With more than 20,000 pharmacies in France, the pharmacy network represents a real outlet for CBD-based wellness products. Faced with the growing presence of these products on the shelves of pharmacies, even at the counter, the General Directorate of Health (DGS) wanted to take stock of the status of these products in pharmacies.

Reminder of the legislation

The DGS first points out that the law on CBD in France now inherits the decree of December 30, 2021, partially suspended on January 24, 2022. The text protects the cultivation of hemp for CBD purposes and its transformation in the hands of “active farmers” and identified industrialists.

It then recalls the categories of products containing CBD authorized or prohibited which, for pharmacies, must also appear in the list of authorized goods, fixed by the decree of February 15, 2002.

Are therefore authorized according to the DGS:

• cosmetics containing cannabidiol and other ingredients present in the European database relating to cosmetics (CosIng). We will add for completeness that cannabigerol is therefore also authorized, as are seed and leaf extracts
• foodstuffs made from the seeds and fibers of hemp
• vaping products such as e-liquid or vape pen

The text does not specify whether the hemp flowers present in the infusions (as a mixture) can be sold in pharmacies, but herbal teas are among the products authorized for sale in pharmacies.

On the prohibition side, the DGS, based on the MILDECA nomenclature, therefore warns that:

• smoking flowers are prohibited in pharmacies
• pet food containing CBD
• CBD oils or food supplements containing CBD not validated by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), under the Novel Food regulations

Should we conclude that once the Novel Food certifications have been validated for certain extracts, CBD oils would be authorized in pharmacies?

The Order of Pharmacists, contacted by us, explains to us that the update of the DGS, not acting as a law, does not prejudge “potential future regulations” on CBD. Understand between the lines that once the Novel Food point is lifted, other hurdles could slip in the way of CBD brands wanting to sell their oils and food supplements in pharmacies.

The fact remains that CBD products are already present in pharmacies, oils and food supplements included, and that once again in this area, the “to date” points are already exceeded by the reality on the ground.

In a case that has been described as heralding “winds of change” for the UK, Andrew Baines, 46, received the lowest possible sentence for supplying hundreds of patients with medical cannabis.

A father of two and a cannabis user, Baines used his skills in cannabis science to illegally supply medical cannabis to people with cancer or serious illnesses.

He was arrested in January 2020 in possession of around a kilo of cannabis and 30 plants on his property and was charged with the distribution and production of a Class B drug under the UK Act 1971 drug abuse.

As a cannabis patient, Baines had a Cancard – a medical cannabis ID card designed in conjunction with the police. Although the card itself does not provide impunity from the law, the Cancard helped Baines secure the services of attorney Hannah Sampson.

Unconditional patient support

Hundreds of patients traveled to Grimsby to show their support for Baines and provided testimony in court highlighting “his selflessness, bravery and the impact of his work”, which could have earned Baines a maximum sentence of 30 years to life imprisonment.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) gave Baines the lowest possible sentence: a six-month community sentence, with no fine.

Lawyer Hannah Sampson said: “This decision is unprecedented, I have never seen anyone receive a six month community sentence. You get 12 months if you steal a sandwich from Tesco. This case may mark the beginning of a wind of change. This case may mean that the law will finally catch up with the enormity of what cannabis can do to save lives. »

Cancard founder Carly Barton, who supported the case, said: “I salute the CPS and CPJ in this case, who have made the right decision not to jail Andrew for providing access to life-changing drugs. the lives of people in need. »

“Andrew has improved the lives of thousands of people who have been sent home to die. The alternative for these people was to access these drugs through the criminal market which pours money into the accounts and causes damage.

“Experts like Andrew are rare. Currently, they are filling the gaps in our health care system. We must now consider better access systems so that those who need it can have access to cannabis, and so that our experts, like Andrew, can use their specialties legally. »

“Currently, our most capable scientists are working underground and it makes no sense. »

The Cancard organization said Baines – who kept detailed records of his patients and treated thousands of needy people without taking money for his services – by providing those patients with medical cannabis prevented vulnerable people to access potentially dangerous products from criminals on the streets.

The organization said it hopes this case will be a catalyst for improving the lives of patients who cannot afford a private prescription: “The judge, the CPS and the police were united – at least to some extent extent – ​​in the belief that this man is not a criminal, and that a custodial sentence was not fit for the “crime”. »

He continues: “Until there is an affordable and safe supply of quality cannabis for all eligible patients, Cancard will continue to be committed to improving the lives of patients. »

Strong testimonials

Baines said: “As soon as they realized what I was doing the police were brilliant with me, I wasn’t handcuffed and I was treated not like a criminal but like a human being. The police are often criticized, but in my case they have been great and it clearly shows that they have not signed up to arrest people trying to help others. »

A patient, Belinda Williams, was diagnosed with incurable liver cancer and was sent home to prepare for her death when her husband made contact with Andrew.

Her husband, Russ Williams, commented: “I got in touch with Andy and our lives haven’t been the same since. Andy didn’t hesitate and started to help us. We offered to pay him, but he flatly refused.

“We are now 13 months later and I am happy to report that all six of my wife’s tumors are gone and we were given the all clear this week. Our NHS oncologist is in shock. »

Seven-year-old Oscar, diagnosed with autism and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, suffered from hundreds of seizures a day that made him increasingly disabled.

Emma, ​​Oscar’s mum, commented: “Without Andy our son would be in a wheelchair, it’s thanks to Andy that he walks. We also have support from Oscar’s neurologist. Oscar’s school and family members are blown away by his progress. »

Baines also helped provide palliative care for the father of BBC radio presenter Becky Hayes in the last few months after being diagnosed with throat cancer.

Hayes commented, “He traveled a long way to come see me and my dad and talk to us about everything. »

“He never charged for his time or asked for anything in return. His knowledge is amazing, he is the most selfless man and I can’t believe there are people like him in this world. He continued to stay in touch with my family, providing invaluable support, and again made a long trip to see my father when he was near his end. My family will never forget him. »

Is Quebec afraid of cannabis, yet legal in the province as in all of Canada? The CanFest, the first cannabis fair, which was to be held on May 28, was canceled following pressure from the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS).

After a visit by the MSSS to the premises of the cannabis show on May 5, the latter would have hinted at the illegality of the event at the Complexe Capitale Hélicoptère (CCH), which was to host the exhibition and which finally put a term in the contract binding him to CanFest.

Awa Diagne, creator of the event, hides neither her anger nor her sadness.

“Faced with these new reprisals, we have no choice but to succumb to the threats and cancel CanFest,” she wrote to us.

“Obviously, this outcome saddens us deeply, as the holding of an educational event on cannabis was more than necessary in Quebec. Once again, we will be forced to turn to other welcoming Canadian provinces to produce large-scale projects. »

The event was originally scheduled to be held in May 2020 but the coronavirus pandemic had put a hold on the festival.

“You will understand that our fight is far from over and that we do not intend to turn a blind eye to the harm caused by the MSSS. For too long, this ministry has harmed the cannabis industry in Quebec and has acted inappropriately. It is high time that all this stopped and we take comfort in the thought that at least the CanFest project in Quebec will serve to expose the many flaws in the regulation of cannabis in the province. »

In its justifications, the MSSS argued article 52 of the Quebec law on cannabis, which does not however prohibit the holding of an educational festival, the CanFest team having obviously had their entire system legally validated: “It is prohibited to associate with a sports, cultural or social facility, with a facility maintained by a health or social services establishment or with a research center a name, logo, distinctive sign, design, image or a slogan associated with cannabis, a cannabis brand, the Société québécoise du cannabis or a cannabis producer.

Anyone who contravenes the provisions of the first paragraph or the second paragraph commits an offense and is liable to a fine of $5,000 to $500,000. In the event of a repeat offence, these amounts are doubled. »

Quebec is also the only province with Manitoba to prohibit the self-cultivation of cannabis.

The CanFest will therefore turn into an evening “unrelated to cannabis” and with the support of the BlocPot.

A shipment of hemp seeds has been exported from Israel for the very first time. The shipment that headed for the United States last week was an “experimental and initial shipment”, Israel’s Agriculture Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Israel has the capacity to leave its mark on industry and to be among the world leaders,” added the Israeli Minister of Agriculture, Oded Forer.

“The export of Cannabis seeds invites us to expand the diversity of Israeli agricultural exports and strengthens local agriculture,” Oded Forer added. It also “exploits Israel’s relative advantage in an area that is still considered preliminary”, he added.

The shipment carried seeds produced by the Israeli company BetterSeeds, which has created the “world’s first stable and uniform cannabis seeds” in its words.

“I hope that once they are really impressed with the performance of our genetics, we will receive the orders,” said Ido Margalit, founder and CEO of the company BetterSeeds.

Margalit pointed out that just exporting this experimental cargo was a real achievement. “It was not even possible for us to show customers outside of Israel what we do, because it was legally impossible to do so,” he said, referring to Israel’s latest export laws. medical cannabis to which hemp varieties are attached.

“By using our seeds,” he continues, “they will get the necessary uniformity that they cannot get with their seeds today. »

The only difficulty, Margalit added, “is the fact that for us, producing hemp seeds in Israel is quite expensive because the current regulations for medical cannabis also apply to hemp. »

Oded Forer said in the statement that allowing cannabis seed exports will benefit Israeli businesses.

“Increasing the range of exports and extending it to cannabis products will deepen existing markets and penetrate new ones, while tapping into the growing wave of demand for cannabis products with medical value,” he said. -he declares.

A member of Australia’s Green Party has reintroduced a bill that proposes to legalize and regulate cannabis in South Australia. the Cannabis Legalization Bill 2022presented to the South Australian Legislative Council on May 18, calls for strict legalization and regulation of cannabis.

The law was originally introduced in November 2021, but had to be reintroduced during the newest session of Parliament.

“In drafting this piece of legislation, we looked at various forms of legalization and regulation that have been proposed or are now operational. Although we considered some international jurisdictions, such as Canada, the United States and the Netherlands, we mainly considered proposed legislation in Australia, such as the decriminalization of cannabis which is now law in the Territory. of the Australian capital and recent attempts in Victoria.

“Reviewing international jurisdictions was useful and provided insights, as no Australian jurisdiction has yet fully legalized cannabis, but the differences between these countries have resulted in obvious limitations,” explained Tammy Franks, the law sponsor, at Stratcann late last year.

“There’s actually a lot of public support for cannabis legalization, but those who oppose it are doing so very loudly. I would argue that stigma remains a significant barrier to cannabis legalization, but especially the outdated views of the two main parties we have here in South Australia (Labour and Liberals) who, despite broad public support, have all two said they would not support the Cannabis Legalization Bill of 2021. Stigma can be combated through public campaigning and education about the (often exaggerated but very real) pros and cons of cannabis, the safe consumption and what to do if you or someone else has an adverse reaction. The outdated views of mainstream parties will be much more difficult to overcome, but I hope that with this bill, broad public support, and growing research on cannabis, it will be more and more difficult for major parties to legitimately oppose the legalization of cannabis. »

“Drug prohibition is not working and it is time cannabis use in South Australia was treated as a healthcare issue and not a criminal issue which has seen some of the most vulnerable people in our communities criminalized so that they should have received the health care they needed. »

“Canadian-style” legalization

To oversee all aspects of new regulations and the future cannabis industry, the bill provides for the creation of the South Australian Cannabis Agency. In addition to managing regulation, the agency would control all sales between producers and distributors and monitor license holders.

The proposed legislation seeks to create two distinct categories of licensing overseen by the agency: one for production and one for distribution.

The production license would allow all forms of commercial cultivation, importation of seeds, research and analytical testing, as well as processing, packaging and labeling of commercial cannabis products. Commercial growers would have production limits.

The Cannabis Distribution License would allow anyone over the age of 18 to sell cannabis plants, seeds and cannabis products to the public in stores. It would also allow on-site consumption in a retail establishment under a special permit.

A micro-cultivation class for small-scale commercial cannabis production is also planned, although the details of this license class are yet to be defined. Self-cultivation is also planned up to 6 plants per person.

Simultaneous holding of a production and distribution license is not permitted. Obtaining a license is subject to a fee of $550, which is then paid again each year. Production licenses can last up to five years, distribution licenses up to one year. Licenses are not transferable.

The agency, if created, will also establish an advisory board to develop strategies to, among other things, “prevent the over-commercialization of the cannabis industry or the domination of this industry by companies with on a large scale”, as well as possibly establishing THC limits on certain products, and “developing and promoting strategies to reduce the harm caused by cannabis”.

What’s the point of being called Le Chanvrier Français if the products aren’t? Until the end of last year, it was difficult to have French hemp flowers in stores, the cultivation of hemp for its flowers having been authorized in France at the end of December 2021. Thanks to this legislative change, and even if it is still fragile, the Chanvrier Français now offers hemp flowers from our regions.

100% French and qualitative

The brand, whose reputation is well established, has always taken care to choose clean and tasty flowers. Here she succeeds in the feat of continuing to distinguish herself by her quality with flowers grown in France and resins from these same regions, drastically selected from several growers and processors.

Among the novelties, we find the varieties of French CBD flowers and from 5€/g:

• Amnesia (Occitanie)
• Harlequin (Rhône-Alpes)
• Strawberry (Rhône-Alpes)
• Lemon Skunk (Rhône-Alpes)
• Watermelon Cookie (Rhône-Alpes)
• Gelato (Rhône-Alpes)
• Cookie Kush (Savoy)
• Mango Kush (Savoy)
• V1 (Savoy)
• Lemon Haze (Rhône-Alpes)
• Moonrock (Savoy)
• Organic 1 (Champagne)

French hemp flower

Connoisseurs will recognize certain varieties such as Harlequin or V1 which made the heyday of Swiss sales and were able to cross the Alps while remaining below 0.3% THC. On the resin side, the choice is also filled:

• Resin 50% CBD – 10% CBN (Savoy)
• Resin 70% CBD (Savoy)
• Aya Resin 18% CBD (Var)
• Resin Royal Cream 22% CBD) (Var)
• White Widow 20% CBD Resin (Var)

This new catalog of CBD products is available on the Chanvrier Français website and in their stores. LCF still offers free delivery with no minimum purchase the next day before 1 p.m. everywhere in France and same-day delivery in Ile de France.