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1st October 2024
Cannabis – recreational
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Global business and regulatory news covering the cannabis industry
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Daily regulatory updates of legal changes in the cannabis sector, including monthly compilations
15th October 2024
- Germany: The first cannabis club in Lower Saxony has harvested its first 200 plants, and in two weeks the dried flowers will be distributed to members, press reports. According to the club’s chairman, every dispensing of a cannabis product will be documented and accompanied by a leaflet indicating the product’s characteristics. A prevention officer will be responsible for providing advice to members and monitoring their consumption. The state of Lower Saxony has so far issued 15 permits for cannabis clubs.
15th October 2024
- Uruguay: A new, more potent cannabis variant, epsilon, will be sold in pharmacies beginning today, press reports. In September, the Institute for the Regulation and Control of Cannabis approved the new variant, which contains up to 15% THC, for sale in pharmacies without a prescription. The most potent of the other three approved varieties only contains up to about 12% THC.
14th October 2024
- Germany: According to a survey conducted by the YouGov Institute and published in the newspaper Der Spiegel, 55% of 2,100 respondents think that legalisation was wrong, while 37% think it was right. In addition, one-third of Germans have noticed an increase in cannabis consumption in their surroundings since legalisation.
10th October 2024
- Thailand: A proposal by the Ministry of Public Health that would regulate the possession, sale, import and export of cannabis extracts has been approved in principle by the Cabinet, press reports. The proposed regulation would impose stiff penalties for dealing in cannabis extracts without a licence. It is not yet clear, however, whether the proposal would regulate extracts with a maximum of 0.2% THC, which were removed from the narcotics list in 2022, or only those with more than 0.2% THC, which are Category 5 narcotics. The proposal will now be presented to the Council of State.
10th October 2024
- Czech Republic: The Senate has passed the proposal to regulate hemp extracts with HHC and with a THC content of up to 1%, among other psychoactive substances, media reports. The proposal would restrict sales, prohibit advertising, and introduce registration requirements for such substances. It will now need to be signed by the president.
7th October 2024
- Malta: The chief executive officer of the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC), Joey Reno Vella, has said in an interview that the authority is exploring the possibility of introducing designated places where consumption of recreational cannabis would be permitted and to allow licensed clubs to sell other forms of cannabis, press reports. Reno Vella has positioned himself in favour of on-site consumption, currently prohibited in licensed clubs and only allowed in private spaces.
2nd October 2024
- India: Indian member of Parliament (MP) Afzal Ansari has questioned the legality of cannabis in the country, citing its role in religious rituals, which resulted in the police filing a First Information Report (FIR) against him for allegedly inciting public mischief. His remarks sparked criticism from Hindu groups, prompting the Samajwadi Party politician to clarify that his intent was to address issues related to drug use and smuggling in his local area, rather than advocating for cannabis legalisation.
1st October 2024
- US - Federal: Vice-president Kamala Harris reiterated her support for legalising marijuana (cannabis with more than 0.3% delta-9 THC) for the first time since becoming the Democratic Party’s nominee for president, press reports. When she was a senator, Harris sponsored the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act of 2019, which sought to legalise marijuana at the federal level, and has advocated for legalisation in recent years but had not addressed the subject as a candidate for president. “I just think we have come to a point where we have to understand that we need to legalise it and stop criminalising this behaviour,” Harris said. “I just feel strongly people should not be going to jail for smoking weed.”
1st October 2024
- US - California: Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law Assembly Bill (AB) 1775, which will allow localities to permit cannabis dispensaries to serve food and non-alcoholic drinks and hold live music events while allowing on-site consumption. The “cannabis café” bill was vetoed by Newsom last year over lack of protections from smoke for dispensary employees, but he found that this year’s revised bill provided enough safeguards for staff.
30th September 2024
- Austria: The far-right Freedom Party (FPO) has won the elections with 28.8% of the vote and will now have to form a coalition government. As a conservative party, its position on cannabis regulation is likely to remain the same, especially over strict regulations on recreational use.
26th September 2024
- US - Federal: The Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation Act (CSRA) has been introduced in the US Senate by senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley. The bill would set a federal age limit of 21 for buying hemp products, establish testing and labelling requirements for hemp products, and allow hemp-derived cannabinoid products of various formats if they are tested and registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The bill would also ban synthetic cannabinoid products but allow semi-synthetic cannabinoids like delta-8 THC if certain conditions are met. The CSRA has wide support from hemp industry stakeholders.
26th September 2024
- Germany: The Federal Cabinet has approved the draft law to liberalise the cultivation and handling of industrial hemp (Industrial Hemp Liberalisation Act, NLG). The bill would allow the indoor cultivation of industrial hemp and remove the “intoxication clause”, which states that the use of industrial hemp for commercial purposes must exclude the abuse of intoxication. The bill will now be sent to the Bundestag (parliament) to begin the legislative process.
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