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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 in reality largely depends on » Continue Reading.
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). There does appear to be » Continue Reading.
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 certainly do so on most » Continue Reading.
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 baseline level of requirements and » Continue Reading.
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 resumption of novel food assessment » Continue Reading.
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 the US where Black Friday – » Continue Reading.
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 a narcotic. The preliminary opinion » Continue Reading.
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
It’s important to remember that all aspects of cannabis and CBD – even federal decriminalisation or legalisation efforts
There are still quite a few unanswered questions regarding the novel food application process under the FSA. Fortunately the requirement of having toxicological data
There has been increased interest in secondary markets that has resulted in some positive developments.
A proposal to be voted on by Brazilian legislators in the coming weeks could legalise the growing of hemp for industrial purposes and cannabis for medical use
The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act was, of course, always more about cannabis than hemp-derived CBD specifically. And, as previously stated, its chances of passing were slim to none.
There does not seem to be much point in continuing to try to force through bills – particularly given that the Republican-controlled senate and presidency opposes any measures and the limited timeframe before the end of the legislative session.
The US House of Representatives is expected to hold a historic vote this month on a comprehensive cannabis reform bill that supporters embrace for not only decriminalising marijuana but correcting injustices
A German company is still waiting to hear from the authorities two months after launching new CBD products that could be considered food supplements
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 joint
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 end of the industry in the country
An influential Polish think tank has released a report calling for a relaxation of Poland’s cannabis regulations
Yet another attempt to bring clear regulation to the Italian CBD market has been rejected, apparently for political reasons
Enforcement activity against food, drink and dietary supplement products placed on the market containing CBD continues despite the inability of companies to proceed with novel food applications due to the EC’s questions over whether CBD constitutes a narcotic under the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotics.
Several major developments have all happened at the same time for novel foods. Perhaps most importantly, one of the European Commission’s departments – the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety – has said it is holding sending any further non-synthetic CBD applications to the European Food Safety Authority for evaluation until it has determined whether CBD technically falls under the definition of a narcotic according to the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.
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