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 ...

Regulatory body in place, Lebanon looks to enter international cannabis market

Written by Anthony Traurig | 29th August 2025

The Lebanese government is looking for an economic boost and believes that cannabis can provide just that by unlocking the potential of hemp and medical cannabis ...

Argentina closes its cannabis regulatory agency less than three years after launch

Written by CannIntelligence | 29th July 2025

Argentina closed its medical cannabis and hemp regulatory agency this month, publishing a decree that justified the move as a way to avoid “administrative redundancies and excessive costs” ...

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 ...

Tariffs to raise costs in US cannabinoid sector, even though core products spared

Written by Freddie Dawson | 7th May 2025

Although no US tariffs have been levied on imports of medical cannabis or hemp-derived cannabinoid products, pretty much anything else used with cannabinoid products will increase in price ...

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 ...

Could an AI-driven technique mean more female cannabis plants with less hassle?

Written by Freddie Dawson | 24th April 2025

A not-so-new tech enabling growers to sort seeds before planting could be a major cost cutter in an industry built on fine margins and continually having to compete with cheaper, untaxed black market products ...

A look at the latest academic studies on cannabinoids and cannabis compounds

Written by Freddie Dawson | 28th February 2025

Knowledge about cannabinoids and other cannabis compounds continues to inch forward, but though most recent major reported studies have been positive, that has not universally been the case ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Australian study finds objective scientific evidence that cannabis increases sleep

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 21st November 2024

Cannabis may help sleep, according to Australian researchers who found evidence of the hypnotic properties of cannabinol (CBN) and say their study is the first to use objective measures to prove CBN increases sleep ...

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...

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 ...

UK NHS study first to test CBD and THC drugs together in treatment of epilepsy

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 30th October 2024

Two CBD- and THC-based drugs to treat child epilepsy will be tested on 500 patients countrywide in the UK next year in a trial by researchers at University College London and Great Ormond Street Hospital...

Medical cannabis organisation in Spain on first draft law: it won’t help patients

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 14th October 2024

Two years past the deadline, Spain finally has a medical cannabis draft regulation, but restrictions in the bill make it so challenging for patients to access medication that they wonder if it would even help...

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 ...

Under the new European Commission, who will mind health and food safety?

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 30th September 2024

Some fear healthcare and food safety will not be among the main concerns of the next European Commission after the Commission president unveiled the new commissioners’ respective tasks ...

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 ...

Brazil becomes top market for Colombia’s cannabis exports amid regulatory shifts

Written by CannIntelligence | 13th September 2024

In 2023, nearly a third – around $3.4m – of Colombia's total cannabis exports went to Brazil, driven by regulatory shifts and Colombia’s determination to dominate the international cannabis market ...

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 ...

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...

Increase in prescriptions of unlicensed medical cannabis sparks concern in UK

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 26th August 2024

Unlicensed medical cannabis prescriptions in the UK private medical sector have increased by nearly 120% between 2022 and 2023, raising concerns in the healthcare industry over prescribers’ practices ...

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 ...

Australians use medical cannabis to treat pain, mental issues, survey results show

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 11th June 2024

Nearly eight years after the legalisation of medical cannabis in Australia, most people who use it to treat a health condition obtain it legally, through a doctor’s prescription ...

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 ...

Report recommends changes to Canada’s cannabis law to deal with industry issues

Written by CannIntelligence | 3rd April 2024

An expert panel report that could set the stage for changes in coming months in the way cannabis is bought, sold and marketed across Canada is recommending wide-ranging amendments to the country’s cannabis law ...

German regulation seen as a beacon of hope during Barcelona’s cannabis week

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 21st March 2024

The international cannabis sector wrapped up its yearly gathering in Barcelona with all eyes on Germany’s upcoming regulation and the contradiction of host country Spain still without one ...

Barcelona prepares to host industry and consumers at its 2024 ‘cannabis week’

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 7th March 2024

In just a few days, the global cannabis sector will gather again in Barcelona for what has become informally known, for some years now, as the city’s cannabis week ...

Spain’s medical cannabis regulation is coming soon, but was it worth the wait?

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 30th January 2024

Spain will soon have a long-overdue regulation of medical cannabis in place. This may be good news for the sector, but will the upcoming law measure up to industry and patients’ expectations? ...

What’s in store for cannabis regulation? Looking at 2024 with cautious optimism

Written by Freddie Dawson | 10th January 2024

Cannabis rather than hemp will see the primary regulatory changes in 2024, CannIntelligence predicts, with moves coming in the US, Thailand, Germany and France, among others ...

Is cannabis regulation finally on the horizon under Spain’s ‘new’ government?

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 5th January 2024

Optimism over possible regulation of cannabis in Spain has increased as the new ruling coalition has shown some potential for getting back to work on the process ...

Argentina’s cannabis industry hopes Milei won’t swing the policy pendulum

Written by CannIntelligence | 21st December 2023

The election of libertarian Javier Milei is causing as much worry as optimism in Argentina’s cannabis industry, which hopes for a commitment to the continuity of current public policies ...

Japan’s first medical cannabis law: ‘historic shift’ or crackdown on illicit use?

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 17th November 2023

Japan’s first medical cannabis law may end up only legalising a single pharmaceutical product, while also criminalising recreational cannabis consumption ...

New Zealand reclassifies low-dose CBD medical products, effects yet to be seen

Written by Fernanda Tucunduva | 24th October 2023

Low-dose CBD products can now be supplied in New Zealand by registered pharmacists without a prescription after Medsafe reclassified CBD from a prescription-only medicine to a restricted (pharmacist-only) medicine ...

Thailand’s new PM vows to outlaw recreational cannabis once again

Written by CannIntelligence | 13th October 2023

Thailand’s cannabis free-for-all could come to a halt within months as the new prime minister has said he wants to make recreational use and sale illegal again ...

US scheduling recommendation could bring big boost to cannabis industry

Written by Anthony Traurig | 1st September 2023

The US Department of Health and Human Services recommendation to reschedule cannabis to a less restrictive schedule could be the boon that the besieged cannabis industry needs ...

Near miss in Colombia could have been Latin America’s cannabis breakthrough

Written by CannIntelligence | 10th August 2023

Attempts to legalise adult recreational cannabis use continue to stall across Latin America, with Colombia the latest example there of a nation where what looked a promising bid has fallen short ...

Argentina paves the way for the long-awaited launch of its hemp industry

Written by Sergi Riudalbàs Clemente | 9th August 2023

The Argentine government has finally put enough flesh on the bones of its laws to allow the development of a hemp industry and expansion of its medical cannabis sector ...

Cannabis companies shed US assets to focus on more lucrative markets

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 27th July 2023

Major cannabis firms are streamlining their North American operations and reallocating resources toward markets with what they see as more long-term growth potential ...

Is the cannabis sector failing to ensure gender equality at its own expense?

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 17th July 2023

Women started entering the cannabis sector right at its beginning, and by 2015 over one third of US executives in cannabis companies were female. In 2017 this figure was down to 26% ...

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