-
Legalise Cannabis makes united push for personal marijuana use in three Australian states
The party’s bill allowing adults to possess and grow small quantities of the drug at home will be introduced across Victoria, NSW and WA
The Guardian (UK)
Monday, June 19, 2023
Legalise Cannabis MPs in Australia are launching a coordinated push to make marijuana legal for personal use in three states and overhaul what the party says is outdated legislation that unnecessarily criminalises people. The party’s drug reform bill will be introduced in state parliaments in Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia – the jurisdictions where it has representation in the state’s upper houses. Legalise Cannabis says it is the first time the same bill has been introduced across three states on the same day. The reform, which would allow adults to possess and grow small quantities of cannabis at home, is similar to ACT’s model that came into effect in 2020. -
Cannabis clubs assured of receiving support from local banks
The associations are the only way one can legally buy the drug
Times of Malta (Malta)
Friday, June 16, 2023
The cannabis authority in Malta has been assured that local banks will not turn down potential cannabis clubs on the grounds that they are selling marijuana, after the associations raised concerns that the industry could be deemed too risky. Leonid McKay, who heads the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis, said the issue had been raised during discussions with various stakeholders, including banks and non-governmental organisations. These meetings resulted in feedback from informal contacts with banks that they would possibly refuse to open bank accounts for prospective cannabis clubs – dubbed Cannabis Harm Reduction Associations. -
Parliament to vote on legalisation of home-grown cannabis this month
Bill would allow adults to grow up to four plants and use cannabis products inside home
Luxembourg Times (Luxembourg)
Thursday, June 15, 2023
Luxembourg residents hoping to legally grow cannabis at home might not have to wait till after the elections, after Parliament announced it will vote before the end of the month on a bill calling for legalisation. The law will “have to be debated and voted on in public session during the week of June 26”, an article on the Parliament’s website said. The bill stipulates adults can legally grow up to four plants. The plants must not be visible from a public space and consumers must not use cannabis products outside their residence. People who hold, transport or acquire cannabis products for their personal use would be allowed to carry up to three grams. Violators would risk a fine of €251 to €2,500. -
Legal but locked out
The banking dilemma for Jamaican cannabis businesses
Jamaica Observer (Jamaica)
Wednesday, June 14, 2023
As Jamaica continues to promote medicinal cannabis to attract investors and spur the industry's development, entrepreneurs face significant hurdles due to the fact that, while their businesses are legal, they are still not able to access the country's banking services. This creates substantial challenges from sourcing investors to securing credit, conducting commercial operations, operating efficiently and taking advantage of growth opportunities. The current status quo stems from the fact that in the United States cannabis is still illegal at the federal level, even though there are states in which it is legal. As a result, the banking system is hesitant to engage with cannabis companies because banks would likely find themselves at odds with federal law if they do so. -
Thailand’s cannabis lovers face comedown amid legalisation U-turn
Southeast Asian country’s booming cannabis industry is under a cloud as politicians reconsider decriminalisation
Al Jazeera (Qatar)
Friday, June 9, 2023
One year after Thailand decriminalised cannabis, Thailand’s Ganja TV, a Facebook page with 90,000-odd followers, are looking on as rival politicians threaten to make dispensaries and open consumption illegal once more – or at least tightly controlled. At the centre of attention is Pita Limjaroenrat, the prime minister-in-waiting whose Move Forward Party (MPF) scored an upset to come first place in last month’s general elections. While MFP is viewed as the most liberal of Thailand’s political parties, cannabis advocates say it is leading the drive to rein in recreational use, casting a pall over the country’s cannabis industry. Pita says the cannabis boom should be put on pause to curb widespread recreational use until the incoming government can pass a proposed Cannabis Act. -
26 applications for cannabis clubs received so far - no licences granted yet
New guidelines on responsible cannabis use launched
Times of Malta (Malta)
Thursday, June 8, 2023
The cannabis authority has received 26 applications from potential cannabis clubs requesting a licence to sell home-grown marijuana, according to Leonid McKay who heads the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis. “Let me make this clear. Just because we have 26 applications, it does not mean we will be granting 26 licences. There will be a rigorous vetting process,” McKay said. He was not in a position to give a date when the first licences will start being issued due to the detailed vetting process involved. McKay was addressing a press conference held to launch new guidelines on the responsible use of cannabis. (See also: No timeline yet for 26 entities seeking cannabis association license) -
Canada’s unsold cannabis inventory balloons to 1.5 billion grams
Falling prices are putting the squeeze on businesses across the cannabis supply chain in Canada
MJBizDaily (US)
Tuesday, June 6, 2023
Business failures and consolidation failed to stop Canada’s stockpile of unsold cannabis from reaching a new high in the final quarter of 2022, the latest sign that shrinking prices and margins could continue to squeeze companies. Packaged and unpackaged inventory of dried cannabis jumped to an all-time high of 1.47 billion grams (3.2 million pounds) as of December 2022, according to the latest data from Health Canada, which tracks overall unsold stockpiles of licensed producers, wholesalers and retailers. That’s an increase from 1.3 billion grams in December 2021. Last year, Aurora Cannabis closed its flagship Aurora Sky facility in Edmonton, Alberta – one of the biggest in Canada. -
New report describes growing complexity and change in cannabis laws in Europe
Cannabis laws in Europe: questions and answers for policymaking
News release EMCDDA (Europe)
Monday, June 5, 2023
What forms of cannabis regulation are under consideration in Europe? What types of cannabis are controlled? Are cosmetic and wellness products containing cannabis legal? These are among the questions answered in a new report out today from the EU drugs agency (EMCDDA). The report — Cannabis laws in Europe: questions and answers for policymaking — addresses key issues and frequently-asked questions around cannabis legislation in Europe. The speed, and possible scope of, cannabis policy change and the potential impact of these changes on public health and safety, are among the factors which prompted the EMCDDA to publish the report. Updating a 2017 review, the report describes the state of play of cannabis policies and laws in Europe and current approaches to regulation and control. -
Swiss capital city wants to test controlled sale of cocaine
The municipal council should express its interest in participating in such a pilot project to other cities
Swissinfo (Switzerland)
Friday, June 2, 2023
Switzerland's capital city, Bern, has signalled its intent to conduct a scientific pilot trial of controlled cocaine sales. With 43 votes to 18, the city parliament approved a motion from the Alternative Left to extend trials with cannabis to the future legal sale of cocaine. Despite recognising that cocaine is a harmful drug, Bern politicians believe that supervised sales could lead to better control of the narcotic, reported SRF. Bern's vote is intended to send a signal to the government and to other cities to consider the idea. This cocaine sale proposal was narrowly rejected by the Bern parliament in 2019, but a second version featuring more restrictions gathered enough additional support from the leftwing Social Democratic Party to force the motion through -
Proposals for regulated cannabis market may end up in European Court, says official
If the Czech state loses the lawsuit, which could take years, it has other solutions available
Brno Daily (Czech Republic)
Monday, May 29, 2023
The introduction of a legal, regulated cannabis market in the Czech Republic may end up in the European Court of Justice, said drug policy coordinator Jindrich Voboril. He believed this to be the best option, as prohibition has been proven not to work and only brings costs and risks. Voboril's draft proposes the authorisation of domestic and commercial cultivation of cannabis, special clubs for recreational use, and licensed sale in shops for people over 18. Given the European legislation and the fact that the Czech government is now the only one in the EU envisaging a commercial market for recreational cannabis, it is likely that another member state will challenge the measure in the European Court of Justice. (See also: We are waiting for Germany to legalize cannabis, says Minister Válek)
Page 7 of 469
