News analysis for professionals in the cannabis industry

Storm in a teacup? Germany’s proposal to tighten up telemedicine cannabis rules

Written by CannIntelligence | 1st September 2025

This summer, a draft bill that aims to tighten restrictions on the remote prescribing of medical cannabis upset the German medical cannabis community ...

New US surgeon general nominee not likely to be an ally to cannabis industry

Written by Freddie Dawson | 20th May 2025

The cannabinoid sector is unlikely to find an ally in new US surgeon general nominee Casey Means, but she could help further progress towards a viable commercial psychedelics market in the country ...

Italy’s top court rules that oral CBD products are prescription drugs

Written by CannIntelligence | 30th April 2025

Italy’s Regional Administrative Court (TAR) has dismissed an appeal challenging the Ministry of Health’s decree to classify oral CBD products as narcotics ...

US cannabis companies police their own market with reports on ‘consumer fraud’

Written by Freddie Dawson | 31st March 2025

Cannabinoid businesses dissatisfied with regulatory testing have taken policing into their own hands, as two recent reports commissioned by companies in the sector highlighted deficiencies they found in legal products ...

United Nations commission votes to classify HHC as a prohibited substance

Written by CannIntelligence | 25th March 2025

The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs voted on 12th March to classify HHC as a banned substance, with an aim of restricting and controlling the use of the cannabinoid at an international level ...

Germany’s incoming coalition unlikely to roll back cannabis legalisation

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 20th March 2025

In Germany, negotiations are advancing swiftly to establish a coalition between the CDU/CSU, and the centre-left SPD. As the CDU/CSU leads coalition talks, its stance on cannabis will be central to shaping future policies ...

German conservatives poised for power but cannabis stance at odds with coalition

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 26th February 2025

As the centre-right CDU/CSU prepares for a potential return to power in Germany, its stance on cannabis legalisation might be a point of contention with other coalition partners ...

Could Switzerland be the first in Europe to fully legalise recreational cannabis?

Written by Barnaby Page | 20th February 2025

Though it’s still early days, Switzerland could become the first European country to wholeheartedly legalise recreational cannabis, though that doesn’t mean that progress in Europe is speeding up ...

How might Trump’s confirmed nominees and his US DEA pick impact the industry?

Written by Freddie Dawson | 18th February 2025

The nomination of Terrance Cole as head of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is unlikely to be great overall for either the cannabis or intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoid (IHDC) industries ...

Do US cannabis companies need to resort to drastic measures to stay in business?

Written by Freddie Dawson | 31st January 2025

Cannabis companies have been pushing the envelope of acceptable marketing and business practices by insinuating unproven benefits for their products while also looking to create the strongest goods possible ...

Germany’s 2025 elections: cannabis legalisation and coalition scenarios

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 16th January 2025

As Germany heads towards its national elections on 23rd February, cannabis legalisation has emerged as one of the most divisive and closely watched issues on the political stage ...

How Italy’s ban on driving with any THC in the body could affect the hemp industry

Written by CannIntelligence | 13th January 2025

Under a new law, cannabis users driving on Italian roads could find themselves in legal trouble when stopped by the authorities, even if they are not under the influence at the time ...

US rescheduling, Brazil’s hemp hopes, and the status quo for cannabis in 2025

Written by Freddie Dawson | 8th January 2025

Rescheduling of cannabis in the US will headline a somewhat slow slate of regulatory changes in 2025, CannIntelligence predicts, while much of the remaining positivity for cannabis revolves around the status quo being maintained ...

How did we do? CannIntelligence’s predictions for 2024 under review

Written by Freddie Dawson | 31st December 2024

We look back at predictions CannIntelligence published at the start of 2024 to see how well we did in calling events that would occur in the cannabis sector throughout the year ...

Luxembourg to halt high-THC cannabis flower prescriptions by January 2025

Written by CannIntelligence | 30th December 2024

As of 1st January 2025, eligible patients in Luxembourg will no longer be able to receive prescriptions for dried cannabis flower with a high THC content ...

Australian study: cannabis and tobacco are both complements and substitutes

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 27th December 2024

A new study examining the economic relationship between cannabis and tobacco consumption in Australia has shown striking differences in how the two substances interact across age groups ...

Recreational cannabis plans dashed, medical and IHDCs on the up in 2024

Written by Freddie Dawson | 20th December 2024

On the surface, 2024 could seem like a disappointing year for commercial cannabinoids, but scratch the surface and it really was not all that bad ...

On the latest Trump picks for attorney general and to head FDA and agriculture

Written by Freddie Dawson | 12th December 2024

The ever-changing make-up of US president-elect Donald Trump’s nominees for posts in his administration – still far from set in stone – offers a few new options that will impact on cannabis and hemp ...

How might newly elected US governors approach cannabis laws in their states?

Written by Freddie Dawson | 19th November 2024

Not a single US state governorship flipped parties during the elections held on 5th November despite strong gains in the Senate for the Republican party, as well as the party’s victory in the presidential election...

US cannabis industry has high hopes for itself under a second Trump presidency

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 19th November 2024

While the sector’s optimism about the prospect of a Republican presidency would have barely been imaginable until recently, Donald Trump’s re-election is being welcomed with positive expectations by the country’s cannabis industry ...

Is another Donald Trump administration bad news for the US cannabis industry?

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 14th November 2024

Until last week, the US cannabis sector was wondering what to expect from the then-upcoming presidential elections, and cannabis legalisation was also on the ballot in several states ...

Cannabis and the US elections: from Schedule I drug to business prospect

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 17th October 2024

As the US cannabis sector prepares for the economic impact of an announced reclassification of marijuana to a less-restrictive schedule, the presidential contest seems to have already turned cannabis into a business opportunity worth supporting...

Thailand’s newest government says it is pro-cannabis…and this time it’s for real

Written by CannIntelligence | 1st October 2024

Thailand’s new government has said it will not reclassify cannabis as an illegal drug as it seeks to end a legal limbo that has chilled investor interest in the country’s nascent weed industry ...

Brazilian pharmaceutical company acquires Colombian cannabis giant

Written by CannIntelligence | 30th September 2024

Brazilian pharmaceutical company Ease Labs officially announced the acquisition this month of Plena, a cannabis cultivation and extraction company based in Colombia ...

Using after 50: US poll reveals cannabis consumption trends among older adults

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 25th September 2024

One in five older adults in the US use cannabis for recreational or medical reasons, based on a recent survey. Besides risks related to use without medical advice, researchers identified some hazardous behaviours ...

Would the US Supreme Court overturn the decision on the legality of THCO?

Written by Freddie Dawson | 19th September 2024

The US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals recently decided tetrahydrocannabinol acetate (THCO) was legal under current federal law, disregarding an interpretation by the Drug Enforcement Administration ...

IHDCs are legal under US federal law, according to appeals court case ruling

Written by Freddie Dawson | 16th September 2024

A US federal circuit appeals court has affirmed the legality of “synthetically derived” hemp cannabinoids, rejecting interpretations by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids (IHDCs) in the process ...

Prior to US elections, Trump talks the talk on cannabis, but has yet to walk the walk

Written by Frederick Dawson | 6th September 2024

Republican US presidential nominee Donald Trump may end up an ally of the cannabinoid industry if recent comments on his voting intentions are to be believed ...

Could the Czech government be out of step with its own anti-addiction plan?

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 5th September 2024

Just over a year after the Czech government unveiled a new, ambitious action plan to fight addictions, doubts are being raised over the government’s alignment with its own declared war on addictions ...

Recreational cannabis bill advances in Colombia’s Congress, backed by president

Written by CannIntelligence | 4th September 2024

Though Colombia’s efforts to legalise and regulate adult-use cannabis have failed in recent years, lawmakers and the president hope a new bill will receive the backing necessary to further develop its cannabis market ...

Epidiolex misses trial’s efficacy goal in Japan as it aims for drug authorisation

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 28th August 2024

Clinical trials on CBD-based medical drug Epidiolex missed their main goal of registering a significant reduction in the frequency of seizures experienced by patients in Japan, based on the results reported by manufacturer Jazz Pharmaceuticals...

US Republican VP nominee may support cannabis regulation but not legalisation

Written by Freddie Dawson | 16th August 2024

Republican nominee for vice-president JD Vance has been silent on vaping, tobacco alternatives and the Ohio cannabis legalisation debate, but some of his comments suggest he may support the regulation of recreational cannabis ...

US Democratic VP nominee could be supportive of pro-cannabis policies

Written by Freddie Dawson | 12th August 2024

New Democratic nominee for vice president Tim Walz is unlikely to be an ally to the tobacco alternatives and vaping industries but, as governor of Minnesota, he was keen on legalising cannabis ...

Not your usual partnership between cannabinoid brand and vaping company

Written by Freddie Dawson | 9th August 2024

Vaping company Ispire has signed a 30-year global licensing agreement with Hidden Hills Club, a cannabinoid operation with wider lifestyle ambitions that will lead to the creation of Hidden Hills branded nicotine vaping products ...

Another Thai about-face on cannabis could still result in narcotics listing

Written by Freddie Dawson | 5th August 2024

Cannabis will no longer be added to the narcotics list in Thailand in the latest turnaround from legislators, as officials said they would prefer to regulate cannabis through the legislative process ...

Czech government struggles to push through cannabis legalisation bill

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 2nd August 2024

The long-awaited submission of a Czech government draft bill for the regulation of recreational cannabis was not received favourably by conservative representatives, leading to a discussion focused on self-cultivation only ...

As contests for US governorships ramp up, how do candidates view cannabis?

Written by Freddie Dawson | 25th July 2024

Though debate about US president Joe Biden’s potential replacement dominates headlines on the November elections, down-ballot races in many states may impact the future of cannabis in the country ...

Germany’s cannabis clubs are now allowed to operate, but are they really?

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 19th July 2024

On 1st July, cannabis clubs became allowed to operate under Germany’s new cannabis law, but this doesn’t mean that even the first already-licensed club will actually be able to start operations anytime soon ...

Germany inaugurates its very own cannabis club system: will it work?

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 18th July 2024

The first cannabis club in Germany may soon start operating after receiving the first cultivation licence under the country’s new cannabis regulation ...

Mexico’s president considered positive for cannabis sector, trouble for vape market

Written by CannIntelligence | 17th July 2024

The election of Claudia Sheinbaum as Mexico’s first-ever female president is being celebrated by members of the national cannabis industry as a positive step towards potential legalisation ...

Florida governor’s veto on IHDC ban bill: good news for hemp or playing politics?

Written by CannIntelligence | 3rd July 2024

Florida’s governor last month vetoed a bill that would have banned most intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoid (IHDC) products and limited the amount of total delta-9 THC in hemp products ...

Red scare in the green game – should Chinese activity in US farming raise flags?

Written by Freddie Dawson | 27th June 2024

Revelations about Chinese activities in the US agriculture sector have raised a number of issues. Evidence of increased activity by Chinese national affiliates has sparked something of a red scare among commentators ...

Germany set to introduce HHC ban, but other semi-synthetics may take its place

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 6th June 2024

HHC is likely to become illegal very soon in Germany, as the country’s Federal Council prepares to pass a government decree on the subject on 14th June ...

Are US regulators far removed from society when it comes to cannabis?

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 29th May 2024

While moving cannabis to a less-restrictive Schedule III will not legalise the recreational market at a federal level, it may reflect the need for authorities to modify their attitude to align with changes in society...

Contamination and adulteration of vape products: how serious is the problem?

Written by CannIntelligence | 27th May 2024

The recent discovery of the illicit animal tranquilliser xylazine in cannabis vapes raises concerns about harmful contaminants. How do these substances end up in vaping products? ...

Canadian cannabis firms ‘barely keeping their heads above water’ under tax load

Written by CannIntelligence | 22nd May 2024

Canada’s cannabis industry is warning more cannabis companies may be forced to close their doors in the coming months, after the Canadian government failed to deliver excise duty relief in this year’s federal budget ...

Malawi’s legalisation of medical cannabis leaves Rasta community ‘disappointed’

Written by CannIntelligence | 13th May 2024

Malawi has legalised the cultivation of a potent local variety of cannabis for industrial and medicinal use but maintained the criminal status of its recreational use – raising concerns among the Rastafarian community ...

‘Revolutionary’ US cannabis rescheduling set to increase companies’ profitability

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 9th May 2024

The reclassification of cannabis to a less restrictive schedule of the US Controlled Substances Act will have crucial implications for the industry, especially as far as taxation is concerned, experts say ...

Canada’s Indigenous communities could earn millions with cannabis tax scheme

Written by CannIntelligence | 30th April 2024

The Canadian government has unveiled plans to allow Indigenous governments to levy a new tax on alcohol, cannabis, tobacco, fuel and vaping products sold in their communities, which could net them millions of dollars ...

Germany’s cannabis law could open doors for foreign businesses to set up in Europe

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 23rd April 2024

As Germany becomes the first country in mainland Europe to partially legalise adult-use cannabis, investors from outside the continent may want to establish a presence in the European market now and wait for opportunities ...

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