Tag: marijuana

Japan Poised to Allow Medical Marijuana Sales

Credit: Alona
The government in Japan is poised to allow the use of medical marijuana to treat patients with intractable diseases, according to the outline of bills revealed last week.
The government is considering submitting bills including one to revise the Cannabis Control Law during the current Diet (the national legislature of Japan) session, according to Japan News.
The proposed revision would also criminalize the use of marijuana without a prescription.
In countries including the United States and Britain, medicine made from cannabis plants is used to treat patients with intractable epilepsy and other diseases for which existing drugs are ineffective. In Hong Kong, however, THC and non-intoxicating CBD are both banned.
Cannabis plants contain a substance that has an intoxicating effect, which is one of the reasons why the use of marijuana in medicine is prohibited in Japan. The proposed revision would enable such patients to use drugs made from cannabis plants.
On the use of marijuana, there are currently no penalties for using it because farmers who cultivate cannabis with permission from prefectural governors might intake substances from the plant during harvesting.
February 2, 2023
Hong Kong Begins Ban on CBD, Same Penalty as Heroin

Credit: Proxima Studio
Once legal in the city, Hong Kong began enforcing its ban on CBD, labeling it as a “dangerous drug” and imposing harsh penalties for its possession on Wednesday. The move is forcing fledging businesses to shut down or revamp.
THC, the psychoactive ingredient of marijuana has long been illegal in Hong Kong.
CBD was once legal in the city, and cafes and shops selling CBD-infused products were popular among young people, according to AP.
But all that has changed with the prohibition, which took effect Wednesday but had been announced by the government last year. CBD-related businesses have closed down while others have struggled to remodel their businesses. Consumers dumped what they saw as a cure for their ailments into special collection boxes set up around the city.
The new rule reflects a zero-tolerance policy toward dangerous drugs in Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous southern Chinese business hub, as well as in mainland China, where CBD was banned in 2022.
In contrast. the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently concluded that a new regulatory pathway for cannabidiol (CBD) is needed. The regulatory agency states it will seek guidance from the U.S. Congress. The new rules would need to balance individuals’ desire for access to CBD products with the regulatory oversight needed to manage risks.
February 1, 2023
New Zealand has First Home-Grown Cannabis Vapes

Helius CEO Carmen Doran
In New Zealand, two new medicinal cannabis products have been verified as meeting the quality standard for legal sale. This follows Helius, a week earlier, being the first New Zealand company to receive GMP certification to produce THC extracts and manufacture medicines containing THC.
“We are very pleased to bring more NZ grown, NZ made medicinal cannabis products to Kiwi patients,” says Carmen Doran, chief executive of Helius Therapeutics. The launch of two new medicines into the New Zealand market makes a total of four new medicines from Helius in 2022. It brings Helius’ portfolio of products to six, according to an email sent to Vapor Voice.
“In mid-December we were able to announce GACP certification, and since then we’ve also obtained GMP certification for four more processes at our East Auckland site. Such progress is testament to the culture of teamwork Helius is building,” she says.
Helius is New Zealand’s only company to have GMP certification for extraction and manufacture of CBD and THC medicines. What’s more, it is now one of two companies (the other being Nubu Pharma) who have six products verified as meeting the minimum quality standard in New Zealand.
The latest products will be exported in 2023 to Helius customers in Europe.
“The THC containing products have had considerable interest internationally, with GMP manufactured products gaining a lot of attention globally as the medical markets continue to grow. We have seen particular interest in balanced, full spectrum medicinal cannabis formulations,” says Doran.
With the launch of these products, New Zealand patients now have access to NZ made products across the spectrum of oral solutions. No longer do they have to rely on imported products which have had supply delays throughout 2022 and can be priced considerably higher.
December 29, 2022
U.S. and European Cannabis Laws are Changing

Credit: Fresh Ideas
By Vapor Voice staff
Marijuana laws are always changing across the globe. After elections in the United States, more states have had voters decide on the legality of marijuana in their state. Rules in Europe are changing more slowly, but many countries are becoming more accepting of cannabis regulation.
Several U.S. states had recreational marijuana on the ballot in 2022. Maryland and Missouri became the 20th and 21st states, respectively, to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use in November, but cannabis reform efforts met defeat in Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Maryland voters approved a constitutional amendment that legalizes recreational marijuana for people aged 21 and older. It will go into effect on July 1, 2023, and allow possession of 1.5 ounces or two plants. Possession of small amounts of marijuana was already decriminalized in Maryland. Under the amendment, those previously convicted of cannabis possession and intent to distribute will be able to apply for record expungement, according to media reports.
Missouri voters ended prohibitions on marijuana in the state and allowed personal use for those over the age of 21. It will allow for personal possession of up to 3 ounces and allow individuals with marijuana-related nonviolent offenses to petition for release from prison or parole and probation and have their records expunged.
North Dakota voters rejected a citizen-initiated ballot measure that aimed at allowing the use of marijuana in “various forms” for those who are at least 21 years old. It would have allowed marijuana possession of up to an ounce and all marijuana to be tested in a facility “for the potency of products and the presence of pesticides” and subject to random inspection.
South Dakotans rejected legalizing cannabis in the state too. Legalization for recreational marijuana use had passed in South Dakota in 2020, but the results were nullified by state courts. According to the proposed 2022 ballot measure, marijuana possession of up to an ounce would have been legal. It also would have legalized possession of marijuana paraphernalia, use and distribution.
Additionally, Arkansas voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have allowed cannabis possession and recreational consumption by adults as well as the sale by licensed facilities. Had it passed, cannabis possession of up to an ounce would have been legal, and some tax revenue from marijuana sales would have contributed to funding law enforcement.
In Europe, many experts expect most countries to legalize cannabis in some way over the next 20 years to 25 years. Complicating the process is that Europe, like the U.S., currently has a patchwork of marijuana laws. Italy, for example, requires its army to grow marijuana for the country’s medical program. Switzerland is launching its first legal recreational program in Basel. And the Netherlands is only now authorizing the country’s first legal cannabis cultivation.
In Germany, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach presented a cornerstone paper on planned legislation to regulate the controlled distribution and consumption of cannabis for recreational purposes among adults. Acquiring and possessing 20 grams to 30 grams of recreational cannabis for personal consumption would also be made legal. The coalition government struck an agreement last year to introduce legislation during its four-year term to allow the controlled distribution of cannabis in licensed shops.
The Czech Cabinet is considering a draft plan to establish a regulated recreational cannabis market, according to Politico. A final proposal is expected in March, and it would go into effect in 2024 if enacted, Radio Prague International reports. Medical marijuana has been legal in the country since 2017. France has been experimenting with medicinal cannabis since 2021. Malta just passed a law allowing a person to carry 7 grams of cannabis. Finland has also recently taken small steps toward legalization. In 2019, a public initiative collected more than 59,000 signatures in favor of decriminalizing the personal use of cannabis, clearing a threshold that would require Parliament to consider the initiative in its current term that ends in 2023.

December 25, 2022
Global Hemp Market May Reach $18.6 Billion by 2027
Photo: Kaylen Settles
The global hemp market could reach $18.6 billion by 2027 if nations around the world take action to clarify the crop’s legal status and address other key issues, according to an extensive report on the industry from the United Nations Conference on Trade & Development (UNCTAD).
Citing figures from researcher Krungsri Research Intelligence, a part of Bangkok-based Bank of Ayudhya, the report suggests the next five years could see the market value of hemp quadruple from the estimated $4.7 billion recorded in 2020, as reported by Hemp Today.
The UNCTAD report addresses:
Information: More transparency is needed for the hemp industry, including public data about production of hemp across all outputs, country-specific data, and pricing, the report’s authors advise.
“At the international level, there is a clear need to improve availability and accessibility of information. Efforts should be devoted to improving the current state of information about all aspects of this commodity.
“Additional categories need to be included to cover, for instance, hemp seeds, hemp seed oil, hemp seed products, hemp oleoresins and essential oils,” according to the report.
Sustainability: The report also suggests that environmental and social considerations are “core to the success of any hemp-related policy” and therefore should be taken into account in broader legal and regulatory frameworks.
“In order to ensure a sustainable hemp sector globally hemp farming can offer environmental benefits that can be considered in policies aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change and restoring healthy ecosystems,” the report observes.
As hemp cultivation can help to maximize the use of land, it may also contribute to increasing the incomes of farmers and rural communities, especially in developing countries, the report notes.
Industrial strategy: A whole-plant strategy for hemp should be considered in most parts of the world, UNCTAD recommends, noting “this is all the more desirable because of the still relatively small size of hemp markets and the economic constraints inherent in such markets.”
A whole-plant approach can mean business in both primary and secondary markets, and hemp farming could be further monetized by integrating carbon credit schemes on a voluntary basis, the paper also observes.
The 84-page report defines the steps that governments can take to capitalize on hemp for its economic and social potential, gives an overview of industrial hemp by output categories, and shows how those hemp subsector derivatives are reflected in trade statistics.
“Hemp value chains can boost growth in rural areas and contribute to both manufacturing and food-processing industries. However, to fully exploit such potentialities, countries may have to take specific actions,” according to the report, which marks the first time an international intergovernmental body has issued a paper promoting the use of industrial hemp.
The report also addresses the legal issues surrounding hemp. Clarifying the legal status of hemp as a non-intoxicant is the first step governments need to take in order to minimize legal and financial risks for producers, the report observes.
“Cultivation of non-intoxicant C. Sativa L. cultivars should be permitted in all countries even though it may require strict governmental control. Moreover, an approach favoring THC threshold in final products, rather than in the field, should be adopted to incentivize a whole-plant approach and uses,” the report says.
Alternatively, increased THC thresholds for crops “on the field” up to levels scientifically recognized as non-intoxicant could be put in place by lawmakers. “This would allow increasing the pool of varieties useable in hemp production chains, thus de facto increasing the possibility to cultivate cultivars best adapted to specific environmental conditions and characteristics,” according to the report.
Other production constraints imposed by regulatory frameworks also must be identified, and strategies should be developed for regional cooperation to establish viable and sustainable value chains, the report also suggests.
December 11, 2022
Costa Rica Authorizes Country’s First Hemp Farm

Credit: Gian
Costa Rica has for the first time has given an agricultural conglomerate authorization to grow and process hemp under a recently signed resolution from the country’s agriculture ministry.
Ingenio Taboga SA, a farming and food company, said it plans to plant hemp and build a processing factory on a 150-acre site.
Taboga, based in Bebedero de Cañas, Guanacaste, lists products in alcohol-based sanitizers, specialty sugars, natural sweeteners, protein powders and CBD on its website, according to Hemp Today.
“For the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, the development of responsible and efficient agricultural activities with significant agro-export potential is extremely important,” said Agriculture Minister Víctor Carvajal, adding that seven hemp more projects are being considered for authorization, with approval expected soon.
Under rules approved by agriculture and health officials in September, hemp farming and production licenses are intended to be inexpensive and widely available in Costa Rica. Individuals and legal entities can be authorized to grow and process hemp, and rules are set for post-harvesting, storing, transporting, product manufacturing, marketing, importing and export of health, food and industrial products.
Costa Rica’s rules set the limit for THC in hemp plants at 1.0 percent. Most countries follow a generally accepted limit of 0.3 percent THC as the dividing line between hemp and marijuana.
Industry advocates in Costa Rica say establishing a robust hemp sector can spark development of agricultural value chains by bringing economic and social opportunities to the country’s rural areas, and contribute to the growth of the pharmaceutical industry.
December 7, 2022
Newfoundland Reverses 2019 Ban on Cannabis Vapes
Credit: ATDR
The government of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador has reversed its late-2019 ban on sales of cannabis vape products.
The decision to carry vape products followed a review of Newfoundland’s cannabis industry by the provincial government and the Newfoundland Labrador Liquor Corp. (NLC), the province’s adult-use cannabis regulator and wholesaler, according to its chief merchandising officer, Peter Murphy, reports MJ Biz Daily.
The change opens a new, albeit limited, market for vapes: Newfoundland was the second-smallest cannabis market among Canada’s 10 provinces in September, with regulated recreational marijuana sales worth 5.7 million Canadian dollars ($4.2 million), or about 1.5 percent of Canadian cannabis sales.
Quebec’s government-owned recreational cannabis monopoly, Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC), still does not sell vapes.
December 2, 2022
Maryland, Missouri Approve Recreational Marijuana

Several states had recreational marijuana on the ballot. Maryland and Missouri became the 20th and 21st states to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use on Tuesday, but cannabis reform efforts met defeat in Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Maryland voters approve a constitutional amendment that legalizes recreational marijuana for people 21 and older. It will go into effect on July 1, 2023, and allow possession of 1.5 ounces or two plants. Possession of small amounts of marijuana was already decriminalized in Maryland. Under the amendment, those previously convicted of cannabis possession and intent to distribute will be able to apply for record expungement, according to media reports.
Missouri voters ended prohibitions on marijuana in the state and allow personal use for those over the age of 21. It will allow for personal possession up to three ounces and allow individuals with marijuana-related non-violent offenses to petition for release from prison or parole and probation and have their records expunged.
North Dakota voters rejected a citizen-initiated ballot measure that aimed at allowing the use of marijuana in “various forms” for those who are at least 21 years-old. It would have allowed marijuana possession of up to an ounce and all marijuana to be tested in a facility “for the potency of products and the presence of pesticides” and subject to random inspection.
South Dakotans rejected legalizing cannabis in the state, too. Legalization for recreational marijuana use had passed in South Dakota in 2020, but the results were nullified by state courts. According to the proposed 2022 ballot measure, marijuana possession of up to an ounce would have been legal. It also would have legalized possession of marijuana paraphernalia, use and distribution.
Additionally, Arkansas voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have allowed cannabis possession and recreational consumption by adults as well as the sale by licensed facilities. Had it passed, cannabis possession of up to an ounce would have been legal and some tax revenue from marijuana sales would have contributed to funding law enforcement.
November 9, 2022
Several States set to Vote on Recreational Marijuana

Credit: Fresh Ideas
Recreational marijuana legalization is on the ballot in Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota next week.
If approved, the states would join the 19 (along with Washington, DC) where recreational use is currently legal. Thirty-seven states, three territories and the District of Columbia allow the medical use of marijuana products, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Medical marijuana is currently legal in each of the five states that will vote on recreational use on Tuesday.
Marijuana is illegal under federal law, even as individual states have moved toward legal use for recreational and medical purposes.
But in October, the Biden administration announced that President Joe Biden pardoned all people convicted of federal marijuana possession through executive action.
Leaders in the U.S. Senate introduced sweeping legislation earlier this year that would end federal prohibitions on marijuana more than 50 years after Congress made the drug illegal.
November 4, 2022
Germany Readies to Legalize Recreational Cannabis

Credit: Promesaartstudio
Germany set out plans this week to legalize cannabis, a move Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government said would make Germany one of the first countries in Europe to make the move. Last year, German leaders announced an agreement for recreational cannabis.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach presented a cornerstone paper on planned legislation to regulate the controlled distribution and consumption of cannabis for recreational purposes among adults.
Acquiring and possessing 20 to 30 grams of recreational cannabis for personal consumption would also be made legal.
The coalition government struck an agreement last year to introduce legislation during its four-year term to allow the controlled distribution of cannabis in licensed shops.
Lauterbach did not give a timeline for the plan, according to Reuters.
Many countries of the region have already legalized cannabis for limited medicinal purposes, including Germany since 2017. Others have decriminalized its general use, while stopping short of making it legal.
According to the paper, private self-cultivation would be permitted to a limited extent. Ongoing investigations and criminal proceedings connected to cases no longer illegal would be terminated.
The government will also introduce a special consumption tax, and develop cannabis-related education and abuse prevention programs.
Legalizing cannabis could bring Germany annual tax revenues and cost savings of about 4.7 billion euros ($4.7 billion) and create 27,000 new jobs, a survey found last year.
Some 4 million people consumed cannabis in Germany last year, 25 percent of whom were between ages 18 and 24, Lauterbach said, adding the legalization would squeeze out the cannabis black market.
Germany will present the paper to the European Commission for pre-assessment and will only draft a law once the Commission approves the plan, the minister added.
“If the EU Commission says no to Germany’s current approach, our government should seek alternative solutions. Not just say: Well, we tried our best,” said Niklas Kouparanis, chief executive Bloomwell Group, one of Germany’s largest cannabis firms.
Berlin should have a plan B if the EU rejects the legalization, Kouparanis said, adding that cannabis imports should be permitted as domestic cultivation will not be able to meet demand in the short term.
The decision has already stirred a mix of reactions across Europe’s biggest economy.
Germany’s pharmacists association warned of the health risks of legalizing cannabis and said it would put pharmacies in medical conflict.
Pharmacists are health care professionals, so “a possible competitive situation with purely commercial providers is viewed particularly critically,” Thomas Preis, head of the North Rhine Pharmacists’ Association, told the Rheinische Post newspaper.
The legalization plan has not been welcomed by all federal states. Bavaria’s health minister, for instance, warned that Germany should not become a drug tourism destination in Europe.
But Germany’s Greens said decades of prohibiting cannabis have only exacerbated the risks.
“Because too-restrictive conditions for the legal market only promote the black market for particularly strong cannabis,” lawmaker Kirsten Kappert-Gonther said on Wednesday.
Lars Mueller, chief executive of German cannabis firm SynBiotic, said Wednesday’s step was “almost like winning the lottery” for his company.
“When the time comes, we will be able to offer franchise-like models for cannabis stores in addition to our own stores,” Mueller said.
October 28, 2022