Malaysia’s Cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister, has agreed to allow the cultivation of cannabis and kratom for medical purposes.

Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Zahidi Zainul Abidin said the Cabinet had no objections and instructed his ministry to discuss with Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin how best to go about approving the cultivation process.

“This is a very good development, especially for those working in the medical field. But I would like to reiterate that any endorsement is for medicinal purposes and not for recreational use,” Zahidi said as quoted by Utusan Malaysia.

Zahidi noted that there was strong overseas demand for hemp and kratom due to their medicinal qualities and said he was confident Cabinet would soon approve their medicinal use in Malaysia as the local culture was for the moment limited for export.

Earlier this month, Malaysia’s Parliamentary Medical Cannabis Caucus said policy issues on the development of the hemp, cannabis and kratom industry would be raised in Cabinet after a meeting was held.

The meeting, attended by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, acknowledged that the industry was widely developed in many countries, including neighboring Thailand.

Earlier, Khairy said his ministry was ready to collaborate with industry players or academia to conduct research on the medical use of cannabis. Theoretically, the medical use of cannabis is not prohibited in Malaysia, but due to a lack of local production, access to it is complicated.

The president of the Malaysian Medical Association, Dr Koh Kar Chai, said all available evidence on medical cannabis must now be reviewed by local experts and its feasibility must be studied and assessed before a decision is made. plug.

“It’s not something that can be decided overnight,” he told The Sun.

Dr Koh said that apart from scientific evidence, the government must consider licensing and regulations, as well as legislation for the responsible sale and consumption of medical cannabis, if approved by authorities.

They are tired of living in a country where smoking cannabis can cost two years in prison, and sell life. Several dozen young Taiwanese demonstrated for the legalization of cannabis in front of the Ministry of Justice. Some were disguised as cannabis flowers, others held giant fake joints in their hands.

On this independent Asian island de facto but claimed by China, the organizers of the demonstration also gathered 14,000 signatures to advance the law. A great feat, for a country of 23 million inhabitants.

The rules around cannabis are extremely strict. The protesters therefore want the Department of Justice’s anti-drug campaigns to no longer concern cannabis users. Also, they hope for decriminalization, since the UN has reclassified cannabis.

Sign that cannabis is a taboo subject in Taiwan: the police tried to suppress the demonstration. In the videos, officers are seen asking protesters to disperse. According to the security forces, this demonstration was illegal because it started in advance.

“If you start cannabis, you will take heroin”

But things may be changing little by little. The Taiwanese government recently proposed lowering the penalties for personal use of cannabis. Some politicians also took part in a pro-legalization rally last year, such as Independent MP Freddy Lim.

Cannabis remains very frowned upon throughout Asia. “All of our upbringing teaches us, basically, that cannabis is a drug that poisons us, and if you start smoking cannabis today, tomorrow you’ll be taking heroin, robbing people, and killing for money “ironically the lawyer Zoe Lee, present at the demonstration, in the Hong Kong Free Press.

The evolution of mentalities could also go through the help of Asian neighbors. Indeed, Thailand wants to become “the Amsterdam of Asia”. The country has just decriminalized the use of cannabis. Consumption could thus be authorized in certain places, even if the government will not go “to the coffee shops”. It won’t be quite Amsterdam, but it’s already a lot.

New York State looks enviously at its neighbor. New Jersey has just legalized recreational cannabis the day after April 20, and many residents of the Big Apple will not hesitate to go and buy their favorite products a few kilometers from home. Because New Jersey partly forms the great suburbs of New York City. And legalization in theEmpire State take small steps.

“Congratulations to New Jersey, they’ve done it, they’ve started sales, and I know people are excited. I hope we will follow in their footsteps soon”declares the new head of the New York Cannabis Control Board (CCB), Tremaine Wright.

On the progress side: it hopes to open the stores in 2023 or, in the best case, at the end of 2022. For the time being, it has already granted its first licenses. 52 hemp growers have been given the green light to produce THC-dominant cannabis. The others have until the end of June to apply.

The new mayor of New York City is also helping out, since he has just released 5 million dollars to help new cannabusinesses to navigate in this new post-legalization world.

Priority to people convicted of cannabis

Side delay: the licenses to sell cannabis have still not been opened. The state takes time, because it wants to be sure that the legalization of the plant benefits those who have suffered from this prohibition. Wright will prioritize these clearances to cannabis-convicted individuals with entrepreneurial experience.

Recently, a survey of Los Angeles Times showed that only 8% of license applications in California went to these people. A model that especially does not want to reproduce New York, theater of the “war on drugs” in the 1980s.

The CCB is also wasting time fighting a “grey market”. Indeed, the state officially legalized cannabis in April 2021… but it is still prohibited to sell it. Incomprehensible to some traders, who sell these products in public places, according to MJBizDaily.

“It’s illegal to sell THC products at the moment, we need everyone back in the regular market. Because our consumers need to know that these products are tested and validated”warns Tremaine Wright on FOX5.

In California, the Northern Nights festival has found a strong argument to attract crowds: cannabis. The organization widely promotes the possibility of buying and smoking cannabis on site, while enjoying the music and the natural park of Redwood. Four stores will be deployed on the festival site, scheduled for July.

In a press release, the festival is delighted to offer “dispensaries located at several stages throughout the festival, with products from the best cannabis brands, so that guests can easily buy their cannabis while enjoying their favorite music”.

In 2019, shortly after the legalization of cannabis in California, Northern Nights was a “pioneer” by already allowing festival-goers to buy and consume on site. That year, the organization offered products from the iconic California brand Cookies, but also Cannacraft and other producers from the Emerald Triangle.

Lobbying for cannabis legalization

It’s no coincidence that Northern Nights focuses its festival so much around cannabis. On the one hand, the place plays a big part in it. Redwood National Park is right in the middle of the “Emerald Triangle”. This region in northern California is not only known for being one of the filming locations for Star Wars.

Indeed, this region is the mecca of American cannabis. Made up of Humboldt, Trinity and Mendocino counties, the area produces a lot of cannabis. The local varieties are also of very high quality, recognized all over the world.

On the other hand, because Northern Nights Music Group, the company that oversees the festival, has done a lot of lobbying for the legalization of cannabis in California. According to the major American music media Billboardthe company was even a “initiator and key lobbyist” for the passage of this law.

The text, named AB202, authorizes in particular the sale and consumption of cannabis in private places. A perfectly tailored measure for this festival, which now makes it a communication asset to attract crowds.

The British company Akanda acquires Holigen, the owner of a large cannabis production site in Portugal. To acquire it, she had to pay 28 million dollars, paid to Flowr. This Canadian company therefore separates from Holigen, one of its subsidiaries, less than three years after having acquired it. He realizes in passing a nice capital gain, since he had not paid more than 10 million at the time.

The first coveted site is in Sintra, in the Lisbon region. Even if it is small (2000m², the size of a large garden) it has a major advantage. He is certified Good Manufacturing Practice (EU-GMP). Translation: these products can be sold as medicines in the European Union.

In a statement, Akanda plans to harvest two tons of cannabis from this land. These varieties title “more than 25% THC”, rejoices the company. Such a level is rare, especially for temperate climates like Portugal.

The second site is outdoors. This means that these products will not be able to supply the medical cannabis market – because the plant must grow in a sterile environment – but could be sold in stores for adult use. It also has the advantage of its size: 65 hectares.

Opening of “recreational markets” in Europe

With this purchase, Akanda will therefore be able to provide “the nascent medical cannabis market in the UK” through its subsidiary Canmart. With the EU-GMP certification, he is also able to sell his cannabis to 21 member states of the European Union which authorize the medical use of cannabis.

But the British company is also anticipating the future. ” Even if the business model Akanda’s focus on existing medical cannabis markets, more and more European companies are opening up to recreational markets. And our company intends to supply these markets as soon as they open,” announces the press release.

CEO Tej Virk cites the example of Portugal, which may soon legalize cannabis. “The government is in active discussion to move forward on the legalization of cannabis for adult use, and Akanda will be there as the landscape evolves.”

For its part, the Canadian company Flowr, which sold the Portuguese site to Akanda, is in a new phase. According to Marijuana Business Dailythe company withdraws from all its markets “non-essential” and “expensive”. This includes Australia, Uruguay, and Spain.

It’s a big day for the 8 million people of New Jersey. In this American state stuck to New York, 16 stores can officially sell cannabis to adults. And it’s a classic for every opening day : the queues are long. Some customers arrived during the night, to buy their favorite products as soon as the store opened at 6am.

Long lines at the first 2 legal weed dispensaries on opening day in #nj #njweed #njcannabis video through @DiVix3nation pic.twitter.com/I89buMWS97

— Jessica Beym (@jessbeym) April 21, 2022

Like a wink, state authorities chose April 21 to lift the curtain, the day after 4/20, International Cannabis Smokers’ Day. ” It’s really awesome ! If I get stopped driving on the way home, and a policeman asks me if I have drugs, I could answer him: only that “, laughs Michael, a consumer interviewed by ABC News.

“It’s the end of the second prohibition”, in reference to the prohibition of alcohol in 1920, rejoices Ben Kovler, the boss of a dispensary. He will be able to sell his first customers one ounce (28 grams) of flowers, 5 grams of concentrates or 1000mg ofedibles. However, perishable foods such as infused cakes are prohibited.

At first, prices will undoubtedly be low. Indeed, New Jersey will not tax cannabis heavily, at least initially. 6% will be deducted from each sale, in addition to the 2% municipal taxes. 70% of these taxes will go to those affected by the prohibition of cannabis, in particular black people.

Cannabis Tourism for New Yorkers

In the state, 16 stores are licensed to sell cannabis. This is a godsend for this state, since it is currently the only one among its neighbors.

Indeed, neither New York, nor Pennsylvania, nor Delaware (yet) have a legal recreational cannabis market on their soil. For the first, sales must start by 2023; in Pennsylvania and Delaware, only medical cannabis is permitted. Residents of neighboring states will therefore be able to take the train or the car to do “cannabis tourism”.

It’s a shame, because New Jersey is often considered in American culture as a boring state. For a majority of city dwellers, it is the very definition of the residential suburb where nothing ever happens, with an unintelligent middle class.

To attract these newcomers, several stores in New Jersey are located near the major cities of New York and Philadelphia. But customers won’t have to cross their state’s border with cannabis. In Pennsylvania, for example, possession of less than 30 grams is punishable by a fine and 30 days in jail.

Two researchers have found a link between the legalization of cannabis and the decline in drug prescriptions in the United States. In the 18 U.S. states where the herb is legal, anti-anxiety capsules were down 12%, depression and sleep disorders down 11%, seizures down 10%, and seizures down 8%. painkillers. Only drugs against nausea, glaucoma, or multiple sclerosis do not experience a decline.

“These results are important. This could save money for social security programs. Also, it is a chance to reduce the harm associated with the dangerous side effects of certain prescribed drugs”recalls Shyam Raman, co-author of the study, in a press release.

Both scientists are young doctoral students. Shyam Raman studies at the Cornell Institute of Public Policy; Ashley Bradford is at Indiana University. Their study was published in Health Economics and reviewed by other scientists, as is customary.

Cannabis as a replacement for opioids

To obtain these results, Raman and Bradford retrieved data from the different Medicaid, state-specific social security programs. Their period ranges between 2011 and 2019, that is to say a year before the first state legalized cannabis. In places where the “green wave” has swept, scientists are therefore observing a statistical drop in drug prescriptions.

However, be careful not to extrapolate these results, according to the authors. Their work is purely statistical. They did not interview the patients, in order to know if they left their capsules for cannabis. On social networks, some Americans testify to their virtual cessation of medication. But it is difficult to extend this situation to several million people.

This is me after 6 weeks on medical cannabis. sorry not sorry 😁🕉🤘🤙🥰 pic.twitter.com/mg5PhEWtMr

—Andy (@andymorgan76) April 20, 2022

In any case, the study of the two young doctoral students confirms a trend. Other work shows that cannabis with a high CBD dose can be interesting in place of opioids, these powerful drugs that cause 50,000 deaths a year in the United States.

“Pharmaceutical drugs are generally associated with dangerous side effects or, in the case of opioids, risk of misuse”write the two authors in their study.

From next Thursday, April 21, all Mama Kana products will be available in the three new stores it is opening in Paris and a 30% discount will be applicable for any purchase,
until Sunday April 24 inclusive:

• Mama Kana shop located 13 RUE DES CANETTES – 75006 PARIS
• Mama Kana store located 8 RUE CHARLOT – 75003 PARIS
• Mama Kana shop located 33 RUE PARMENTIER – 92800 PUTEAUX

To celebrate this great occasion, Mama Kana is giving you an exceptional 30% discount on all its CBD flowers, oils and resins, without exception! This exceptional discount applies to all products, both on the mamakana.com website and in the three recently opened stores.

Don’t hesitate to take advantage of this opportunity, which is only valid from Thursday April 21 to Sunday April 24 inclusive and which allows you to benefit from incredibly low prices (from €0.99 per gram) for high quality CBD.

Mama Kana has been around for almost 3 years now and has built lasting relationships of trust with the best hemp producers.

All Mama Kana CBD flowers have been carefully selected with love by a team of enthusiasts and are completely natural, with no added terpenes.

Besides its wonderful CBD flowers, Mama Kana offers a special selection of CBD resins produced in France and highly concentrated in CBD.

Finally, Mama Kana offers you a wide range of full spectrum organic CBD hemp oils, made from cold-pressed hemp seeds and natural hemp extracts.
All CBD flowers, oils and resins from Mama Kana have been tested by the independent French laboratory LEAF, a guarantee of strict compliance with French legality.

With Mama Kana, home delivery by courier is also possible if you live in Paris or Hauts-de-Seine. Order your CBD before 5:00 p.m. and have it delivered to your home the day-
even free from 49 € of purchase. This CBD delivery service is now operational every day from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. except weekends.

Mama Kana store opening hours

Shop 13 rue des Canettes – 75006 PARIS
– MONDAY: Closed
– TUESDAY: 12:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
– WEDNESDAY: 12:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
– THURSDAY: 12:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
– FRIDAY: 12:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.
– SATURDAY: 12h00-00h00
– SUNDAY: Closed
Telephone number: 09 85 00 03 38

Shop 8 rue Charlot – 75003 PARIS
– MONDAY: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
– TUESDAY: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
– WEDNESDAY: Closed
– THURSDAY: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
– FRIDAY: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
– SATURDAY: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
– SUNDAY: 11:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Telephone number: 09 85 00 03 37

Shop 33 rue Parmentier – 92800 PUTEAUX
– MONDAY: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
– TUESDAY: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
– WEDNESDAY: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
– THURSDAY: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
– FRIDAY: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
– SATURDAY: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
– SUNDAY: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Telephone number: 01 45 06 38 64

New Caledonia wants to move up a gear for CBD. The Archipelago Chanvriers Association has just been transformed. It must now be called the Hemp Syndicate of New Caledonia, with Frédéric Gérard at its head. Objective: to (finally) legalize hemp in this French territory.

This syndicate has no connection with the Metropolitan Hemp Syndicate, or with the Polynesian Hemp Syndicate in Tahiti. But the objective is the same: to advance mentalities… and the law.

Because New Caledonia is an autonomous community, whose laws differ from mainland France. It has its own government and parliament, for example. And on site, CBD has been banned since a decree of 2018. The substance is considered a narcotic product on the archipelago, which therefore prohibits its use and marketing.

In addition, New Caledonian law prohibits the importation of hemp seeds and seeds, considered as “invasive species”. French law, limiting the THC level to 032%, makes it very complicated, if not impossible, to grow hemp. Indeed, the tropical climate of New Caledonia automatically increases the level of THC.

Reunion, for example, has set up derogations to test hemp cultivation at 1%.

“A 1969 law bans all hemp”

The recent legalization of non-psychotropic cannabinoids in France does not change this. A heresy for this new union, which wants to make its voice heard. Its objective is first the use of hemp in industry, and then to produce hemp for its cannabinoids.

“There is a 1969 law that prohibits anything about Indian hemp, but allows me to apply for a license to exploit poppy or cocaquips the president of the union on the Caledonia TV channel. So it is time, since the UN reclassified the plant in December 2020, to classify hemp as a narcotic with medical use. »

During this interview, Frédéric Gérard clarified that he was in contact with the DASS, the local health ministry. But the authorities have not yet provided an answer. “really convincing”.

More and more Quebecers are smoking jar. This is the result of the local government’s annual survey, conducted between February and June 2021 among 14,000 people. 20% of people in the province say they have used cannabis in the last twelve months. This is more than in 2019 (18%) and 2018 (14%), the year cannabis was legalized across Canada.

However, all of Quebec society has not become stone. The increase in consumption concerns ” all the age groups from 25 years », notes the report. Before this age, consumption stagnates or declines. “Among 18-24 year olds, no statistically significant change in proportion since 2018 has not been detected. On the other hand, among young people aged 15 to 17, there is a decreasedecrease in the proportion, which went from 22% in 2018 to 19% in 2021″specify the statisticians.

And that’s good news, since cannabis is very harmful to developing brains, that is, to people under 25.

Regular consumers are also slightly more numerous. The proportion of people who have smoked cannabis in the last three months increases from 11% in 2018, to 13% in 2019, to reach 15% in 2021.

However, the authors of the report bring an important nuance: ” Consumption was mesafe in the exceptional context of a pandemic. Like this consumption may have been unusual, it is difficult to draw conclusions solely on the basis of the results of this edition. »

Only 11% of purchases on the black market

This survey also sheds light on consumption patterns. First lesson: the black market has (virtually) disappeared. ” The majority (70%) of Quebecers who have consumed cannabis in the 12 months preceding the survey are supplied at the SQDC”that is, state-owned stores with a monopoly on the sale of cannabis.

Only ” 11% obtained cannabis from from an illegal supplierI “, notes the Quebec survey. It’s a feat, when you know that Canada took a long time to get rid of the black market. He represented 51% of purchases in 2018, and 35% in 2020.

This comeback of the SQDC can be explained by a greater number of stores open: 13 in 2019, 41 in 2020, then 66 in 2020. In addition, state brands sell a wider range of products. The edibleslong shunned, are now on display.

That said, the joint remains the star product, with 85% of people who consume cannabis by smoking it. However, this number is tending to decrease. Other methods, less harmful to health, are developing. “The proportions of consumers saying they ingest it in a food product, drink or as a pill or oral drops, or vape or vaporize it, have increased since 2018″says the report.