Johnny Green, Author at International Cannabis Chronicle

grow glide cannabis cultivation facility racks

Vertical Farming Is The Future Of Indoor Cannabis Cultivation

Written by Johnny Green on March 26, 2022. Posted in Archives, Business, Science.

Grow Glide is the top company specializing in vertical cannabis growing solutions. Grow Glide CEO and co-founder Travis Schwartz recently spoke about vertical cannabis farming during his presentation on the topic at the International Cannabis Business Conference in Barcelona on March 10th, 2022. The vertical farming industry is projected to be worth $5.8 billion by 2026. Below is footage of Travis Schwartz’s presentation, provided by Marihuana Televisión:

vertical farming

London Mayor Calls For Changes To Cannabis Enforcement Practices

Written by Johnny Green on March 26, 2022. Posted in Archives, Policy.

In most developed countries people have a basic set of rights. Those basic rights could be the result of legislation, the nation’s constitutional provisions, or court decisions. However they were created, basic rights are essential to citizens of every nation and they should be universally accepted and protected worldwide.

Unfortunately, cannabis prohibition has served as a tool to get around many of those basic legal rights. Once a law enforcement official determines that cannabis may be present, that’s all it takes for many basic legal protections to be tossed aside. Keep in mind that cannabis doesn’t actually have to be present – just the allegation thereof.

It’s a tactic that is employed by law enforcement all over the globe, including in London where a horrific scenario unfolded recently in which law enforcement searched a teenage girl in a very violating manner, all in an attempt to find the cannabis that they claimed the teenager was in possession of. The details of the search are graphic, and readers should be cautious when researching it.

I am hopeful that the victim that was subjected to the police brutality seeks and receives justice in some manner, although it will never be enough to make up for what they were subjected to. It’s a traumatic experience that I assume will negatively impact them the rest of their life, and that is unacceptable. The public outcry regarding the situation has resulted in London’s Mayor calling for changes to cannabis enforcement. Per excerpts from London World:

Sadiq Khan has demanded the Met Police bring in stricter controls over stop and search policing when the “smell of cannabis” is the sole grounds for the intervention.

The London mayor has released his plan for policing in the capital over the next three years.

The mayor said his priorities were reducing and preventing violent crime; rebuilding trust and confidence in the police; supporting victims; and protecting people from criminal exploitation.

The plan also includes “stricter oversight and scrutiny of the ‘smell of cannabis’ used as sole grounds for stop and search”, as well as “developing community-led training for officers”.

The mayor’s plan is obviously something, but it clearly doesn’t go far enough. Training officers is not enough. Providing “stricter oversight” is not enough. The only thing that will prevent this from happening again is to end cannabis prohibition.

Obviously, the Mayor of London alone cannot end cannabis prohibition in England. However, they can champion the issue wholeheartedly and be a major voice calling for a complete end to cannabis prohibition in England and beyond.

It’s unfortunate that this latest example of the horrors of cannabis prohibition occurred at all. Hopefully the public outcry doesn’t subside and the citizens of London and beyond keep the pressure on lawmakers to introduce, pass, and implement sensible cannabis policies.

england, london

Survey Finds That Nearly Half Of Adults In Thailand Tried Cannabis Recently

Written by Johnny Green on March 25, 2022. Posted in Archives, Business, Policy.

In many ways, Thailand is now at the forefront of cannabis public policy and is creating a medical cannabis industry foundation that will provide the opportunity for every household in the nation to get into the industry if they choose to do so.

Every household in Thailand can sign up with the government to cultivate medical cannabis (up to 6 plants), and then sell some or all of the cannabis to the government after receiving licensing approval.

Aspiring cannabis farmers can even apply for a government loan to help start their gardens, and at an interest rate of just a mere 0.01% per year for the first three years.

Cannabis that is high in THC is still prohibited in Thailand, however, the rise in cannabis policy reform appears to perhaps be paralleled by a rise in consumption rates according to a new study. Per Bangkok Post:

Almost half of Thais have used cannabis-based products in the past two years, while about 62% say they are interested in consuming such products in the next 12 months, market research and data analytics firm YouGov found.

Their report, based on a survey carried out online on Feb 28 among 2,044 participants aged 18 years and over, found 73% of Thais are aware of the commercial availability of cannabis-based products, which range from beverages, food and cosmetics.

When the survey’s responses were categorised by the age of respondents, they showed 55% of millennials (born in 1981-1996) and 47% of Gen Zs (born 1997-2009) have used a cannabis-based product recently, compared to 41% of Gen X consumers (born 1965-1980) and 28% baby-boomers (born 1946-1964).

To put these figures from Thailand into perspective, Gallup polling found that 49% of adults in the United States have consumed cannabis at least one time in their entire lives, and 12% identify as being a ‘regular’ cannabis consumer.

According to data from 2019, the largest cannabis consumption rates in Europe are found in France and Spain where roughly 11% of people indicated that they had consumed cannabis within the last year.

The medical cannabis industry in Thailand is set to explode, and cannabis industry investors and entrepreneurs would be smart to keep a close eye on the situation.

Thailand

French Presidential Candidate Comes Out Against Cannabis Legalization

Written by Johnny Green on March 24, 2022. Posted in Archives, Policy.

According to data from 2019 France was tied with Spain for the greatest cannabis consumption rate per country in Europe. It is estimated that roughly 11% of adults in France consume cannabis at least once a year.

Despite being a co-continental leader in cannabis consumption, France’s cannabis policies lag behind those of many of its European counterparts.

It wasn’t until the beginning of this month that France legalized commercial medical cannabis production, and it did so with seemingly little political fanfare.

Whereas some countries in Europe have either legalized cannabis nationally for adult-use (Malta) or launched adult-use legalization pilot programs (Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark), or at the very least are trending in that direction (Germany, Luxembourg, Italy), France doesn’t appear to be moving towards ending prohibition any time soon.

French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen seems to be OK with the status quo, recently indicating that she is “completely against” legalizing cannabis, as seen in this tweet that was included in a recent Marijuana Moment newsletter:

📹 Je suis tout à fait contre la légalisation du cannabis. Cette substance abîme le cerveau et tue les neurones de nos jeunes à un âge où ils en ont bien besoin ! #LaFranceDansLesYeux pic.twitter.com/SBegg2RcyH

— Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) March 22, 2022

If someone were to rely on Le Pen’s word alone, cannabis legalization sounds like a very scary thing. However, Le Pen’s claims are easily refuted by looking no further than the three countries that have legalized cannabis for adult use at a national level.

Uruguay legalized cannabis for adult use the better part of a decade ago, and the sky is still intact over Uruguay. Canada legalized cannabis for adult use in 2018, and there has been no brain damage epidemic outbreak due to cannabis the last time that I checked.

Malta has also now legalized cannabis for adult use, and on the European continent no less, although sales are still prohibited unlike in Uruguay and Canada.

Regardless, a cannabis doomsday scenario has yet to materialize in Malta so far, and the same would be true in France if/when their lawmakers finally decide to get on the right side of history and end cannabis prohibition. Needless to say, if you are a cannabis advocate in France do not vote for Marine Le Pen.

France

Europe’s Largest Cannabis B2B Event Is Coming Back To Germany

Written by Johnny Green on March 24, 2022. Posted in Archives, Business, Entertainment, Policy, Science, Trending News.

BERLIN, Germany – The International Cannabis Business Conference is coming back to Berlin, Germany on July 19-20, 2022. Offering world-class industry networking opportunities, the Berlin International Cannabis Business Conference is the largest B2B cannabis trade event in Europe and is also the longest-running cannabis B2B conference on the continent. The conference will once again feature a unique blend of cannabis policy, advocacy, industry, and networking. Below is a recap video from last year’s conference in Berlin:

“We are particularly excited about this year’s conference in Berlin given the favorable political climate for cannabis legalization. It is going to be extra special for our team to offer world-class cannabis industry and policy education, networking, and entertainment to attendees at such a crucial juncture for Europe’s emerging cannabis industry,” says Alex Rogers, founder of the International Cannabis Business Conference.

In addition to the Berlin B2B event, the International Cannabis Business Conference will also offer a one-day Global Investment Forum (GIF) on July 18, 2022. The ICBC Global Investment Forum in Berlin will feature hand-picked cannabis companies participating in a pitch session in front of top investors on the ICBC Main Stage. It is a tremendous opportunity for cannabis companies in the emerging cannabis industry to showcase their products/services in front of seasoned industry investors. The pitch session is also open to service providers looking for reliable and high-end clients.

Germany is home to the largest economy in the European Union and is poised to serve as the cannabis industry capital of Europe going forward. The cannabis industry is evolving rapidly in Germany, with the country’s medical cannabis program increasing in size with every passing day.

Cannabis industry opportunities that are popping up in Germany and on the European continent have tremendous profit potential, and the Global Investment Forum is the perfect place for entrepreneurs to try to secure capital to take their pursuits to the next level. It is also an unparalleled opportunity for investors to learn more about pre-vetted investment opportunities and for industry service providers to find reliable and high-end clients.

“We know how hard it is for quality investors to link up with vetted cannabis industry companies offering valuable investment opportunities,” Rogers stated. “That is why we are bringing the Global Investment Forum back to Berlin. It will be a prime networking opportunity for cannabis industry investors, entrepreneurs, and industry service providers alike.”

The International Cannabis Business Conference is the leading B2B cannabis event series on earth. Events have been held in the United States, Canada, Spain, Germany, and Switzerland. Additional locations in other countries are being identified and will be announced in the future. The topics covered at the Global Investment Forum and conference via panels and presentations will be led by the top cannabis experts in the global cannabis space. Speaker and schedule announcements will be released soon. Over 5,000 attendees and 350 companies sponsors and exhibitors are expected at the Berlin International Cannabis Business B2B Conference alone.

International Cannabis Business Conference events are attended by leading policymakers, executives, and entrepreneurs from all over the world, with over 80 countries being represented at previous events. The event series is the best way for innovators and inventors to get their products or services in front of the top influencers and decision-makers in the cannabis space, as well as for investors to network with aspiring entrepreneurs.

The conference series consistently features world-class speakers that cannabis entrepreneurs, advocates, and consumers from all backgrounds can learn from and be entertained by. International Cannabis Business Conference events include after-party festivities that feature some of the most entertaining musical acts and celebrities from across the globe.

A cannabis industry revolution is sweeping Europe, and Germany is at the center of it. If you’re serious about succeeding in the cannabis industry, check out the International Cannabis Business Conference’s flagship program in Berlin in July. Leading cannabis entrepreneurs and policymakers from around the world will be in attendance and the networking and educational opportunities will be unparalleled.

You can secure tickets now and take advantage of the early bird pricing discount.

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About the International Cannabis Business Conference

The International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin is Europe’s longest-running and largest industry B2B tradeshow and conference. For more information, including how to register for ICBC Barcelona, Berlin, and Zurich, please visit: Internationalcbc.com. Find out more on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

For more information or media inquiries, please email noelle@internationalcbc.com or call 541.864.0090.

berlin, Germany

ASTM Issues International Symbol For Cannabis Products

Written by Johnny Green on March 23, 2022. Posted in Archives, Business, Policy, Science.

Cannabis packaging is a sector of the emerging international cannabis industry that a lot of consumers and patients likely don’t think about even though it plays a very important role in many ways.

I often point out to people that cannabis packaging is largely where cannabis policy and industry collide. Lawmakers and regulators seem to focus more on packaging than almost any other area of cannabis commerce, and to some degree that is understandable.

Childproofing, testing data, etc. Cannabis companies all have to adhere to specific packaging standards in jurisdictions where cannabis is legal, and it’s not a coincidence that many cannabis products are encased in packaging that often seems to be overkill, including from a sustainability standpoint.

Meanwhile, cannabis companies also have their own standard packaging concerns related to branding and marketing. The cannabis industry is crowded and getting more crowded by the day, and unique and creative packaging helps cannabis products stand out.

However, packaging strategies obviously have to be balanced against packaging requirements and policies. It’s one of the many examples of additional hurdles that members of the cannabis industry have to overcome that other industries do not, at least not to the same degree compared to the cannabis industry.

One component of cannabis packaging requirements that is here to stay is a symbol indicating that a product contains cannabis. Right now there are varying types of symbols in use, differing from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, which can cause confusion among patients and consumers.

The whole point of having a symbol on the package is to let people know the product contains cannabis, and with so many different symbols in circulation, it can be hard for patients and consumers to know what is the real deal and what is a bootleg.

ASTM International recently launched a symbol that it hopes will become the international standard and eliminate the confusion that arises from so many different symbols being in circulation. Below is the symbol they created, via Cannabis Industry Journal:

ASTM International, formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials, is an ‘international standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, and services.’

The cannabis product symbol created by ASTM International has not been mandated by any jurisdiction as of right now from what I can tell, however, it’s something that folks should keep an eye on. There’s definitely a need for a uniform international symbol, whatever it ends up looking like if/when it’s adopted by the global community.

To learn more about why the symbol was created and what the creators intend it to apply to, check out the scope points provided by ASTM on the organization’s website.

astm international, symbol

Seth Rogen’s Cannabis Company Launches Mentor Program

Written by Johnny Green on March 21, 2022. Posted in Archives, Business, Entertainment.

When it comes to celebrities that are almost always associated with cannabis, you will be hardpressed to find someone that fits the description more than Seth Rogen. Whenever there is a list published of ‘top cannabis movies of all time’ it always includes at least one of Seth Rogen’s films, if not more than one.

Rogen is also a cannabis entrepreneur, which unlike some celebrities in the cannabis space, makes perfect sense given his long history as a known cannabis enthusiast. Seth Rogen also lends his voice and platform to cannabis reform efforts, including the video clip embedded below for the Cannabis Voter Project in which Rogen calls for national legalization in the United States:

Seth Rogen’s cannabis company, Houseplant, originally launched in Rogen’s home country Canada. It has since moved into the United States and reportedly has plans for further expansion to other countries.

Houseplant recently announced a new mentor program called ‘In-House’, details of which can be found below:

Application-based
Pairs Houseplant employee mentors with entrepreneurs from underinvested-in communities
Free to approved applicants
Lasts 6 months
Open to founders of early-stage ancillary or plant-touching cannabis businesses
Houseplant takes no equity in exchange for participation
In-House participants are expected to dedicate 5-10 hours to the program each month

The program reportedly already has at least one company that was approved for the mentor program, although it’s unclear how many companies the mentor program will have when it’s at full capacity. It’s also unclear if the program will be limited to certain jurisdictions or if it’s open to applicants worldwide.

Likely the only way to know what all is involved is to apply. According to the application’s instructions, it only takes 6 minutes to complete it, so it’s not a large time commitment.

houseplant, seth rogen

What Is Being Done To Free Brittney Griner?

Written by Johnny Green on March 20, 2022. Posted in Archives, Entertainment, Policy, Trending News.

“Britney Griner: The ‘Tom Brady of women’s basketball’ has vanished”. That is what BBC World News tweeted on March 15th in regards to international basketball legend Brittney Griner being detained in Russia. At the time of the tweet little was known about Brittney Griner’s situation other than she was arrested at a Moscow airport and being charged with possessing cannabis vape pen cartridges.

Since that time, details have started to trickle in regarding the situation. Brittney Griner, who plays professional women’s basketball for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia during the WNBA offseason, was originally arrested on February 17th, with news of the arrest surfacing at the international level weeks later.

According to a ‘source close to Griner’ she is doing ‘OK’. Per ESPN:

The source close to Griner said that despite the inability of diplomats to visit Griner or other Americans in Russian custody, they have gotten frequent updates on her from her team of Russian attorneys.

“I wouldn’t say she’s ‘good,’ but she’s OK,” the source said.

A court in Moscow recently set a date of May 19th to start the process of reviewing Griner’s case (not an actual trial date), which came after the court granted an extension to Griner’s pre-trial detention originally proposed by Russian prosecutors.

How Great Is Brittney Griner At Basketball?

Brittney Griner is one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game. Below is just a mere sampling of some of her accomplishments:

Member of Team USA’s 2016 gold medal team during 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro
Two-time gold medalist with Team USA at FIBA Women’s Basketball World Championships (2018, 2014)
Named the MVP of the gold medal game in 2018
Two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (2015, 2014)
Six-time WNBA All-Star (2019, 2018, 2017, 2015, 2014 and 2013)
Two-Time All-WNBA First Team (2019, 2014)
Three-Time All-WNBA Second Team (2018, 2017, 2015)
Three-Time All-WNBA Defensive First Team (2018, 2015, 2014)
Three-Time All-WNBA Defensive Second Team (2019, 2017, 2016)
Holds WNBA regular season records for blocks in a single game (11), blocks in a season (129, 2014), single-season blocks average (4.04, 2015) and career blocks average (2.9)

Griner’s resume speaks for itself – she is an elite athlete, hence why BBC World News felt comfortable comparing her to another elite athlete by the name of Tom Brady. Unfortunately, Griner is not compensated at the same level as Tom Brady. Whereas Tom Brady made tens of millions of dollars last season in the NFL, Griner made $220,000 in the WNBA during the same season. Griner makes an additional $1 million during the WNBA offseason playing in Russia.

What Is The U.S. Government Doing To Help Free Griner?

The criminal justice system in Russia is not exactly known for being credible and fair. It is no secret that many prisoners are arrested and put in detention for political purposes in Russia, and given Brittney Griner’s fame and notoriety, many observers have floated the obvious theory that Griner was possibly arrested as some type of ploy by Russia to use her as political leverage in some manner.

According to BBC, today marks the 25th day of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, which puts the initial invasion just days after Griner was reportedly arrested. Is that just a coincidence? Or was it premeditated? Without proper due process, there’s no way to know for sure.

“There have been a lot of allegations of planting of substances on people, particularly on the part of human rights advocates,” says Peter Maggs, a law professor at the University of Illinois and an expert on Russia’s civil code according to CNN.

Making matters worse, the United States government has indicated that it has had no contact with Griner. Per the previously cited article by ESPN:

A State Department official issued a statement to ESPN on Thursday saying, “We insist the Russian government provide consular access to all U.S. citizen detainees in Russia, including those in pre-trial detention, as Brittney Griner is.”

The statement marks a slight but significant change in the government’s tone when it comes to Griner. Up until now the government has deliberately kept a low profile with her case, hoping not to increase her profile to the point where she might become a valuable political asset to the Russian government. It generally has avoided commenting at all, and when Secretary of State Antony Blinken was asked about her at a news conference last week he gave a tepid statement that did not mention her by name.

Based on State Department guidance, Griner’s representatives have asked the WNBA, NBA, the media and Griner’s supporters generally to keep any attention to her case “on a low simmer,” as one source said.

Will Griner Be Released Pre-Trial?

Why is the United States government pursuing a flawed strategy of keeping attention to Griner’s case “on a low simmer?” Would that be the case if it was Tom Brady who was arrested? What if the case didn’t involve a substance that the United States government still prohibits? Would things still be “on a low simmer”?

The fact of the matter is that Russia is not going to give in to any demands made by the United States on anything right now, and that was true even before Russia invaded Ukraine. Furthermore, Brittney Griner is an international superstar. Not only is she one of the most legendary female athletes in the United States, she is an Olympic champion who is also a professional athlete in Russia.

Keeping things “on a low simmer” will not make Brittney Griner any more or less famous than she already is. Make no mistake about it – Russia’s government knows exactly who Brittney Griner is. The second she was arrested, Brittney Griner became a political prisoner even if the United States government doesn’t seem to want to treat the case that way.

Russia’s law dictates that prisoners can only be held for a year before facing trial, however, there are examples of that deadline being surpassed, including cases involving citizens of the United States. Short of an enormous amount of ongoing outcry by anyone and everyone, including and especially the WNBA and NBA, it’s quite possible that Griner could remain incarcerated indefinitely in Russia due to the cannabis charges.

Unfortunately, it’s that very thing that the United States government is specifically asking people not to do, which is shameful and no doubt based to some degree on the United States federal government’s long-standing opposition to cannabis and people who use it.

Brittney Griner, russia

Cannabis Tourism To Experience Exponential Growth

Written by Johnny Green on March 20, 2022. Posted in Archives, Business, Entertainment, Policy, Trending News.

Cannabis tourism has existed for many years, although for the most part, it was a completely unregulated sector of the cannabis industry. That shouldn’t surprise anyone, being that the entire cannabis industry was unregulated for many years.

For decades cannabis enthusiasts have flocked to top international cannabis tourism destinations such as Jamaica, Thailand, Spain, and Amsterdam. It was no secret that people from around the globe could easily find world-class cannabis in those areas, and entrepreneurial-minded locals were always happy to provide their services.

The entire tourism sector, not just cannabis, has done its best to navigate the ongoing pandemic, however, it’s obviously been a rough couple of years. Fortunately, cannabis reform efforts and the industry it creates have kept moving forward despite the pandemic.

As the world continues to open back up with the pandemic finally subsiding, travelers that double as cannabis enthusiasts will be met with more cannabis tourism options than ever before.

Types Of Cannabis Tourism

Historically, cannabis tourism largely revolved around simply acquiring amazing cannabis in a faraway place. For people that lived in an illegal jurisdiction where cannabis was scarce, the mere option to acquire cannabis easily while on a trip was enough to entice the traveler to choose that specific destination.

These days there is more to cannabis tourism than just the products, although cannabis use itself remains at the heart of the sector. As I often point out to people, if you can think of something that tourists do without cannabis involved, there’s likely a similar option that incorporates cannabis somewhere.

Just as there are winery tours, there are now cannabis cultivation and facility tours. Spas and wellness retreats have been popular for many years, and now many resorts and facilities also offer cannabis-based services such as cannabis oil massages and soaks.

Cannabis clubs are obviously popular in places like Spain, and the ‘club model’ is starting to show up in other places where cannabis laws are being reformed. Malta became the first country to legalize cannabis for adult use in Europe late last year, and the country’s legalization model is going to largely revolve around cannabis clubs that will no doubt be very popular with tourists.

Have Fun, Be Entertained, And Get Educated

Our International Cannabis Business Conference events help bring cannabis tourism to the next level. A prime example of that was on display at our last event in Barcelona on March 10th. Barcelona is home to more cannabis clubs than any other part of Spain, and possibly the world.

In addition to tourists being able to consume world-class cannabis and frequent Barcelona’s cannabis clubs, attendees of our event were also able to learn from, and network with, top cannabis entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and industry service providers from dozens of countries around the globe.

The International Cannabis Business Conference B2B event in Barcelona earlier this month was part of the world’s largest cannabis superconference along with Spannabis. In addition to the conference speakers and panel sessions, our Barcelona event also featured one of our famous after-parties where conference attendees were able to unwind after a full day of learning from leading cannabis experts.

We have more events coming in 2022 in Berlin and Zurich, and both of those cities rapidly becoming top international cannabis tourism destinations, with new local cannabis tourism services being launched all of the time. As cannabis reform efforts continue to change laws across the globe, the cannabis tourism sector will continue to expand alongside it. That is good news for tourists, as well as entrepreneurs and investors that are able to create products and services that help enhance the cannabis tourism experience.

tourism

Milan’s City Council Calls For Cannabis Legalization In Italy

Written by Johnny Green on March 18, 2022. Posted in Archives, Policy.

Italy is home to one of the most inspiring cannabis activism efforts of all time. Last year activists in Italy gathered enough signatures to put national legalization before voters. Over 630,000 signatures were gathered in just a matter of weeks.

The signatures were gathered so quickly and abundantly due to a change in the referendum process in Italy in which signatures can now be gathered digitally. Being that the signatures were gathered digitally, I was personally worried at the time that not enough of them would be deemed valid during the validation process.

I have worked on signature-gathering campaigns for cannabis reform efforts in the past, and the validation rate can vary widely, with signatures gathered digitally being particularly ripe for a large invalidation rate. The effort in Italy required 500,000 valid signatures, and eventually, it was determined that there were indeed enough valid signatures in the overall signature count.

Unfortunately, the referendum effort later hit a dead end when Italy’s Constitutional Court prevented the measure from moving forward based on a technicality. Polling seemed to indicate that the measure would have passed overwhelmingly, which combined with how fast the valid signatures piled up, clearly demonstrates that support for legalization in Italy is significant.

The referendum effort may have never reached voters, however, it has increased the pressure on lawmakers in Italy to step up and pass a legalization measure. Now Milan’s City Council is calling for national legalization, which will only further build on that pressure. Per La Repubblica(translated to English):

The City Council of Milan is asking to legalize the use of cannabis and is calling on the government to approve a law that goes in this direction. The hall of Palazzo Marino has in fact approved the agenda promoted by the leader of the Democratic Party, Filippo Barberis, shared by most of the majority and also voted by the leader of Forza Italia, Alessandro De Chirico.

In the document, the classroom asks the mayor and the council “to take action with the Parliament and in all appropriate fora to support the need to approve a bill on the legalization of the production and consumption of cannabis and its derivatives” and to “reinvest the revenues deriving from the legalization of cannabis in training, prevention and harm reduction policies “, as happens in countries where this substance is already legalized. According to the agenda, the legalization of cannabis “would bring various economic and social benefits, such as a very important damage to the mafia economy, an increase in GDP and a consequent increase in revenues for public finances,”

In addition to the referendum effort in Italy, the nation’s Supreme Court ruled back in 2019 that personal cannabis cultivation was legal. The landmark decision created many questions, not the least of which is ‘what constitutes a personal amount of cannabis,’ yet it also largely tasked Italy’s lawmakers with answering those questions via legalization legislation.

All the while, cannabis legalization is on the move across Europe. Malta legalized cannabis for adult use late last year, and several European countries are ramping up legalization pilot programs. Germany, which is the biggest domino on the continent, is trending towards legalization. All of this puts pressure on Italy to legalize, which will hopefully happen sooner rather than later.

italy

Lawmakers In Denmark Seek To Expand Cannabis Pilot Program

Written by Johnny Green on March 17, 2022. Posted in Archives, Policy.

Pilot programs seem to be a popular approach to cannabis legalization in Europe. For instance, Switzerland has a cannabis legalization pilot program in which cannabis is legal for adult use and commerce purposes in a handful of cities. The Netherlands has a similar program.

The goal of a cannabis legalization pilot program is to ‘ease’ a country into legalization by rolling things out in a limited fashion rather than legalizing nationwide all at once, such as how Canada implemented legalization. Public policy and health experts can then study what is happening at a local level and, in theory, be better suited to recommend nationwide policies.

A cannabis pilot program like the one described exists in Copenhagen, and if a coalition of lawmakers has its way, cannabis legalization pilot programs will be implemented in other parts of Denmark as well. Per Mugglehead:

Danish officials across five political parties have proposed a plan for an adult-use cannabis pilot similar to a program underway in its capital city.

Earlier this month, the proposal was presented in Danish Parliament instructing the government to start legislative work that will result in a bill that legalizes cannabis for five years.

According to submitted documentation, that bill will look like one put forth in Copenhagen with sales at state-controlled outlets, and it’s legal for citizens to buy, possess, grow and consume cannabis for personal use.

Other provisions of the pilot program reportedly include a way for jurisdictions in Denmark to sign up for the program, all cannabis would be domestically produced, retail staff would be trained and licensed, the legal age would be set at 18 years old, and retail sales would be limited to residents.

I personally feel that five years is too long for the pilot program to run, and that cannabis should be legalized nationally well before that timeline is up. However, I suppose that it’s possible that so many jurisdictions will sign up for the pilot program that it could spread things up considerably. It’s definitely great news for the jurisdictions that implement the policy change.

The incremental approach is not optimal, however, it is better than maintaining nationwide prohibition. As I have always stated regarding cannabis activism – if you can’t legalize nationally, focus locally. Every local reform victory adds to the victory pile and further builds the momentum for a national reform victory.

denmark

Study In Italy Finds That Patients Successfully Replace Opioids With Cannabis

Written by Johnny Green on March 17, 2022. Posted in Archives, Science.

It is estimated that roughly 1 out of every 5 people on earth suffers from chronic pain, with the likeliness of someone having the condition increasing with age. The rate of people over the age of 65 that suffer from chronic pain is as high as 85% according to at least one study.

Chronic pain is defined as being ongoing and lastly over 6 months, and can be caused by any number of factors. For some patients, chronic pain is a symptom of another condition, such as cancer. For others, its the result of an injury or accident.

Whatever the cause, chronic pain can be very tough to deal with. In some cases, it can be extremely debilitating and interfere with virtually every aspect of daily life. To make matters worse, when pain patients go to their doctor they are almost always met with one form of recommended treatment – opioids.

It is always worth mentioning that just because someone takes opioids, they shouldn’t be shamed for doing so. For some patients, it’s their only option, and for many other patients, it’s effective for their specific situation. Just as people shouldn’t be subjected to negative stigma for using cannabis, so too should they never be subjected to negative stigma for using opioids or any other medicine for that matter.

With that being said, cannabis is exponentially safer than opioids, and according to a new study many patients are reducing their reliance on opioids after starting medical cannabis treatment. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Milan, Italy: The long-term use of plant-derived cannabis extracts by patients with chronic pain is associated with reduced reliance on prescription opioids, according to data published in the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences.

A team of Italian researchers assessed the use of prescription opioids and other medicines in a cohort of chronic patients in the six months immediately prior to and immediately following their initiation of medical cannabis.

Authors reported that a significant percentage of subjects ceased their use of prescription opioids by the conclusion of the trial. They concluded, “Analyses by subgroups showed a statistically significant difference in the proportion of female opioid non-users before and after cannabis-based oil treatment (34.1 percent to 56.1 percent), as well as in the proportion of under-65 years old opioid non-users before and after cannabis-based oil treatment (32.5 percent to 55 percent), in the proportion of opioid non-users with non-severe comorbidity (33.3 percent to 54.2 percent), and … in the proportion of opioid non-users with a chronic pain condition (32.6 percent to 59.2 percent).”

The findings are consistent with dozens of other studies showing that pain patients typically reduce or eliminate their use of prescription opioids following the use of cannabis. Inconsistent with prior studies, authors did not identify an association between medical cannabis use and a significant reduction in patients’ use of other prescription drugs, including benzodiazepines.

Full text of the study, “Long-term cannabis-based oil therapy and pain medications prescribing patterns: An Italian observational study,” appears in European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences. Additional information is available from the NORML fact sheet, ‘Relationship Between Marijuana and Opioids.’ Information on cannabis in the treatment of chronic pain is available from NORML.

italy, opioids

Author: Johnny Green