Embassy HEADLINES Issue 425
TOP STORIES
Police Chiefs Have Backed Calls for Medicinal Cannabis Cards in the UK
A curious mouse in Canada was caught chomping on cannabis leaves before being found passed out on its back
Four images show the inquisitive mouse nibbling at the stem of the plant leaves before the substance took effect. Photos captured shortly after show the rodent lying in the middle of a heap of leaves, completely comatose.
AUSTRALIA/NZ
Over-the-counter medicinal cannabis plan not what it seems, experts warn
New research published in the International Journal of Drug Policy suggests the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s plan to allow chemists to sell a month’s worth of cannabidiol at a maximum dose of 60mg per day is unlikely to benefit patients. The paper’s co-author Professor Iain McGregor, academic director of Sydney University’s Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, said much higher doses were needed to give relief to patients with chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety and epilepsy. “There is no good quality evidence that 60mg does anything useful,” Professor McGregor said.
Sydney researchers awarded $1.7 million towards CBD pain study
Researchers at the University of Sydney are about to undertake a study into the impact of CBD on neuropathic pain, after being awarded a $1.7 million grant. Over 15,000 Australians live with a spinal cord injury, half of them developing chronic pain as a result of their injury. Despite this, the majority of treatments cause debilitating side effects, according to the University of Sydney’s Professor Luke Henderson.
Months after the ACT decriminalised cannabis possession, growers still face challenges
The requirement that plants be grown outdoors, where they are a target for thieves, is one of a number of complaints cannabis users have with the ACT laws. “You can grow cannabis, but it’s illegal to buy the seeds,” says long-time cannabis legalisation advocate Jason Foster. “You can grow four cannabis plants [per household] but you can only have 50 grams, which is less than what one plant will produce.”
Australia sees 5,000 cannabis patient approvals for second straight month
Roughly 5,270 patients were approved for medical cannabis treatment in Australia in August via the SAS Category B pathway, the second month in a row the country recorded more than 5,000 individual approvals.
Cannabis referendum: Jacinda Ardern reveals why she won’t publicly take a side
“On the issue of marijuana, that is a conscience vote for the Labour Party… we do not have a position as a whole party,” said Ardern. “My view therefore would not be the Labour Party view. Equally, I don’t think it’s my job therefore to go out and advocate any one side because my party does not have a position on it. The view of the public around me is equivalent therefore to mine.”
Roughly 74,000 kilograms (74 metric tons) of cannabis is consumed annually in New Zealand’s illicit market, with a retail value of up to 1.5 billion New Zealand dollars ($1 billion), according to newly released research by Wellington-based Business and Economic Research (BERL Economics).
Medical cannabis trial underway for Australian football players with chronic pain
Ex-athletes are hoping to benefit from a medical cannabis trial that is underway at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne and Emerald Clinics in Perth.
NORTH AMERICA
Colorado marijuana sales blow past $200 million in July
Dispensaries sold $183,106,003 in recreational marijuana and $43,268,565 in medical marijuana in July, for a combined $226,374,568 in revenue, according to data from the Colorado Department of Revenue. That’s up 13.8% from June, another record-setting month when the industry raked in nearly $199 million.
Vermont House Approves Bill Granting Automatic Expungement
The ‘Green Rush’ In North America Is Leading To A Serious Boom In Farmland
In recent years, leasable farmland has been harder to come by “because cannabis farmers could pay so much more,” said Maud Powell, an associate professor in the Small Farms Program at Oregon State University.
Wildfires Tear Across Western U.S. as Cannabis Growers Prepare and Respond
As climatic trouble grips California, Oregon and Washington, we turn to the stories shared by cannabis growers across the West Coast.
Many of California’s cannabis growers are uninsured and in the line of fire
As the fires burn, cannabis cultivators across the state are racing to finish and harvest their crops. But the fires can be disastrous for this process, in some cases even destroying plants that are spared by the flames.
Vermont Lawmakers Finalize Bill for Cannabis Marketplace
The bill includes priority licensing for small cultivators, women-owned businesses, and for businesses owned by people of color and other over-policed communities. The bill would also create a new cannabis commission that will regulate the medical and adult-use markets, and would require independent lab testing of all cannabis products sold in the new marketplace.
Over $2 Million of Funds from Missouri’s Medical Cannabis Program Go to Veterans
The money will be transferred to the Missouri Veterans Commission for health and care services.
Wisconsin University Offering State’s First Cannabis Certificate Program
The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Continuing Education Institute is offering the state’s first cannabis industry certificate programs, including Business of Cannabis, Cannabis Law and Policy, and Cannabis Healthcare and Medicine.
Canada’s cannabis concentrate market slowly comes to life, revealing producers’ strategies
As cannabis concentrates become more widely available in Canada’s regulated adult-use marijuana market, new products illustrate the variety of roles such merchandise can fill for producers.
WORLD
Recreational cannabis projects beginning to emerge in Europe
Prohibitionist ideologies embedded in the international narcotic treaties have hampered the development of legal recreational cannabis programmes in Europe. However, we have seen the emergence of cannabis social clubs and associations and more recently, a number of proposals and pilot programmes in Luxembourg, Switzerland, San Marino and across major European cities such as Copenhagen and Berlin, indicating that a tidal change in policy might not be far away.
Global Drug Body Recommends 20 Ways to Improve the Cannabis Industry
Supply of medical cannabis restored in Malta after shortage
After a weekslong shortage of high-THC medical cannabis flower in Malta, at least one variety became available again as of Sept. 4.
Mumbai had 82% of Maharashtra’s drug cases in 2018, mostly for cannabis consumption, study says
Personal consumption of cannabis accounted for 87% of all arrests and convictions in drug consumption cases in Mumbai, says study by Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy.
Medical cannabis big hit in Luxembourg
Doctors in Luxembourg have given out cannabis to more patients so far this year than in all of 2019, Health Minister Paulette Lenert said on Thursday, a sign that the legalisaton of the drug – which remains banned for recreational use – filled a gap in demand.
SCIENCE & TECH
It Was Just a Matter of Time: GMO Cannabis on Its Way
The GMO debate weighs heavy as more and more food items are being genetically modified in different ways and for different reasons. For the first time, GMO cannabis is being patented and manufactured, getting ready to hit shelves in your friendly neighborhood dispensary.
How To Battle Animal & Mold Infestations in Outdoor Cannabis Grows
Tips for keeping your outdoor grow happy and healthy.
CBG: An Introduction to Cannabigerol (CBG)
Cannabigerol, or CBG is one of more than 120 cannabinoids found in the hemp (cannabis) plant. It is showing great promise for treating a variety of ailments.
HEALTH
Thai Study Suggests Cannabis Extracts May Inhibit Cancer Cell Growth
The Government Pharmaceuticals Organization (GPO) study found that both THC and CBD inhibited cancer cells in test tubes and the cannabinoids could be used to treat breast, pancreatic, and bile duct cancer.
Are fish the key to faster medical cannabis tests?
Zebrafish are an “excellent model organism” to study the endocannabinoid and opioid systems.
Parents credit medicinal cannabis in 2-year-old daughter’s leukemia recovery
The cannabis oil not only reduced the number of times she had to go through chemo but, she had also become in such a well space that the doctors agreed to remove a specific medicine from her protocol because the cons outweighed the pros.
Can cannabis be a substitute for prescription drugs?
Cannabis treatment is being broadly studied as a partial or full substitution for opioids, but research is just beginning on its possible use in reducing benzodiazepine use.
POLITICS & LAW
Principles for the responsible legal regulation of cannabis
As of today, over 50 countries have adopted regulatory frameworks for medical cannabis, while a growing number of jurisdictions have regulated adult non-medical use, with many more poised to follow. As these legal frameworks are put in place, it is essential that they are designed to advance social justice, inclusion and human rights.
Legislating THC in Food
It has become more commonplace for CBD to be separated from the rest of the cannabis plant, and regulated differently, with the main reason being that since it contains no psychoactive properties, it shouldn’t be treated the same as substances that are psychoactive. With more recreational markets opening, and more food-based products hitting the market, the question of how THC is legislated in food is becoming more of a question.
CULTURE & HISTORY
Millennials Or Boomers? A New Study Tells Which One Uses Marijuana More Frequently
Cannabis users aren’t stereotypical stoners: Survey
Commissioned by cannabis brand Figr, a Maru/Blue survey found 72% of Canadians don’t fit the stereotype, choosing to smoke up while performing daily tasks such as laundry or dish washing.
BUSINESS & INDUSTRY
Australian company Althea enters cannabis-infused beverage market
Australian pharmaceutical company Althea Group Holdings (ASX: AGH) has announced plans to enter the cannabis-infused beverage market, through their Canadian subsidiary.
Pot producers including Canopy sued for $500M over supply dispute
A dispute over cannabis supply contracts has spilled over to an Ontario courtroom, with a group of cannabis producers including Canopy Growth Corp. being sued for $500 million in damages by a group of shareholders behind greenhouse facility.
Asterion Cannabis lays roots in Queensland’s cannabis capital
Canadian medical cannabis company Asterion Cannabis is about to lay down roots in Toowoomba – Queensland’s cannabis capital. Asterion is based out of Vancouver, with the company recently expanding operations into Queensland through their subsidiary Asterion (Australia) Pty Ltd. Asterion’s new facility will be located near Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport, giving the producer a gateway into exporting in the Asia Pacific region.
As virtual launches become new normal, cannabis industry players offer best practices
Looking to educate and innovate without in-person events, hemp and marijuana companies are turning to virtual platforms for everything from trade conferences and product launches to consumer education and staff training.
American College students taking a COVID gap semester are turning to cannabis jobs
That gap semester has left as many as four million college-age adults looking for work. In looking for a Plan B, some students are turning to the cannabis industry.
Report Shows Extracts Continue To Be Most Popular Among Cannabis Consumers
Australia’s Largest Database of Cannabis Companies
CBD Oil to hemp, producers to importers, retailers to non-profits, and more. If they work with the cannabis plant and conduct business in Australia, you’ll find them here.
With more than 420+ cannabis companies across 50+ categories, The Green List helps hemp and cannabis companies to promote their products, services, and events online.
EVENTS
Top international industry trends: A deep dive into the key cannabis markets [online]
Thursday, 17 September 2020 11:00 am AEST: Join me as a speak with Matt Lamers about the key markets across the globe. Matt is one of the most informed cannabis experts on the plan. Matt’s territories cover North and South America, Asia Pacific, Europe and Africa.
Five key policy insights (New Zealand) – A Conversation with Tara Creaven-Capasso [Online]
Wednesday, 23 September 2020 2:00 pm AEST: Join one of New Zealand’s top regulatory advisors, sharing their insights on New Zealand’s newly formed cannabis regulations.
Australian Cannabis Prescribing Doctors FREE Webinar
Wednesday 23 September 7pm AEST : Join us as we speak to 3 Australian doctors involved in prescribing medicinal cannabis:
- Dr Orit Holtzman (www.compassclinics.com.au)
- Dr Matty Moore (www.mattmooremd.com)
- Dr John Teh (www.plantmed.net.au)
Medical Cannabis Live Series – AU & NZ Panel [Online]
Thursday, 1 October 2020 7:00 pm AEST: Join an esteemed panel of industry leaders as they discuss key commercial insights about the Australian and New Zealand cannabis markets.
