Market & legal data analysis of the cannabis sector in Europe

Italian inter-ministerial decree ditched due to hemp association protests

Written by CannIntelligence | 25th June 2021

A new inter-ministerial decree that aimed to prohibit the use of cannabis leaves and flowers in extraction was withdrawn after protests from hemp associations ...

UK report says cannabinoids should be under health, not law-and-order rules

Written by Freddie Dawson | 24th June 2021

The British government must take oversight of CBD and medical cannabis out of Home Office hands and place it with the Department of Health and Social Care, according to a new report on post-Brexit regulation...

UK debate reveals broad agreement on need to reform outdated drugs law

Written by CannIntelligence | 24th June 2021

Members of Parliament from across the political spectrum in the UK believe the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act is in urgent need of reform, after 50 years of “wasting lives” and holding back vital research...

European ingredient popularity drives cannabinoid sector's latest M&A action

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 18th June 2021

Appetite for European ingredients producers appears to be driving the latest round of merger and acquisition (M&A) action in the cannabinoid sector ...

Official report favours legalisation, but France is unlikely to budge on cannabis

Written by CannIntelligence | 17th June 2021

Members of the French National Assembly appear unlikely to follow the recommendations made in a recent report on recreational cannabis, despite its scathing criticism of the current harsh regime ...

Nordic Oil seeks €5m and ‘emotional investment’ through crowd-funding

Written by CannIntelligence | 16th June 2021

Nordic Oil could become the largest European CBD brand to raise money through crowd-funding as it seeks to raise €3m-€5m through the Seedrs platform ...

CBD startups exceeding all fundraising expectations as investors leap aboard

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 15th June 2021

CBD and cannabis startups from Scotland to Florida are attracting increasing numbers of investors as they scale up their businesses and break crowd-funding records in the process ...

UK psychedelics fund puts £5m into seven companies to tackle mental health

Written by CannIntelligence | 14th June 2021

UK venture capital fund Neo Kuma has invested £5m across seven healthcare companies focused on the use of psychedelics to help combat mental health issues ...

France to clarify regulation of CBD hemp extracts with upcoming decree

Written by CannIntelligence | 11th June 2021

A draft ministerial decree to clarify the regulation of CBD in France is under consideration, but many in the industry are unhappy with the proposed measures ...

It's complicated: German court ruling adds further confusion to hemp law

Written by CannIntelligence | 3rd June 2021

The legality of selling hemp flowers as well as hemp leaf tea in Germany is no clearer despite the recent ruling by the country’s highest court that low-THC industrial hemp flowers could – in principle...

Regulator's labelling guidance could spell doom for UK sales of CBD-infused alcohol

Written by CannIntelligence | 1st June 2021

The UK alcohol industry's voluntary regulator denies being outright opposed to CBD alcoholic drinks – but moves made by one major brand suggests many see the writing on the wall for the niche sector ...

Initial results from Project Twenty21 reveal promise – and a few caveats

Written by CannIntelligence | 26th May 2021

CBD-Intel assesses how Project Twenty21 is faring as it seeks to construct a registry of medical cannabis users in the UK and Europe, providing real world data on potential efficacy ...

Tilray closes deal with Aphria and turns to lobbying for cannabis reform

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 21st May 2021

The boss of the world’s new largest global cannabis company has likened the industry’s potential to that of the alcohol business before the ending of Prohibition in the early 1930s ...

EU Commission considers bringing CBD vapes under tobacco regulation

Written by CannIntelligence | 20th May 2021

European tobacco control rules could be extended to specifically cover the vaping of CBD, a new report from the European Commission suggests ...

Legalisation of cannabis looks like being a hot topic in Germany's federal elections

Written by CannIntelligence | 3rd May 2021

With federal elections due in September, Germany’s Free Democratic Party (FDP) has called on the government to draft a law permitting the controlled distribution of cannabis for adult use ...

Opposition parties put forward proposals for legalisation of cannabis in Poland

Written by CannIntelligence | 29th April 2021

Poland’s Parliamentary Team for the Legalisation of Marijuana has submitted a package of three draft bills to the speaker of parliament’s lower chamber, following a public consultation on the proposals ...

UK FSA releases initial validated novel food application list

Written by Freddie Dawson | 23rd April 2021

The long-anticipated UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) initial list of products supported by a validated CBD novel food application has been released ...

Jersey well placed to become Europe’s major growing hub for medical cannabis

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 20th April 2021

Jersey could become “a cannabis hub for Europe” after Northern Leaf successfully completed a second round of funding that will enable it to complete its pharmaceutical cannabis cultivation facility on the island ...

'A nice buzz in the air' – CBD shops reopen as UK lockdown lifts

Written by CannIntelligence | 14th April 2021

As the national lockdown in the UK lifted on Monday, shoppers were excited to purchase CBD in person ...

How cannabis derivatives could help to preserve the miracle of modern medicine

Written by CannIntelligence | 13th April 2021

Could cannabinoids, including CBD, provide a partial solution to the growing danger of diseases becoming resistant to existing antibiotics? ...

Italy issues its first licences to grow hemp and extract CBD for medical use

Written by CannIntelligence | 8th April 2021

Italy’s Ministry of Health and the Italian Medicine Agency (AIFA) have begun authorising Italian companies to manufacture hemp-derived CBD extracts for pharmaceutical purposes ...

Germany’s highest court leaves legality of hemp flowers open to interpretation

Written by CannIntelligence | 6th April 2021

Germany’s highest civil and criminal court has ruled that low-THC industrial hemp flowers may be considered a narcotic – but that they can be legally sold to German consumers if there is no risk of...

US and Australian cannabis companies see great profit potential in Europe

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 2nd April 2021

There are profits to be made from selling cannabis in Europe, according to US company Curaleaf after it signed an agreement to acquire Europe’s largest vertically integrated independent cannabis company ...

'Impending disaster' – UK industry associations at odds over THC limits

Written by CannIntelligence | 31st March 2021

The British Hemp Alliance (BHA) has contested the suggestion put forward by the Association for the Cannabinoid Industry (ACI) for allowable THC levels in CBD products, claiming it would only benefit “the big boys” ...

Mixed feelings as UK industry sees pros and cons in FSA switch on novel foods

Written by CannIntelligence | 25th March 2021

Industry reaction to the change in UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) novel food submission requirements is mixed, some welcoming it while others say it reveals failings of management and understanding ...

GenCanna acquires white label company Taylor Mammon in transatlantic merger

Written by Freddie Dawson | 22nd March 2021

UK white label CBD company Taylor Mammon has been acquired by US hemp firm GenCanna ...

With ingredient prices tumbling, why are CBD consumers still paying so much?

Written by CannIntelligence | 18th March 2021

A drop in the cost of bulk CBD has not yet been wholly reflected in falling CBD product prices – but are we about to witness a perfect storm for a race to the...

UK Food Standards Agency relaxes the rules slightly on novel food submissions

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 15th March 2021

Companies now only to have submitted an application to the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) in order for their edible CBD products to stay on the market after 1st April ...

US market to top $3bn in two years, but Swiss remain the biggest CBD users

Written by CannIntelligence | 15th March 2021

Swiss consumers are head-for-head the biggest purchasers of CBD products, according to CBD-Intel’s 2021 market size analysis. Meanwhile, we predict big growth in a number of other markets, and a shift in the most popular...

BAT moves further into cannabinoids with Organigram research deal

Written by Freddie Dawson | 11th March 2021

British American Tobacco (BAT) has continued its expansion into the cannabinoid space by signing a research collaboration agreement with Organigram, a licensed Canadian cannabis producer ...

Anxiety in Northern Ireland, UK's EU gateway, as novel food deadline looms

Written by CannIntelligence | 11th March 2021

As the UK’s deadline for novel food applications looms, many firms are upbeat about the prospects for CBD businesses in Northern Ireland, but almost all those CBD-Intel spoke to expressed frustration at a lack of...

UK FSA picks up the pace with at least one novel food application validated

Written by Freddie Dawson | 5th March 2021

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) is moving forward at pace with at least one CBD novel food application having been validated ...

Industry milestone as firms start to publicly list on UK stock exchange

Written by CannIntelligence | 5th March 2021

Investing in the medical cannabis and CBD space in the UK is only likely to continue as companies are now legally allowed to list on Europe’s biggest stock exchange, while demand by retail investors continues...

Silent Pool 'unimpressed' by Portman Group code violation ruling

Written by CannIntelligence | 26th February 2021

CBD-infused gin manufacturer Silent Pool remains defiant after drinks industry regulatory body the Portman Group ruled that its Colorado High product was in violation of its code ...

BAT looking 'beyond nicotine' as Big Tobacco turn its attention to CBD

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 23rd February 2021

British American Tobacco (BAT) is looking “beyond nicotine” to alternative sources of revenue, and has described CBD as an “exciting growth area for our business for the future” ...

No Home Office change in CBD importation licensing requirements

Written by Freddie Dawson | 12th February 2021

Reports that the UK Home Office now requires businesses importing CBD into the UK to have controlled drug licences are untrue, according to the Home Office ...

CBD health and wellness subcategory sees advances on a global scale

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 5th February 2021

CBD firms are making further advances into the health and wellness subcategory of the market with new product launches, distribution deals, and clinical studies underway ...

Jazz Pharmaceuticals buys Epidiolex manufacturer GW Pharma for $7.2bn

Written by Freddie Dawson | 3rd February 2021

GW Pharmaceuticals, the British manufacturer of the CBD-based epilepsy drug Epidiolex, has been acquired by Jazz Pharmaceuticals in a cash and shares deal worth over $7bn ...

Is a CBD spirit brand making an implicit health claim simply by mentioning CBD?

Written by Freddie Dawson | 1st February 2021

Specific UK guidance for producers of drinks containing both alcohol and CBD will be developed after the first complaint against one such brand was upheld by the voluntary regulating body for the UK drinks industry...

German Left and Greens propose rise in THC limit, but without much optimism

Written by CannIntelligence | 28th January 2021

Two German parliamentary groups have submitted a joint initiative to remove industrial hemp from the Narcotics Act and raise the THC limit from 0.2% to at least 0.6% ...

European Commission decides CBD from entire plant can be used in cosmetics

Written by Freddie Dawson | 27th January 2021

CBD extracted from the whole Cannabis sativa plant will be allowed in cosmetic products in the EU, according to a preliminary conclusion by the European Commission conveyed to CBD-Intel ...

Brexit terms deliver a huge headache to UK and European CBD firms and users

Written by CannIntelligence | 27th January 2021

British CBD brands are suspending shipping to the EU, European customers are hit by unexpected import fees, and UK entrepreneurs are struggling to establish their start-ups, as Brexit regulations cause chaos ...

Supply chain hopefuls stay cheerful despite $150m investment fund flop

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 27th January 2021

Texas-based Collective Growth is remaining positive despite failing to find the right partners for a $150m investment fund raised to develop the US hemp market ...

Financial investments suggest a mood of optimism around CBD and cannabis

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 26th January 2021

Renewed interest in financing of CBD and cannabis businesses could signal that investors are starting to be positive again about the future after companies seemingly weathered the worst of the storm in 2020 ...

Dutch health ministry provides relief for UK patients forgotten in Brexit deal

Written by CannIntelligence | 25th January 2021

Dutch officials have granted a six-month reprieve to find a solution to an omission in the Brexit negotiations that threatens to deprive British epilepsy patients of access to cannabis-based medicines ...

CBD drinks – 'a superior option for those traditionally alcohol-driven occasions'

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 19th January 2021

Health and wellness appear to be the primary marketing position for new cannabinoid beverage launches ...

Tobacco giant steps in – BAT launches CBD e-liquid range onto UK market

Written by Freddie Dawson | 18th January 2021

Big Tobacco has entered the CBD sector with British American Tobacco (BAT) launching a CBD e-liquid cartridge compatible with its Vuse vaping device ...

European report outlines CBD retail practices and urges clarity on the rules

Written by Freddie Dawson | 11th January 2021

A recently published report from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) highlights the diverse retail make-up and unclear regulatory outlook of the European CBD sector ...

Georgia run-off election: it looks like good news for cannabis reform

Written by Freddie Dawson | 6th January 2021

Reform of cannabis laws at federal level in the US looks to be a step closer following the likely victory of the Democratic party in run-off elections for both Senate seats in the state of...

Tilray set on becoming the 'weed giant of the world' with Aphria merger

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 29th December 2020

Canadian cannabis firms Aphria and Tilray have announced a merger that will create “the world’s largest weed company”, operating under the Tilray name ...

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