North American cannabis retail leader High Tide has unveiled its plans to establish its footprint in the emerging German adult-use market.

High Tide Founder, Chairman, CEO and Executive Chairman Raj Grover said talks are at an advanced stage with a number of potential German partners.

“Our intention is to establish a presence in Germany as soon as federal legalization takes place. Our goal is to be there as soon as possible and become one of the market leaders. »

“We are the largest non-franchise retailers with 140 locations in Canada and we keep a very close eye on German legislation. We are very excited to be able to bring our Canna Cabana retail store concept to Germany,” Mr. Grover said in an interview with BusinessCann.

While further details on the nature of Germany’s adult use legislation are expected in the coming weeks, High Tide is one of many North American players hatching plans for what will be the largest market cannabis in the world.

Two routes to Germany

Mr. Grover says he is exploring two potential avenues to achieve his ambitions.

“We will either do it 100% by ourselves or form a partnership with a strategic cannabis player in Germany in the form of a joint venture. »

Regarding the latter option, and after attending the recent ICBC conference in Berlin, Mr. Grover says he is in discussion with at least a “dozen potential partners”, of which three to four are ” already in the retail space”.

He added: “We spoke with many major players, in areas as varied as retail, culture, R&D, strategy and capital. German companies that want to work with us are very interested. »

“We have no interest in pursuing the path of medical cannabis. Our goal is to establish brands in brick-and-mortar and we await further details on what the rules will be. »

“Our intention is to be in Germany. It is an essential market for us. Based on what we see in the first draft, our intention is to be able to operate as quickly as possible. »

He went on to say that he understands that Germany will allow international market participants.

Renowned German cannabis lawyer Kai-Friedrich Niermann, who co-wrote a 2021 paper on the legalization of cannabis in Germany with Burkhard Blienert, the federal government’s commissioner for addiction and drugs – who drafts the laws Cannabis – thinks there will be few restrictions on establishing stores.

He told BusinessCann that two of the three Traffic-light coalition partners – the Greens and the SPD – take a “liberal approach” to licensing.

“In all likelihood, there won’t be a cap, so cannabis retail stores will likely be allowed in sufficient numbers, even in city centers,” he said.

Less promises, more results

Mr. Grover added: “Once we understand the lay of the land, our goal will be to ensure that we are one of the major players in Germany.

“High Tide is about execution. When you look at our track record, and the way we do things – when legalization happened in Canada, we were one of the first stores to open.

“We always executed and did what we said we would do – I like to under-promise and over-deliver. »

Last week, High Tide released its third quarter results, which posted record revenues of C$95.4 million, up 98% from a year earlier.

Canna Cabana shop

Its gross profit rose 54% to C$25.8 million from C$16.7 million in the same quarter a year earlier.

It also recently secured a C$19 million credit facility, which puts it in an enviable financial position compared to many of its Canadian counterparts.

Besides the 140 Canna Cabana retail stores, it also has a strong presence in accessories with a number of American brands, namely: Grasscity.com, SmokeCartel.com, DailyHighClub.com and DankStop.com.

It already has an online presence in Germany through Blessed CBD and is exploring further opportunities in consumer accessories and additional CBD products.

Foreign interest

Germany currently has the largest medical cannabis program in Europe, with almost 200,000 patients supplied mainly by imports from a dozen countries.

Over the past few weeks and months, the level of interest and activity from many of these foreign players, and new ones, has intensified as they seek to implement their ambitious German plans.

Curaleaf recently acquired a 55% stake in Four 20 Pharma – a licensed German producer and distributor of medical cannabis – for €20 million.

Akanda, Foliumed, IM Cannabis, the Grow Group, Clever Leaves and Little Green Pharma have all increased their presence in Germany over the past few months.

Similarly, US company Flora Growth began exporting CBD products to Germany earlier this year and unveiled plans to open 50 JustCBD stores in Germany and the Czech Republic by the end of the year. 2023.

German cannabis companies are also preparing for the advent of its adult-use market. Sanity Group recently closed an investment round worth €37.6 million, and earlier this year Bloomwell Group secured $10 million from Measure 8 Venture Partners and venture capitalists .

Statistics Canada released new data on home cultivation in mid-September that examines its impact in Canada before and after legalization.

The study shows that those most likely to grow their own cannabis at home have remained relatively unchanged since legalization, with some demographics showing a slight increase or decrease.

Those most likely to do so are men, aged 35 to 55, who live in the Atlantic provinces, followed by British Columbia and Ontario. Registered home cultivation is least common in the Prairies. Home cultivation is not permitted in Manitoba and Quebec. Both provinces are facing legal challenges to the ban.

Although men are more likely to grow cannabis at home, the number of women who have reported doing so has increased since legalization. The number of Canadian men over the age of 55 who reported growing their own cannabis at home has actually decreased since legalization.

Home growers are more likely to use cannabis for medical reasons (or a combination of medical and non-medical reasons) every day or almost, and report “smoking” as their main method of consumption.

Data previously available in 2019 shows that nearly 10% of Canadians who use cannabis either grow it themselves or have it grown by someone else, which would include people who are part of the medical cannabis program in Canada.

Specifically, recent data covered by this research shows that approximately 5.2% of people who use cannabis reported growing it at home after legalization. This percentage is slightly higher than that of people who said they did before legalization (4.8%).

While the researchers behind the report aren’t sure why Atlantic Canada has experienced higher rates of home cultivation, they speculate that a lower number of legal cannabis stores in the region could be a determining factor compared to other provinces that allow home cultivation.

Home cultivation is also linked to cannabis use at work, but not to cannabis-impaired driving. Interestingly, according to a recent study, home cultivation laws are associated with a reduction in workplace fatalities.

While the researchers found that home cultivation is associated with workplace use, they also note that this does not necessarily translate to a greater risk of harm, arguing that it is possible that cannabis is being used. for medical purposes by workers who consume low-THC products.

The report concludes that future research is needed to examine how and why home growers are at increased risk of using cannabis in the workplace.

The impact of home cultivation of cannabis is also part of Health Canada’s mandatory three-year review of cannabis law, which was due to begin in October 2021. The federal agency has not yet published this review, but she is expected to do so later this month.

Every two years, American states can legalize cannabis on their scale via popular initiative referendums presented during midtermsmid-term elections, or during presidential elections.

This year, five states are proposing to vote for the legalization of cannabis at the vote on November 8.

Many of these proposed initiatives received overwhelming support from voters during the signature collection phase of the campaigns. In some cases, they collected twice the number of signatures required.

Arkansas

Five organizations initially filed requests to put pro-adult use initiatives on the 2022 ballot in Arkansas, but only one appears likely to succeed: Responsible Growth Arkansas.

The group is behind Arkansas’ Adult Use Cannabis Amendment, which would allow possession of a maximum of one ounce (28 grams) of cannabis. It would not legalize home cultivation.

The campaign had until July 8 to collect 89,000 valid signatures to qualify for the November 8 ballot. They provided double that number: 193,000 signatures.

On July 29, authorities announced that the measure had qualified for the ballot.

According to a poll conducted last February, about 54% of Arkansas residents support legalizing adult use.

Maryland

The Maryland Cannabis Legalization Amendment has been certified and will appear on the November ballot.

It would legalize cannabis possession for adults starting July 1, 2023. In addition, it requires lawmakers to put in place a regulatory framework for the program, through separate legislation.

The Maryland legislature has already addressed the latter issue, through House Bill 837. If Maryland voters vote for legalization in November, Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said he would sign the bill:

• Adults would be able to purchase and possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis
• Possession of 1.5 ounces to 2.5 ounces would only be subject to a fine, and would not be considered a criminal offense
• Adults could grow two cannabis plants at home
• The State Will Automatically Delete Records of People Convicted of Crimes Considered Legal by HB 837
• People previously charged with intent to distribute cannabis can apply to have their criminal records cleared after serving three years of their sentence

According to a survey of Goucher College released in March, 62% of Maryland voters support legalization. The state had failed to legalize in 2018.

Missouri

On August 9, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft announced that the legalization of adult use measure proposed by Legal Missouri was qualified for the November ballot.

If passed, the constitutional amendment will allow retail sales, tax cannabis at 6% (with an additional 3% tax on local option), create equity licenses, and automatically expunge records of residents who have committed non-violent marijuana offences. Adults could purchase and possess up to three ounces of cannabis.

North Dakota

On Aug. 15, North Dakota Secretary of State Al Jaeger (R) approved a measure to legalize adult use that will appear on the November ballot.

Although the group New Approach North Dakota had less than three months to gather the necessary signatures to put his legalization measure on the November ballot, he nonetheless triumphed… and it wasn’t even close. The group was expected to submit 16,000 signatures – 2% of the state’s population – but in July it submitted nearly 26,000.

The measure would legalize the possession of up to one ounce of cannabis, four grams of cannabis concentrate and up to 500 milligrams of edibles. Adults could legally grow three plants at home. The state would be required to create a marketplace of retailers and manufacturers, and put in place testing and tracking procedures.

South Dakota

On May 3, 2022, South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws (SDBML) has submitted the required signatures to place a new adult use legalization initiative on the November 2022 ballot.

On May 25, 2022, the South Dakota Secretary of State certified the signatures and placed the initiative on the November 8 ballot.

Although South Dakota voters overwhelmingly passed legalization in the November 2020 ballot, Gov. Kristi Noem (R) used taxpayer money to fund a lawsuit seeking to overturn the vote. In November 2021, the state Supreme Court sided with Ms. Noem and overturned the approved measure.

The new initiative emphasizes civil liberties: It would legalize personal possession and limited home cultivation, and reduce the corresponding criminal penalties.

The Cannabinoid Conference 2022 will bring together on October 20 and 21 in Basel the 12th conference of theInternational Association for Cannabinoid Medicines (IACM) and the 1st conference of the Swiss Society of Cannabis in Medicine (SSCM).

⮚ 9 plenary sessions
⮚ 8 short lectures
⮚ 4 panels with questions to the experts
⮚ Patient panel
⮚ SSCM Interdisciplinary Open Forum
⮚ General Assembly of theIACM
⮚ Conference dinner
⮚ Poster exhibition
⮚ Exposure : Industry, organizations and associations involved in medical cannabis.

The board of directors of theIACM and the SGCM are pleased to welcome a new meeting of scientists, physicians and other health professionals interested in research on cannabis and cannabis in medicine.

9 plenary sessions will be devoted to the following themes: From the laboratory to the bedside – Pharmacy – Neurological disorders – Palliative care – Psychiatric disorders – Inflammations, Immunology – Women’s medicine – Dermatology – The future of cannabinoid drugs.

30 guest speakers will discuss the following topics:

• Endocannabinoid system
• Pharmacokinetics, interactions
• Cannabis dosage
• Epilepsy
• Migraine, headache
• Pediatric pain, palliative and geriatric care
• PTSD, anxiety, schizophrenia
• ADHD, Autism
• CBD and SARS-CoV-2
• CBD in Gynecology, Endometriosis, PMS
• The endocannabinoid system and breast cancer
• Cannabinoids in vesicular congenital skin conditions
• Hyperhidrosis, Acne inversa, Basalioma
• Ovarian cancer
• CB1 receptor pharmacology

The evening of October 20 will also see the screening of the film The Doctor by Franjo Grotenhermen.

The Doctor is a documentary about the life of Franjo Grotenhermen, a pioneering doctor who saw the therapeutic potential of medical cannabis. A doctor, researcher and political activist who fought for the right of his patients to have legal access to medical cannabis.

The documentary takes place during the 10th Conference on Cannabinoids in Medicine in Berlin in 2019, organized by the International Association for Cannabinoids in Medicine.
(IACM) which Franjo co-founded and managed for several years. The documentary is a journey through his life and work over the past 30 years, featuring interviews with his colleagues and scientists like Raphael Mechoulam, Mark Ware and others.

For more info on the event and to reserve your place: https://cannabismedicinalis.com/

L’International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines (IACM) was founded in March 2020. The purpose of the association is to share knowledge about cannabis, cannabinoids, the endocannabinoid system and related issues, especially with regard to their therapeutic potential.

www.cannabis-med.org

The Swiss Society of Cannabis in Medicine (SSCM) was founded in January 2020 as a professional association whose main objective is that cannabis is recognized, legally regulated and clinically implemented in Switzerland. It is committed to a rational, scientific and destigmatized approach, as well as to simplified and unbureaucratic access to
medical cannabis treatments.

www.sgcm-sscm.ch

The 2020 Social Security Financing Plan (PLFSS), which allowed the experimentation of therapeutic cannabis in France, required that a report on the said experiment be submitted to Parliament 6 months before its end. The National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) had communicated the date of September 26. Parliamentarians are still waiting.

In the process of ministerial consolidation

Solicited by us, the General Directorate of Health (DGS) confirms to us that it is in possession of the reports. She wishes to consolidate them “from the elements recently received” (sic) then bring them “to the attention of Parliament within the framework of the debates on the PLFSS 2023” in mid-October.

However, the main conclusions of the report are already known. The latter is in fact constructed from the ReCann register, which monitors the progress of the experiment, feedback from the pharmacovigilance network and feedback from patients.

Part of the evaluation was therefore carried out by members of the Temporary Scientific Committee (CST) “Monitoring French experimentation in the medical use of cannabis”, who were present at a round table organized by patient associations. last Thursday at the National Assembly to try to sensitize the deputies to their cause.

A positive experience

“The conclusion of the experiment is positive, the system is operational” synthesized Nicolas Authier, president of the CST, during this event.

The overall state of health of “over 700 patients” with refractory neuropathic pain included in the medical cannabis experiment was “deemed to be improved by 30%” after six months of treatment.

Refractory neuropathic pain is “the indication that has included the most patients”. The number of patients reporting so-called unbearable pain was divided by 2.5. “Two-thirds of patients report a significant improvement in their quality of life. Regarding anxiety, at least 40% of patients reported a significant improvement”.

“One doctor out of two considers that the improvement in the overall state of health of the patient is at least important” he added, relying on feedback from the field, for lack of an available report.

The experiment was also intended to validate the distribution circuit of therapeutic cannabis and confirm that there was no possible diversion of use – of medical cannabis supplied to recreational users. These two points were reported as validated.

What is missing for the legalization of medical cannabis?

What is missing then to move to the generalization of therapeutic cannabis? According to the Ministry of Health, data, the experiment having gathered only a little more than 2100 patients at present out of the 3000 possible. This numerus clausus was, however, a budgetary formatting inherent in the format of the experiment, the medical cannabis suppliers doing it free of charge for the duration of the experiment.

But perhaps it is necessary to seek from the side of the amendments already tabled within the framework of the PLFSS. If Renaissance, under the aegis of Caroline Janvier and a transpartisan group of deputies, but also in separate texts LFI or EELV, push for a generalization of medical cannabis, two amendments propose an extension of the duration of the experiment.

The first, led by Les Républicains deputies, wants a 2-year extension. The second, carried by Horizons, the party of Edouard Philippe, expresses the desire to extend the experiment for a total period of 5 years, with a justification which takes up the elements of language of the French industrialists united under the association Santé France Cannabis : “This amendment proposes to extend the experimentation of the use of therapeutic cannabis in order to better evaluate it while structuring a French sector in the event that the measure would come to be perpetuated”.

Santé France Cannabis brings together companies such as Hemp it ADN – the varietal innovation and creation branch of HEMP-it and the National Federation of Hemp Producers, Overseed or Boiron.

For its second edition, CBD Expo France returns to Paris on October 22 and 23 for the only hemp and CBD fair in France dedicated to professionals.

In October 2021, the first edition of CBD Expo France brought together more than 5,000 professional visitors and more than 80 exhibitors from all over the world at Porte de la Villette.

This B2B show, a pioneer in France, has become the benchmark event for all professionals who wish to develop their CBD business in France and beyond our borders.

This year will give pride of place to conferences and exhibitors from all walks of life who see France as an essential relay for the production and distribution of hemp and its by-products. These conferences will be filmed and broadcast on Youtube in order to benefit those who cannot travel.

CBD Expo France
October 22 and 23 in Hall A of the Paris Event Center
20, avenue de la Porte de la Villette
75019 Paris
All information: https://www.cbd-expo-france.com/

On the initiative of the Dutch Minister of Justice, Dilan Yeşilgöz, 6 European ministries met in Amsterdam around the mayor Femke Halsema. Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, who have formed a coalition to fight organized crime, discussed the fight against drug-related organized crime.

At the event, the Mayor of Amsterdam told visiting ministers from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Spain that the “war on drugs” was not working and that she was convinced that the legalization and regulation of drug market were the only solution.

“By criminalizing supply and demand, we are only helping the criminal market,” said Ms Halsema, who is committed to cracking down on the criminal coffeeshop supply chain and believes that banning tourists would be effective.

“The regulation of tobacco and alcohol has shown that it is possible to control the market for dangerous products, while reducing health damage. To be honest, deep down I believe that the best outcome for our society can be achieved by decriminalizing cocaine and regulating the market.”

“The idea of ​​legalizing drugs was an interesting point of discussion,” Yeşilgöz said after the meeting. “But the fact is that the market for more than 90% of the drugs that enter the Netherlands is not [destiné à notre marché]. It’s a philosophical discussion, a theoretical discussion and it could be a political discussion – but if you’re doing it as a country, say the Netherlands, then you’ve tackled your share of crime, but the market doesn’t is not here”.

“This kind of discussion only has an effect if it is global, and it is not. The problem we have is so big and so urgent that I prefer to focus on what we can do rather than on the things we can’t do much about.”

Another meeting of ministers is scheduled for spring 2023 in Antwerp.

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said in late September that it supported an amendment to the country’s drug law, known as the Cannabis Control Act. The agency has expressed the need to allow the importation and authorization of cannabis for medical purposes.

Medical cannabis would be regulated like pharmaceutical products and “would apply to cannabis-based products whose safety and efficacy have been confirmed by laws governing pharmaceutical products and medical devices” such as Epidiolex or Sativex.

According to documents released Sept. 29 by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, a large number of people contributed to the review and recommendations, including professors and medical professionals. According to the report, only 1.4% of Japanese say they have ever used cannabis.

In March 2019, Epidiolex began undergoing clinical trials in Japan. At the time, the country claimed to have 3,000 residents with Dravet syndrome and 4,300 with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, two severe forms of epilepsy.

In its current form, the Cannabis Control Act limits any form of progress in cannabis, including hemp, despite its common history.

In January 2021, the Industrial Hemp Association of Hokkaido (HIHA) issued a statement regarding the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s investigation into cannabis and other drugs.

“The Cannabis Control Act is a deeply unreasonable law that restricts all cannabis regardless of the amount or even the presence of THC and even prohibits the cultivation of hemp from overseas that does not contain any of these substances,” writes HIHA.

“First of all, with regard to the Cannabis Control Law and the problems related to its application, we would like to recommend the development of a more reasonable law formulated on the basis of discussions made public to the citizens of Japan and based on scientific knowledge. »

The HIHA concluded that the Cannabis Control Act has prevented the hemp industry from thriving since it was enacted in 1948.

“In order to develop a hemp industry on par with those overseas and to protect national interests regarding industrial hemp, this country must revise the Cannabis Control Act and other related laws as soon as possible, position the hemp industry appropriately within the legal system, and strike a balance between drug control and industry encouragement. »

In August 2021, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare released a report detailing its recommendations for authorizing medical cannabis for patients. Earlier in the year, in May, the ministry met again to continue the discussion on medical cannabis, addressing the need for treatment for those who misuse cannabis and how to treat the youth consumption.

In December 2021, gaming company Capcom partnered with Osaka Prefectural Police to use its fictional character Ace Attorney to campaign against youth cannabis use. According to Japan’s National Police Agency, 5,482 people were caught violating the country’s cannabis law (4,537 were in possession of cannabis, while 273 were selling the plant illegally and 230 were arrested for illegal cultivation).

Beatles band member Paul McCartney was banned from Japan for 11 years for having 250 grams of cannabis with him in 1980.

US President Joe Biden has announced that he will pardon those convicted at the federal level of simple possession of cannabis. He also announced that he would ask the United States Attorney General, Merrick B. Garland, and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, to begin the process of reviewing the classification of cannabis in the United States. federal level.

The official statement from the White House was released Oct. 6, noting that under current federal law, cannabis falls under Schedule I alongside deadly drugs like fentanyl. The White House will “promptly review” the current classification of the plant, with potential consequences for the classification of cannabis in international treaties and among friendly countries.

“As I’ve said before, no one should be jailed for using or possessing cannabis,” Biden tweeted. “Today I am taking action to end our failed approach. Allow me to expose them”.

Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. Hear from @POTUS on the three steps he is taking to right these wrongs. pic.twitter.com/IqOxHxjgue

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 6, 2022

Joe Biden presented three key points: to pardon all previous federal offenses of simple possession of cannabis; asking governors to pardon state offenses of simple possession of cannabis; and finally, to ask the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, and the Attorney General, Merrick B. Garland, to begin the process of reviewing how cannabis should be classified under federal law. .

The amnesty ruling will affect approximately 6,500 people who were convicted of simple possession of cannabis between 1992 and 2021, and thousands more convicted in the District of Columbia. The majority of those convicted of simple possession, however, were convicted at the state level, hence Joe Biden’s request to governors to erase convictions for this same offense at their level.

Various observers of American cannabis policy believe that Joe Biden has done the maximum in his power for non-violent convictions for possession of cannabis, the federal government not having the capacity to intervene on this subject at the state level. He also respects one of his campaign promises, on the eve of the mid-term elections.

Joe Biden is credited with drafting the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, commonly known as the 1994 Crime Bill, an essential component of the war on drugs in the United States which led to the incarceration of countless citizens for possession of drugs.

A quarter century later, Joe Biden has publicly denounced his own record: ‘It was a mistake,’ he said of his Crime Bill during one of the presidential debates. “The 100 senators voted for. It was a mistake. I have tried to change it ever since, especially the part about cocaine,” he added. “I argued that actually we shouldn’t send anyone to jail for a pure drug offence, they should get treatment. […] It was a mistake to pass these drug laws. »

The official White House statement ends with these words: “Too many lives have been disrupted by our failed approach to cannabis. It’s time to fix those mistakes. ”