CBD-Intel’s new UK online report highlights a number of interesting market developments. Among them is the information that brand distribution provides. From a dominance perspective, more brands are now being listed for cosmetic than vape products. This shows how cosmetics now have more exposure to the wider population by having a more diverse range of […]
Significant cannabis reform is inevitably coming to congress, no matter whether the Biden administration considers it a priority, and giants in experienced lobbying industries are preparing their agents
Recent consultation guidance does suggest that the USPS is considering broadly exempting hemp and CBD services from the incoming rule. The guidance states: “For hemp-based products containing CBD with a THC concentration not exceeding 0.3 percent, mailers must retain, and prepare to make available upon request, records establishing compliance with all applicable federal, state, and […]
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
Minor cannabinoids are gaining increasing interest – pushed by both slowly growing consumer awareness and companies looking to develop further revenue streams from under-utilised products. A number of claims have been made about the properties of various minor cannabinoids – some skirting dangerously close to the line of what is currently permitted and some going […]
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
It does not look like good news. The only two companies (controlling three brands that contain 23 individually listed products) included in the initial list of validated applications both say they submitted their applications to the FSA in early January. Both also are at least partly based on synthetic CBD ingredients that have successfully navigated […]
Mexico’s Senate is poised to request extra time to approve legislation that would legalise cannabis in the country, prolonging debate over the highly anticipated bill until September
From a consumer/market perspective, it certainly looks like delta-8 THC is the most promising minor cannabinoid. It has quickly overtaken others such as CBG and CBN in terms of general awareness and – anecdotally – in terms of interest from companies and consumers alike. The appeal appears to be that it acts as a “lighter” version of delta-9 […]
Brazil still faces a serious attitude problem when it comes to advancing regulations for hemp and CBD, according to the leaders of two recently launched industry associations in the country
Crisis-hit Armenia intends to legalise and regulate the production of hemp as a part of a package of economic measures to alleviate issues arising from the military conflict with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region
Pakistan is set to embark on a path to the legal production of hemp and hemp-derived products following the approval last September of hemp farming and processing under government control
Tough Japanese laws on the import of CBD products and the cultivation of industrial hemp are becoming more challenging for the industry – and even stricter regulations may be on the way
The legalisation of recreational cannabis in South Dakota is in doubt, amidst accusations of political interference after a judge appointed by the state governor ruled the voter-approved amendment unconstitutional
The Democratic Party, which now controls Congress and the presidency, has signalled for some time that cannabis reform is one of its top priorities, and the US public supports that reform in unprecedented numbers
US president Joe Biden’s appointees to a number of influential positions in the new administration give reason for optimism within the hemp and cannabis sector
The decision – which should be noted is still only preliminary, though almost certainly to be confirmed with subsequent updating of the cosmetics ingredients (CosIng) database – should allow a wider range of cosmetic products onto the market. Exactly how much of an impact the change – when it eventually is confirmed – will make […]
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%
Canopy Growth’s quick action – filing a suit against GW Pharmaceuticals the day the patent was issued – coupled with the short time-frame for validity has left many worried that the company could go on an enforcement hunt and target any company using a CO2 method that it believes infringes on its intellectual property (IP). […]
CBD-Intel presents some predictions of what regulatory moves could take place around cannabis, hemp and CBD in the US in 2021
President elect Joe Biden still looks to be somewhat reluctant to too closely embrace cannabis reform as an issue. But effective control of the senate through victories by Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in special run-off elections in the state of Georgia give Democrats 48 seats with two independents that generally vote democratic (and would […]
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 Georgia
South Dakota’s governor has put public cash behind a legal challenge to a move – backed by a majority of voters – to legalise recreational cannabis in the US state. But can the lawsuit overturn the vote?
Further CBD regulations in the US could be based on rules proposed in the state of New York, it has been suggested – especially crucial definitions for some key terms
For many 2020 will always carry an asterisk. The CBD industry was – overall – more fortunate than many other sectors
Multiple jurisdictions are planning significant legislation on both CBD and hemp-related matters, but it seems regulation in 2021 could be defined as much by what doesn’t happen as by the progress made
Efforts to supply the first CBD product to Brazil’s public healthcare system will have to wait a while longer – and there is some dispute between the institute preparing to produce it and the sponsors of a Congress bill
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 or not intended
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
Zimbabwe’s minister of finance and economic development, Mthuli Ncube, has proposed wide-ranging and hugely ambitious cannabis levies in the country, starting next year
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
The Court of Justice of the European Union’s (CJEU) decision in the Kanavape case will have a tremendous impact on the CBD industry in the European Union (EU). However, the breadth of its impact is not yet fully realised. A number of things must happen beforehand and it may come down to further court rulings before a […]
The announcement is a full reversal from the EC on a position that many found surprising in the first place. It marks a stellar period for the regulation of CBD and other cannabinoids with major decisions in their favour at the Court of Justice of the European Union, United Nations and now the EC. The […]
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 regulatory bodies
One of four proposed changes to the international scheduling of cannabis as well as CBD has been passed by the 53 voting members of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND)
The Isle of Man looks likely to become the second jurisdiction operating under UK regulations to allow the use of hemp flowers in extraction
Overall it seems the industry – particularly in Europe – is not expecting much from Black Friday sales. European companies appear to consider CBD products more as health products that are requirement purchases throughout the year as opposed to lifestyle products that might be purchased as a one off during a special sales event. The situation may be slightly different in […]
Officials in Malawi have been accused of deliberately setting high licence fees for hemp and cannabis cultivation and trade in order to attract international investment and exclude local ownership
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
How important is the CJEU decision on the Kanavape case? The judgement in favour of CBD from the Courts of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) will almost certainly have significant long-term consequences for the CBD industry in Europe. It will likely influence the European Commission (EC)’s further assessment of the question of whether CBD is […]
With Joe Biden poised to become the 46th US president, lobbyists in Washington are scrambling to position themselves to influence cannabis policy
Electors in South Dakota – not a traditionally cannabis-friendly state – voted overwhelmingly to legalise both medical and recreational cannabis. The governor doesn’t like it – but is there anything she can do to stop it?
Mexico is overall the number one country to watch, rated highly likely to change regulations on both medical and recreational cannabis in the near future.
The Italian Ministry of Health has suspended the recently published decree listing oral administration of CBD as a medicine under Italy’s Narcotics Law
It looks like a clean sweep for pro-cannabis referendums in US states. But much work will still need to be done with state legislatures having to design and pass regulatory structures for each measure
One in three US citizens will soon be living in states where recreational cannabis is legal, while around 70% will have access to some form of medical cannabis programme after voters had their say
Privatisation of the US Postal Service (USPS) could be one underreported aspect of a Trump re-election that significantly impacts on the CBD industry
In short – not a lot in the short-term. The vote in favour of a 0.3% THC limit by the European Parliament (EP) is only the first step in a long process towards actually putting such a change into effect.
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
With US elections on 3rd November fast approaching, lobbyists for CBD, cannabis and hemp are eager to get their message across to candidates on both sides of the political divide