Market & legal data analysis of the cannabis sector in Europe

The long wait goes on for a successful European novel food application

Written by Anthony Traurig | 28th December 2020

Officials from the European Commission (EC) met with CBD-Intel to discuss the status of novel food applications in light of the ruling in the Kanavape case ...

Brexit: more clarity for international trade, but change ahead for vapes?

Written by David Palacios | 24th December 2020

While a post-Brexit regulatory review in the UK is likely to focus much more on nicotine vaping than on CBD, equally there are likely to be knock-on effects for providers of CBD products – whether...

I’m a celebrity – get me into quality cannabis, hemp and CBD brands...

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 23rd December 2020

Increasing numbers of celebrities are endorsing CBD products, with names as big as will.i.am, Jay-Z, Beyoncé and Gwyneth Paltrow among those investing or launching their own brands ...

Isle of Man to invite applications to grow hemp, but won't license extraction – yet

Written by Freddie Dawson | 22nd December 2020

The Isle of Man is set to begin assessing hemp production applications as early as February in order to allow initial crops to be grown in 2021 – though no cannabinoids will be extracted yet...

Cannabis plant considered 'a national security threat' in Russia

Written by CannIntelligence | 18th December 2020

Cannabis legalisation is so far away in Russia that the plant is now considered a national security threat, according to provisions of the new state strategy for Anti-Drug...

Italian Customs Agency proposes taking hemp flower sales into its monopoly

Written by CannIntelligence | 17th December 2020

The Italian Customs Agency is trying to widen its jurisdiction by proposing including the sale of CBD hemp flowers within the state monopoly. Others have similar ideas ...

Polish company prepares to fight against move to ban CBD vending machines

Written by CannIntelligence | 16th December 2020

A proposed amendment to Polish law would ban the sale of CBD products through vending machines – but one company using that distribution method does not see any reason to stop just yet ...

EU Parliament votes to change industrial hemp THC limit from 0.2% to 0.3%

Written by CannIntelligence | 11th December 2020

The European Parliament will have a united position on hemp-related issues during the ongoing tripartite negotiations, which must be concluded by the end of March ...

Trials and research into the healing potential of cannabinoids continue

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 11th December 2020

Pharmaceutical firms continue to invest in research into the healing potential of cannabinoids, launching clinical trials to investigate their ability to treat a range of conditions ...

EC to review novel food applications following change of heart on CBD

Written by Freddie Dawson | 4th December 2020

The European Commission (EC) will start to review novel food applications after reversing its opinion on the narcotic status of CBD, the EC has confirmed to CBD-Intel ...

Kanavape ruling could kick-start French CBD industry – but not everyone's happy

Written by CannIntelligence | 3rd December 2020

The decision by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in the Kanavape cape that CBD cannot be treated as a narcotic has been welcomed in France – though not by the official...

CBD store ordered to drop 'irresponsible and harmful' anti-mask advertisements

Written by Freddie Dawson | 2nd December 2020

A CBD shop in the town of Glastonbury in southwest England has been called out for publishing anti-mask advertisements ...

The British isle heading for its own rules on cannabinoid extraction for export

Written by Freddie Dawson | 1st December 2020

The Isle of Man looks likely to become the second jurisdiction operating under UK regulations to allow the use of hemp flowers in extraction ...

Proposal put forward in yet another attempt to regulate the Italian CBD sector

Written by CannIntelligence | 27th November 2020

Italian legislators have put forward another proposal that has yet to be presented as an amendment to regulate the CBD sector and, in particular, the sale of flowers, finished products and extracts ...

Switzerland opens a door by allowing non-EU catalogue varietals to be grown

Written by Freddie Dawson | 24th November 2020

Starting next year, Switzerland will allow the commercial growing of all hemp varieties with a THC content below 1% – even those that are not in the European Union catalogue ...

Thoughtful Brands pulls out of German psychedelics to focus on American CBD

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 24th November 2020

Canadian cannabis and psychedelic medicine firm Thoughtful Brands has dissolved its German subsidiary Verrian to focus on its core business following the acquisition of Kentucky-based American CBD Extraction ...

Celebrities speak out in anger as CBD companies take famous names in vain

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 23rd November 2020

Sir David Attenborough, Olivia Newton-John and Clint Eastwood are among the latest in a line of celebrities who have spoken out against their names and images being used without their permission to promote CBD oils...

EU court rules at last in Kanavape case: CBD cannot be deemed a narcotic

Written by Freddie Dawson | 19th November 2020

CBD must not be regarded a narcotic drug, even under UN Convention definitions, whether or not it is extracted from hemp flowers, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled ...

The cannabinoid drinks market is getting crowded – but it still takes a lot of bottle

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 19th November 2020

Current lack of success in Canada and unsupportive regulations in the US have not stopped cannabinoid companies from exploring the beverages sector ...

Ukraine moves towards potential medical cannabis legalisation

Written by CannIntelligence | 13th November 2020

Ukraine has undergone a quick shift in opinion on medical cannabis – proceeding from a point where liberalisation of current laws was viewed as unlikely to setting up parliamentary working groups to draft a bill...

Raided German firm expects to get its vending machines back, minus flowers

Written by CannIntelligence | 13th November 2020

The sale of CBD products through vending machines in the German state of Bavaria is likely to continue after operators remove hemp flower products ...

Questions in Poland as CBD vending machines attract police attention

Written by CannIntelligence | 12th November 2020

Concerns over youth access could curtail growing interest in CBD vending machines in Poland, with police and other authorities taking an interest in unsupervised sales ...

Italian health ministry suspends its decree defining oral CBD as medication

Written by CannIntelligence | 6th November 2020

The Italian Ministry of Health has suspended the recently published decree listing oral administration of CBD as a medicine under Italy’s Narcotics Law ...

UK novel foods committee provides food for thought on white-label ingredients

Written by Freddie Dawson | 6th November 2020

Concerns over traceability, limiting final use and demonstrating safety of final products could make it difficult to grant UK novel food approval to CBD ingredients producers and white label manufacturers ...

Little fear of a glut in the UK market if EU decides to classify CBD as a narcotic

Written by CannIntelligence | 3rd November 2020

Companies do not feel much risk of a glut of CBD-containing food, drink and dietary supplement products or cannabinoid ingredients coming into the UK market if the EU classifies CBD as a narcotic ...

No plans to ease restrictions on flowers, says UK Home Office

Written by CannIntelligence | 29th October 2020

The UK Home Office has stated it has no plans to ease restrictions on using flowers for extraction before the EU exit transition period ends on 1st January 2021 ...

Black Friday novelty diminishes to make way for longer sales period

Written by CannIntelligence | 27th October 2020

Holiday sales overall mean more to US companies than their UK counterparts, but the novelty of Black Friday means some are embracing a discount period as a means to create new sales, according to a...

Italian vape stores prohibited from selling CBD products

Written by CannIntelligence | 26th October 2020

Italian vape stores will not be able to sell CBD products following the publication of a circular ...

Nestlé enters European CBD market with soft gel capsules

Written by CannIntelligence | 23rd October 2020

Nestlé has taken a baby step into the European cannabidiol market just a year after creating its own CBD line in the US and will now distribute soft gel CBD capsules in the UK through...

Ministerial decree causes further confusion for the Italian market

Written by CannIntelligence | 22nd October 2020

A ministerial decree listing oral administration of CBD as a medicine under Italy’s Narcotics Law is meant to clear the way for the introduction of Epidyolex into the market, not to prevent consumer wellness...

EU 'tax' on plastic packaging waste could mean another tangle of red tape

Written by Pablo Cano Trilla | 20th October 2020

EU member states will have to decide how to implement a planned European levy on non-recycled plastic packaging waste – to fund it from national budgets or make industry pay for the waste it produces...

Web giant Amazon quietly changes policy to run CBD sales pilot on its UK site

Written by Freddie Dawson | 14th October 2020

In an unheralded change of Amazon policy, the world’s biggest online marketplace has started allowing the sale of CBD products on its UK site ...

CBD ads spring up at Serie A football grounds as Italy takes to home delivery

Written by CannIntelligence | 13th October 2020

Matches in Serie A, the top football league in Italy, are for the first time featuring advertisements for a CBD company as the home delivery market continues to grow rapidly in the country ...

German city's ban on foods containing natural CBD extracts faces legal test

Written by CannIntelligence | 7th October 2020

A decision by the German city of Düsseldorf to prohibit the sale of all foods containing CBD, including in natural extract form, faces a legal challenge from local hemp wholesaler Hempro International ...

Psychedelic substances for therapy? It's an idea whose time may be coming

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 7th October 2020

Although still illegal in the US and Canada, psychedelic substances such as fungus-derived psilocybin are becoming increasingly acceptable, research suggests ...

Ambitious firms defy the times by expanding operations into new markets

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 5th October 2020

Turbulent times and the ongoing challenges caused by COVID-19 are not stopping some CBD businesses from doing deals and making major investments as they seek expansion into new markets ...

Agriculture ministry decree may allow extraction from hemp flowers in Italy

Written by CannIntelligence | 1st October 2020

The Italian Ministry of Agriculture has issued a ministerial decree listing hemp flowers in the catalogue of officinal plants, which forms part of the country’s medicinal and aromatic plants legislation ...

ACI consortium approach to obtain safety data for CBD moves forward

Written by Freddie Dawson | 25th September 2020

The Association for the Cannabinoid Industry (ACI) will move forward with its consortium approach to obtaining toxicology and safety data for CBD with at least 15 companies having signed up and an undisclosed number still...

British spirit-makers looking to make CBD the gin genie in the bottle

Written by CannIntelligence | 16th September 2020

Britain’s newfound enthusiasm for CBD products has joined with the passion for alcohol, with some companies are aiming to capitalise on the trend for “drinking less but drinking better” by launching CBD spirits, especially gin...

Opposing politicians attack European Commission view on 'narcotic' CBD

Written by CannIntelligence | 15th September 2020

MEPs with very different political outlooks have attacked the European Commission’s initial opinion that CBD could be classed under United Nations conventions as a narcotic ...

Deals and new products launch CBD further into the wellness field

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 7th September 2020

CBD firms are expanding their reach into the wellness market via company acquisitions, distribution deals and new product launches ...

Worse delays feared for European CBD novel food authorisations

Written by CannIntelligence | 27th August 2020

Do not expect European novel food authorisations before the end of 2022 at the very earliest and do not expect generic authorisations to cover non-applicant products, a new report from CBD-Intel warns ...

Love Hemp and Mile High see silver lining in COVID-19 pandemic for UK CBD sales

Written by Freddie Dawson | 25th August 2020

Expansion plans by two major players suggest confidence in the future of the CBD market in the UK, with one anticipating a continuing rise in sales driven by reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic ...

German firm waits to hear whether new CBD oil will be deemed 'novel food'

Written by CannIntelligence | 24th August 2020

A German company is still waiting to hear from the authorities two months after launching new CBD products that could be considered food supplements ...

Italian tobacconists lobby for a monopoly on the sale of CBD flowers

Written by CannIntelligence | 20th August 2020

A group of tobacco retailers have written to the Italian Tobacconists Federation (FIT) asking it to push for a state monopoly on the sale of CBD flowers ...

Switzerland edges towards legal cannabis with trials likely next year

Written by CannIntelligence | 17th August 2020

Switzerland plans to launch trials next year as part of a move toward legalising cannabis with high levels of THC – but it could be several years before Swiss users can legally light up a...

Irish trade body criticises the government's approach to hemp and CBD

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 14th August 2020

The trade body for hemp and CBD in Ireland has accused the Irish government of working in silos and said its lack of intra-governmental communication as well as consultation with stakeholders could lead to the...

A list of regional Italian proposals for hemp regulation and promotion

Written by CannIntelligence | 6th August 2020

Italian regions are trying to boost the hemp-supply chain through proposed regional rules, funding projects and developing circular economy strategies to make up for the lack of clarifying action at the national level ...

Swiss authorities return money after hemp flowers tax court ruling

Written by CannIntelligence | 28th July 2020

Switzerland’s customs authorities returned CHF33m (€30.5m) to CBD producers after the federal supreme court ruled there was no legal basis to tax hemp flowers under the country’s tobacco law...

Distribution deals show faith in future of European CBD retail

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 22nd July 2020

Firms from Israel and South America are showing faith in the European CBD market, and its bricks-and-mortar retail, with distribution deals to place their products in a growing number of outlets ...

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