of the member states, is the main legislative body of the EU.

Kenzi added: “It is the result of negotiations between the 27 governments of the EU and, by representing the many discussions and shared knowledge of its members, it is a sign of significant progress in the reform of the EU. dope. »

“This represents real progress across Europe and signifies the dawn of a more enlightened approach to drugs. »

Council of Europe and cannabis

In Germany, the new guidance document is already being welcomed as a boost to its proposal to legalize cannabis.

Kai-Friedrich Niermann, a German cannabis lawyer, said: “It is well known that the EU, including the Council, has long called for a new drug policy which takes into account the protection of health and human rights. Now comes the decisive test. »

“The fact that the European Council once again remembers these principles is certainly useful. In its reform, Germany will therefore be able to refer precisely to these principles of European drug policy, which have been debated for years. »

“In this respect, the publication of this document at this precise moment is certainly useful. »

EU Council Policy

The nine-page document includes some 13 action points and around 30 basic principles. He explains his point of view by stating:

“(We) call on EU Member States to further support the development and implementation of evidence-based policies and interventions that put human rights at the center of the fight against drugs , while fighting crime and ensuring public safety and security, sustainable and viable livelihoods and the health of individuals, families and communities across the EU. »

With regard to the independence of the Member States, the text says this: NOTING also that the United Nations System Common Position on Drug Policy recognizes that the United Nations Drug Control Conventions enable countries to design and implement national drug policies according to priorities and needs, in accordance with the principle of common and shared responsibility and applicable international law. »

She goes on to highlight issues related to human rights, decriminalization, de-stigmatization and international cooperation, among others.

Pan-European movements for reform

Germany was due to publish its adult cannabis bill by the end of the year, but now it looks like it will be delayed until spring.

In recent months, the Czech Republic, Malta and Luxembourg have worked closely with Germany to develop more liberal EU cannabis legislation.

And, while it has been shown that nation states can develop their own drug policies in line with international conventions, there is still much discussion about the possibility of the EU hindering or delaying these goals.

Mr. Niermann added: “The EU has been talking about a new and healthy approach to drug policy on several occasions. »

“But interestingly, the Council of the EU reiterates this approach, which could indicate that the issue of cannabis legalization is now on the desks of EU member state governments. »

However, he sounded a bit cautious and issued a call to arms, adding: “But, so far, these are just words, governments that intend to legalize must be bold and start the process by adopting a respective law, which legalizes the entire supply chain. »

“Otherwise, we will never know which interpretation of ‘international obligations’ should be favoured. »

In 2020, the Council of the EU adopted a drug policy until 2025. It is also working on a new policy for the last part of the decade, which will be unveiled in two years.

If the Silent Seeds seed bank is quite recent, it takes over from Dinafem, the first of the feminized seed banks to set up in Spain. At the end of the 1990s, the peninsula saw the development of a strong cannabis industry capable of competing with that of the Netherlands. In particular, it has developed new types of seeds such as AutoFem, autoflowering and feminized seeds that have been exported all over the world.

A look back at the history of a Spanish seed bank which made the heyday of European cannabis and spread all over the world, then gave all its strength to Silent Seeds.

The birth of Dinafem

Dinafem was born in 2005 from the meeting of several growers and breeders. These people had been cultivating, experimenting and creating new varieties already since the late 80s, and obviously working to create the best genetics, the most exclusive and the most difficult to work with at the time.

Around 2001, these people realized that some of the strains they had produced were much better than many of the strains circulating through existing Dutch seedbanks. They then decided it was time to create their own seed bank.

Dinafem’s achievements

Dinafem, for Dynamique Féminisée, is above all known for having been pioneer in the sale of feminized seeds

To obtain these precious seeds, Dinafem has always worked from elite clones, pampered in indoor rooms where the climate is controlled and ventilated in such a way as to maximize the pollination process while avoiding cross-pollination.

To obtain a feminized seed, Dinafem crossed female plant clones with other female plant clones. This is done by changing sex to one of the female plants so that it can produce pollen, and then pollinating the recipient female plant. Both plants are female and therefore both give female XX genes to the progeny.

Dinafem’s Critical

The main advantage of feminized seeds is the guarantee that the resulting plant will be female, which saves the grower from wasting time and energy in a male plant that will have to be eliminated later. Moreover, with a homogeneous feminized population, the grower does not have to worry about unwanted pollination, which guarantees a high quality floral result.

When feminized seeds appeared in the 2000s, some had problems with quality and sexual instability, with a lot of hermaphroditic plants. Dinafem was able to solve this problem and come up with stable seeds, which have the potential to truly produce 99.9% female cannabis plants.

Dinafem’s first seed catalog contained Power Kush, California Hashplant, Blue Hash, White Widow, Blue Widow, Critical+ and later Moby Dick, the strains from which everything was created. then legendary at home.

Other companies then sprung up and eventually feminized seeds grew in popularity until they became the norm rather than the exception, to the point that they relegated regular seeds to a market share of just 10%. %.

In 2009, the company began researching the development and stabilization of new feminized autoflowering varieties, which also had a very bad reputation at the time. Roadrunner was the first and, as happened with feminized strains, Dinafem’s autoflowering seeds were also hugely successful, making these little plants very popular and productive. Especially with their latest Auto XXL collection, whose plants are closer to a photoperiod variety, so big are they, and with an XXL production for the category.

Dinafem’s Moby-Dick

Dinafem has also done a lot for the CBD strain development. The company realized the potential of these low-to-no psychotropic strains early on and bet on this cannabinoid by starting an intense breeding process. Legendary genetics were crossed with a pure elite line of CBD and as the analyzes progressed, several varieties with cannabinoid ratios in favor of CBD were able to be stabilized. Some have also retained the original taste and flavor properties of the varieties on which they are based, for example the OG Kush CBD, but with more CBD than THC.

The first varieties rich in CBD appeared in their catalog as early as 2015: Critical Mass CBD, Shark Shock CBD and Moby Dick CBD. In 2017, Dinafem launches Dinamed CBD, the first non-psychoactive strain from Dinafem Seeds, is released with 15% CBD and 1% THC.

With the legalization of hemp in the United States in 2018, Dinafem was one of the first European seed banks to export its seeds for the hemp sector, with Bubba Kush Hemp, a variety with -0.3% THC from a cross with Bubba Kush CBD.

In 2020, Dinafem presented its CBD flower brand, which was developed in collaboration with the Italian association THCBD. 3 different varieties have been created for the Italian market, with a THC level below 0.5%, the maximum level in Italy.

THCBD by Dinafem

With the development of the popularity of American varieties in Europe, Dinafem had to cross the Atlantic to see what was going on! Already in 2011, Dinafem’s catalog was expanded to include popular American cannabis strains. OG Kush, Dinachem, Bubba Kush and Purple Afghan Kush offered opportunities that had seemed impossible for the Spanish seed bank. Then Sour Diesel, Cookies, Gorilla… came out, and Dinafem not only made the feminized version of these strains, but also autoflowering and other versions.

The American adventure thus gave rise to the Humboldt range by Dinafem and collaborations with local breeders such as Sherbinski.

Dinafem awards

Since its creation in 2005, Dinafem has stood out for the high quality and reliability of its cannabis seeds. Dinafem varieties have accumulated awards and distinctions in the various Cannabis Cups around the world or from the readers of specialized magazines:

• In 2010, the Moby Dick was elected by the readers of Soft Secrets “Girl of the Year 2010”. It is the first non-Dutch variety to obtain this award.
• Dinafem won the Best Seed Bank award at Expogrow 2013
• In 2015 Bubba Kush won 1st place at the Copa Cannabis for Best Outdoor Strain
• Remo Chemo, a 20% THC indica, is listed among the top 10 strains of 2017 by High Times magazine
• and many others…

The continuation of the adventure…

In September 2020, a police intervention shocked the entire cannabis industry. Dinafem was the subject of a police raid on several of its facilities and found itself prosecuted for its activities as seed companies and its communication even though it had been operating openly for 15 years in the sector.

Waiting for the continuation for the Dinafem entity, the plants continued on their way and migrated to the stable of Silent Seeds. So don’t be surprised to find the same genetics there 😉

You can follow Silent Seeds on Instagram and Facebook or visit their website.

The National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis-Related Activities (ANRAC), Morocco’s cannabis regulatory body, has considered the need to create a new variety of cannabis in order to relieve the pressure of crops on groundwater.

If the original Moroccan varieties were adapted to the local climate and terrain, particularly in the Rif, the arrival of modern varieties weighs heavily in the annual water consumption.

The daily Al Ahdath Al Maghribiataken up by Le360.ma, reports that several points relating to the rationalization of water consumption for the cultivation of cannabis were discussed during the last ANRAC board of directors, in particular the establishment of a program research that would allow Morocco to have improved varieties that can be adapted to production conditions at the national level.

Also involved, the Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, Abdellatif Miraoui, recalled the importance of scientific research in the development of cannabis for medical and industrial purposes. According to him, this requires the training of specialized engineers and doctors who will work with national university laboratories.

This academic orientation should contribute significantly to the achievement of the objectives set by Morocco, such as the creation of a new variety.

The Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, agreed, assuring that efforts will be made in scientific research to produce this national variety, with the aim of helping to relieve the pressure on groundwater. She should, as reported Al Ahdath Al Maghribiahave specificities that predispose it to consume less water than other varieties while remaining interesting for medical or industrial use.