News analysis for professionals in the cannabis industry

Cannabis or marijuana? Why it matters what name you (and the law) know it by

Written by Freddie Dawson | 13th July 2022

There is quite a bit of baggage in how reference is made to the Cannabis sativa plant – as demonstrated by what's behind a new change to the law in the US state of Washington...

British Standards moves to fill the safety and quality gap on CBD vaping products

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 12th July 2022

The British Standards Institution (BSI) has developed a fast-track informal standard, PAS 13956, to address quality, performance and safety issues of CBD vape products ...

International acquisitions chase share of growing global medicinal market

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 11th July 2022

The growth potential of demand for medicinal cannabis is inspiring cross-border acquisitions of pharmaceutical brands as businesses scale up to take a bigger slice of the global market ...

Incoming Colombian government has big plans for the country’s cannabis industry

Written by CannIntelligence | 8th July 2022

Colombian president-elect Gustavo Petro says he will prioritise development of the nation’s cannabis industry and is promising that he will improve regulation, expand the existing legal framework and clarify production regulation as well as decriminalise...

Israeli cannabis firms expand into Europe, bringing Cookies to Vienna

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 7th July 2022

Israeli cannabis firm InterCure is collaborating with US brand Cookies to launch Europe’s first flagship Cookies store in Vienna; meanwhile, Panaxia Labs exports to Germany from Malta ...

DG-Agri – the EU agency ready to put its full weight behind the growth in hemp

Written by CannIntelligence | 5th July 2022

The European Food Safety Authority (Efsa) may not be sure about CBD but the EU Directorate-general for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG-Agri) is fully behind hemp as a crop with potential ...

Why novel food rules are pushing the UK market towards cold-pressed products

Written by CannIntelligence | 4th July 2022

Companies are facing technical and marketing pros and cons as they increasingly turn to cold-press CBD extraction as a way around novel food market limitations in the UK and Ireland ...

Native American tribes try to carve a niche in the cannabinoid business

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 1st July 2022

Utah’s Native American namesake – the Ute tribe – has launched a company to manufacture products that combine hemp-derived cannabinoids with plants they have traditionally used for medicinal purposes ...

No magic solution: EFSA ingestible CBD safety concerns won't be resolved quickly

Written by Freddie Dawson | 1st July 2022

It looks like there will be no easy or quick solutions to addressing the data gaps the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) requires to reach a conclusion on the safety of CBD as an ingestible...

UK FSA issues final final list of products linked to a CBD novel food application

Written by Freddie Dawson | 30th June 2022

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published its final public list of CBD products that can be marketed in England and Wales – and again it's twice as long as it was ...

Kanabo switches its emphasis towards cannabis prescribing and dispensing

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 29th June 2022

UK-based medical cannabis company Kanabo will look to focus on “last mile assets” such as dispensing and prescribing as it responds to changing market conditions ...

Consumer trends and regulatory hurdles leave recycling schemes high and dry

Written by Freddie Dawson | 28th June 2022

Changing consumer trends have been blamed for the failure of a Canadian pilot programme for returning and recycling cannabis vaping devices ...

EU novel food applications: the science behind what EFSA says it wants to know

Written by CannIntelligence | 27th June 2022

The European Food Safety Authority wants more safety data before it approves CBD products as novel food. This is what it wants to know, and why, along with a summary of the science on each...

State AGs urge US Congress leaders to take action on 'copycat' THC edibles

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 24th June 2022

A bipartisan group of 23 US state attorneys general have joined calls to halt the sale of edible cannabinoid-containing products that imitate the look of well-known brands ...

Recreational cannabis remains illegal in Delaware despite unusual efforts

Written by CannIntelligence | 24th June 2022

A bid to legalise recreational cannabis in the US state of Delaware failed when lawmakers fell just short in a rare bid to overturn a governor's veto ...

Why the long pause? Companies question Efsa's insistence on filling 'data gap'

Written by Freddie Dawson | 23rd June 2022

In trying to be overly cautious on novel foods, has the European Food Safety Authority inadvertently added an extra risk to public health? ...

Canadian and US firms set sights on promising German cannabis market

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 22nd June 2022

North American cannabis firms are attempting to muscle in on the German medical cannabis scene – possibly in an attempt to establish themselves in the market before a recreational regime is established ...

Guyana's leaders pin hopes on hemp bill to revive lost jobs and agriculture

Written by CannIntelligence | 21st June 2022

Government officials in Guyana believe the Industrial Hemp Bill, expected to be voted on by Parliament by the end of June, will be a big step towards the creation of a legal framework for hemp...

Mixed reception for Minnesota law on hemp-derived cannabinoid products

Written by CannIntelligence | 17th June 2022

A new law makes Minnesota the first state in the US to apply a 21+ age restriction to all hemp-derived cannabinoid products regardless of potential for intoxication ...

Canada can teach Germany about pitfalls of legalising recreational cannabis

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 17th June 2022

Germany should plan ahead to avoid problems which have plagued governments that have already legalised recreational cannabis on top of medical cannabis ...

Changes ahead in Rhode Island as adult recreational cannabis sales are legalised

Written by CannIntelligence | 16th June 2022

Cannabis will be available for recreational use in Rhode Island from 1st December after governor Dan McKee signed the Rhode Island Cannabis Act into law, making the state the 19th in the US to legalise...

Lack of quality science on cannabis and pain leaves room for fake news and myth

Written by Barnaby Page | 16th June 2022

“It’s a myth that cannabis relieves pain,” declared the Daily Mail. But that is not what the study it was reporting said at all ...

Data gaps in EU novel food applications will be difficult, slow and costly to fill

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 15th June 2022

CBD companies say they do not know when or even how they will be able to provide the missing data that has caused the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to pause the clock on assessing...

How do you tell if a user is under the influence? It's still a testing problem

Written by CannIntelligence | 14th June 2022

While cannabis use is now legal in many US states, there is as yet no reliable test to determine whether, or how far, a user may be “under the influence” ...

State bank regulators call for America Competes to incorporate SAFE Act

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 13th June 2022

US state bank regulators have asked Congress to provide legal cannabis businesses with access to financial services by integrating a bill preventing banks from being penalised for doing so into a broader law on innovation and competition...

California cannabis cultivation tax stands to be eliminated imminently

Written by CannIntelligence | 10th June 2022

Tax on the cultivation of cannabis in California could be eliminated as of July ...

22nd Century integrates CBD company to grow its hemp/cannabis franchise faster

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 10th June 2022

US firm 22nd Century has begun integration with GVB Biopharma, one of the largest CBD suppliers globally, as part of a plan to grow its hemp/cannabis franchise rapidly ...

Can a California cannabis cultivation tax cut help some without harming others?

Written by Freddie Dawson | 9th June 2022

Could lowering taxes lead to more revenue? It’s a question that can be applied to many retail areas, from train tickets to electronics ...

Lausanne aims to become home to Switzerland’s second cannabis trial

Written by CannIntelligence | 8th June 2022

Lausanne could become the second Swiss city after Basel to launch a recreational cannabis trial this year. But while Basel’s pilot will involve just 400 participants, Lausanne is aiming for triple that number ...

Australian companies looking to sell CBD treatments online with prescriptions

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 8th June 2022

Companies are trying new ways to reach cannabinoid customers in severely restricted Australia, but they must be careful not to fall foul of strict guidelines that separate promoting from simply informing the public about prescription...

EFSA puts novel food assessment on hold for applicants to provide missing data

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 7th June 2022

A hold has been placed on European novel food assessment after the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said it was unable to proceed due to identified knowledge gaps in safety data ...

Peru's health ministry publishes draft legal framework for medical cannabis

Written by CannIntelligence | 3rd June 2022

The Peruvian Health Ministry has published a draft legal framework that will regulate the medicinal and therapeutic cannabis market following the 16th May resolution promising such a move ...

SAFE dominates as cannabis lobbyists in the US spend more than $12m in Q1 2022

Written by CannIntelligence | 2nd June 2022

Spending on CBD- and cannabis-related lobbying in the US exceeded pre-pandemic numbers, with more than $12m spent during the first quarter of 2022 on issues such as efforts to support patient safety, legalisation and decriminalisation...

North Carolina senate passes hemp bill ahead of pilot programme expiry

Written by Freddie Dawson | 2nd June 2022

The North Carolina senate has passed a law confirming the legality of hemp before the state’s pilot programme finishes at the end of June. It now moves to the House ...

FDA sends warnings to companies selling CBD-containing veterinary products

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 1st June 2022

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warnings to four companies that have sold veterinary products containing CBD ...

US at risk of missing huge opportunity in cannabis due to lack of federal reform

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 31st May 2022

The US is in danger of being left behind the burgeoning global cannabis market because of a lack of political will to commit to any form of federal cannabis reform ...

Off the hook – research reveals youth health benefits of legalising cannabis

Written by Aidan Semmens | 31st May 2022

A six-year study of young adult behaviour reveals that when and where cannabis use is legalised, young people’s use of alcoho. and tobacco drops – and so does the use, and misuse, of pain-relieving prescription...

Legal dispute leads to US Ninth Circuit Court ruling delta-8 THC federally legal

Written by Anthony Traurig | 27th May 2022

Delta-8 THC is federally legal under a plain reading of the 2018 Farm Bill, according to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ...

Mental health, addiction treatments with psychedelics: could the UK lead the way?

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 27th May 2022

Strangely, Brexit and then the Covid-19 pandemic have combined to create ideal conditions for the UK to potentially become a leader in psychedelics research ...

Germany puts legal cannabis back up the agenda – but EU and UN obstacles remain

Written by CannIntelligence | 26th May 2022

The German government has performed an abrupt U-turn on recreational cannabis legislation just three months after the new coalition government said such plans were not among its priorities for this year ...

Canada's cannabis industry gathering to urge the government to move faster

Written by CannIntelligence | 25th May 2022

Canada’s cannabis industry is planning a two-day blitz of Parliament Hill in a bid to convince the government to launch its long overdue review of federal cannabis legislation ...

UK FSA’s slow-moving novel food authorisation process feeds frustration

Written by CannIntelligence | 20th May 2022

It’s been two years since the deadline for CBD companies to apply for the Food Standards Agency (FSA) novel foods authorisation, yet none have been authorised and few have been validated ...

CBD watchdog Leafreport tests sleeping products, with eye-opening results

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 20th May 2022

The need to improve sleep is one of the main reasons why US consumers buy CBD, according to CBD-Intel’s latest market research; however, a recent report from a CBD watchdog claims that 60% of the...

Survey says Canadian cannabis companies lack consumer awareness

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 19th May 2022

Canadian cannabis companies are about as well-liked as some of the country’s biggest oil refiners and transporters – a strange position for purveyors of one of the most mellow products on the market ...

THC lookalike products lead packaged goods group to campaign for tougher law

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 19th May 2022

A small change in proposed legislation could make it significantly easier to prevent the sale of “lookalike” cannabis products that work off existing well-known trademarks ...

What action in the name of sustainability is the CBD industry likely to see?

Written by Freddie Dawson | 19th May 2022

CBD is already working from a higher base than many consumer products on the market. But that does not mean there is nothing else to be done ...

Belize cannabis and hemp legalisation bill faces opposition, late referendum

Written by CannIntelligence | 17th May 2022

The fate of a recently approved cannabis and industrial hemp bill in Belize is likely to be decided by a national referendum after opposition groups submitted a petition in early May in an effort to block cannabis legalisation in...

EU officially recognises first CBG-rich hemp variety among registered plants

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 13th May 2022

The EU has granted official recognition to a hemp variety rich in cannabigerol (CBG) by including a new cannabinoid strain in its database of registered plant varieties ...

Pennsylvania medical cannabis vape recall leaves patients stranded

Written by CannIntelligence | 13th May 2022

A widespread recall of cannabis concentrates sold for vaping at medical cannabis dispensaries in the US state of Pennsylvania has left patients with more questions than answers about who to trust ...

Argentina approves law to establish legal framework for cannabis and hemp

Written by CannIntelligence | 13th May 2022

Members of the Argentina Chamber of Deputies approved a law on 5th May that would establish a legal framework for the production, sale and export of medical cannabis as well as industrial hemp, a decision...

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