Category: NEWS

“Cannabis leaves, when put in the food or even a small amount … it will help the patient to recover faster from the illness,”*

Pakakrong Kwankao, the project leader at the hospital

“Giggling bread” and “joyfully dancing salad” aren’t the usual dishes on a menu in Thailand, but one eatery is hoping its cannabis-infused cuisine can lure foreign tourists and take the taboo out of the recently legalised leaf, report Reuters.*

The restaurant at the Chao Phya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital in Prachin Buri started serving its own happy meals this month, after Thailand de-listed cannabis as a narcotic, allowing state-authorised firms to cultivate the plant.*

“Cannabis leaves, when put in the food or even a small amount … it will help the patient to recover faster from the illness,” said Pakakrong Kwankao, the project leader at the hospital.*

“The cannabis leaf can improve appetite and make people sleep well, and also be in a mood, in a good mood.”*

The hospital is known as a pioneer in Thailand for studying marijuana and its ability to relieve pain and fatigue.*

Thailand in 2017 became the first Southeast Asian country to legalise cannabis for medical use and has since opened numerous medical marijuana clinics.*

The restaurant’s offerings include a happy pork soup, deep-fried bread topped with pork and a marijuana leaf, and a salad of crispy cannabis leaves served with ground pork and chopped vegetables.*

“I’ve never taken cannabis before, it feels weird but it’s delicious,” said diner Ketsirin Boonsiri, adding it was “quite strange”.*

Nattanon Naranan said the taste of the cannabis leaves was similar to everyday vegetables, but the after-effects were quite different.*

“It makes my throat dry and I crave sweets,” she said.*

Thai deputy education minister Kanokwan Vilawan said the next step was to offer famous Thai dishes to reach an international audience.*

“We plan to add more (cannabis) to Thai dishes that are already well known, such as green curry soup, to boost the popularity of these dishes even more,” Kanokwan said.*

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“Kidman will help the unit, Sera Labs, boost its multi-channel distribution efforts and sales of an anti-aging skincare line and for its pain relief body creams and serums.”

Cure Pharmaceutical Holding Corp

Academy Award-winning actress Nicole Kidman has signed up to promote cannabis-based products for U.S.-based Cure Pharmaceutical, the company said on Tuesday, the latest celebrity to endorse the plant for its therapeutic and pain relief related benefits, report Reuters.*

Kidman will help the unit, Sera Labs, boost its multi-channel distribution efforts and sales of an anti-aging skincare line and for its pain relief body creams and serums.*

The actress will also be “key in development” of three products the company will launch next year, Cure Pharmaceutical Holding Corp [CURR.PK] said.*

A non-psychoactive compound derived mainly from the hemp plant, cannabidiol, or CBD, is being researched for various medical applications and has found increased use in relaxatives and beauty products.*

Demand for CBD and other cannabis products has skyrocketed this year as the coronavirus pandemic kept people at home, limiting entertainment options and adding to stress.*

However, traditional advertising and marketing avenues remain off-limits due to tight restrictions on cannabis, and companies have partnered with celebrities to build their brands.*

Cronos Group Inc tapped actress and New York Times best-selling author Kristen Bell to launch ‘Happy Dance’, a CBD skincare brand in October.*

Celebrities have also jumped on the bandwagon. Rapper Jay-Z, lifestyle guru Martha Stewart and singer Willie Nelson are among celebrities who have partnered with or launched their own CBD product lines.*

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“The cannabis bill would expunge federal marijuana convictions and impose a 5% tax on cannabis products. The revenue raised would help reinvest in communities most adversely impacted by enforcement of the law.”

Representative Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat and co-chairman of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus

The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Friday December 04, to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level, but the legislation is not expected to advance further as long as the Senate remains in Republican hands, report Reuters.*

It was the first time either chamber of Congress has voted to end the federal ban on marijuana since the drug was listed as a “controlled substance” in 1970.*

Fifteen U.S. states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational use of marijuana, and over 30 states allow some form of the drug for medicinal purposes. U.S. cannabis sales hit record levels over the Thanksgiving weekend.

But the federal ban on the drug persists, which creates conflicts with state laws and limits cannabis companies’ access to banking services and funding.*

The Democratic-majority House voted 228-164, largely along party lines, to lift the federal prohibition. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, is an opponent of the change, meaning a decriminalization proposal is unlikely to see Senate action unless Democrats manage to win both Georgia Senate seats and with them Senate control in a Jan. 5 runoff election.*

The bill the House passed would allow states to regulate marijuana, Representative Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat and co-chairman of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, said in debate.*

“This legislation does not legalize cannabis across the country. It stops the federal government from interfering with what states have decided to do,” he said.*

Republican Representative Debbie Lesko said she found it incredible that Democrats were talking about “legalizing marijuana” instead of focusing on passing more relief from the coronavirus pandemic. “Sometimes I think that the world is turned upside down,” she said.*

In fact, the House in May passed a mammoth coronavirus aid bill, but it did not advance in the Republican-run Senate. Negotiations are underway on a smaller compromise bill.*

The cannabis bill would expunge federal marijuana convictions and impose a 5% tax on cannabis products. The revenue raised would help reinvest in communities most adversely impacted by enforcement of the law, Blumenauer said.*

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” …the European commission concludes that CBD should not be considered as drug and can be qualified as food.“

Daniel Kruse, EIHA President

The European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) received yesterday a letter from the Health services of the European Commission stating that CBD can be qualified as food, report EIHA.*

Moments before, the UN recognised the medical value of cannabis and accepted WHO recommendation to rescheduled it.*

In light of the recent Court judgement C-663/18, the Commission has reviewed its preliminary conclusion on cannabidiol, stating that it should not be considered as a drug within the meaning of the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961. This breakthrough comes at the same time as the United Nations’ Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) votes to accept the World Health Organisation’s recommendation to removecannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 Convention,which was reserved for substances with “particularly dangerous properties” and little or no therapeutic value.*

“A truly historic moment for mankind: The United Nations, based on WHO recommendations, recognises the medical value of cannabis and removes it from Schedule IV of the 1961 Convention. Finally, the medicinal usefulness of cannabis is officially acknowledged” Says Mr Daniel Kruse, EIHA President.*

“After this historic vote, it is worth highlighting that industrial hemp and non-medical CBD still remain out of the scope of the Single Convention. That is why, the second decision of this week is even more important for our industry: in light of the comments received inter alia from EIHA and of the recent European Court of Justice ruling, the European commission concludes that CBD should not be considered as drug and can be qualified as food. As the President of EIHA and as a pioneer of the hemp industry for 26 years, I truly thank the UN and our EU commission for these absolutely great Christmas presents!“*

In practical terms, the recent statement by the Commission means that the verification of the validity of EIHA’s Novel Food application has been resumed.*

“As predicted, the ECJ ruling has had a positive effect on the Commission’s position. Now that CBD can be qualified as food, the EIHA Novel Food joint application is perfectly set up for achieving safety assessment and standards for our growing industry.” Says Ms Lorenza Romanese, EIHA Managing Director. “We also welcome the vote of the United Nations, which leads to a modern and sound scientific approach regarding cannabis in general.“*

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“…the CND has opened the door to recognizing the medicinal and therapeutic potential of the commonly-used but still largely illegal recreational drug.”

UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND)

The UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) took a number of decisions on Wednesday Dec. 3, leading to changes in the way cannabis is internationally regulated, including its reclassification out of the most dangerous category of drug, report the United Nations.*

In reviewing a series of World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations on marijuana and its derivatives, the CND zeroed-in on the decision to remove cannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs — where it was listed alongside deadly, addictive opioids, including heroin. 

The CND’s 53 Member States voted to removed cannabis – where it had been placed for 59 years – from the strictest control schedules, that even discouraged its use for medical purposes.*

With an historic vote of 27 in favour, 25 against, and one abstention, the CND has opened the door to recognizing the medicinal and therapeutic potential of the commonly-used but still largely illegal recreational drug.  

Moreover, according to news reports, the decision could also drive additional scientific research into the plant’s long-heralded medicinal properties and act as catalyst for countries to legalize the drug for medicinal use, and reconsider laws on its recreational use. 

Long wait 

Back in January 2019, WHO unveiled six WHO recommendations surrounding the scheduling of cannabis in UN drug control treaties. 

While the proposals were originally set to be voted on during the  CND’s March 2019 session, many countries had requested more time to study the endorsements and define their positions, according to news reports.  

Among WHO’s many points, it clarified that cannabidiol (CBD) – a non-intoxicating compound – is not subject to international controls. CBD has taken on a prominent role in wellness therapies in recent years, and sparked a billion-dollar industry. 

Currently, more than 50 countries have adopted medicinal cannabis programmes while Canada, Uruguay and 15 US states have legalized its recreational use, with Mexico and Luxembourg close to becoming the third and fourth countries to do so.   

Where they stand  

After voting, some countries made statements on their stances. 

Ecuador supported all of WHO’s recommendations and urged that cannabis production, sale and use, have “a regulatory framework that guarantees good practices, quality, innovation and research development”. 

Meanwhile, the United States voted to remove cannabis from Schedule IV of the Single Convention while retaining them in Schedule I, saying it is “consistent with the science demonstrating that while a safe and effective cannabis-derived therapeutic has been developed, cannabis itself continues to pose significant risks to public health and should continue to be controlled under the international drug control conventions”. 

Voting against, Chile argued, among other things, that “there is a direct relationship between the use of cannabis and increased chances of suffering from depression, cognitive deficit, anxiety, psychotic symptoms, among others” while Japan stated that the non-medical use of the plant “might give rise to negative health and social impacts, especially among youth”.

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It cannot be considered a narcotic, reports Konbini News agency.*

European justice rejected Thursday, November 19 the ban on cannabidiol (CBD) in France, stressing the harmlessness of this non-psychotropic cannabis molecule, a decision hailed as a “snub” by hemp followers and which whets appetites economic around this plant.*

Legal uncertainty persists around CBD in France, thanks to which the authorities have closed dozens of shops selling this “light cannabis”, without euphoric effect and prized for its relaxing properties.*

In a crucial judgment for players in the sector, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that CBD has “no psychotropic effect or harmful effect on human health”, and that ‘it “cannot be considered a’ narcotic ‘”, nor as a medicine.*

A decision that should deprive many lawsuits in France of a legal basis and open up new perspectives for the European and French hemp industry.*

The Court considers products containing CBD – oils, herbal teas, chewing gum, cosmetics, etc. – as goods which must be able to move freely in the EU. “A Member State cannot prohibit the marketing of cannabidiol (CBD) legally produced in another Member State when it is extracted from the cannabis sativa plant [hemp, note] in its entirety”, according to the judgment.*

The CJEU thus agrees with two French pioneers of electronic cigarettes with CBD, Sébastien Béguerie and Antonin Cohen.*

The two Marseille entrepreneurs are being prosecuted for having launched Kanavape in 2014, based on an oil legally manufactured in the Czech Republic containing CBD extracted from all cannabis sativa, leaves and flowers included, while France only allows use seeds and fibers.*

After their first-instance sentences to 18 and 15 months’ suspended imprisonment, as well as a 10,000 euro fine, the case rose to European significance on appeal. In 2018, the Aix-en-Provence Court of Appeal sought the opinion of the CJEU on the compatibility of French regulations with those of the EU.*

In its response to the French judges, who have yet to rule on the merits, the European court considers that the ban on the marketing of CBD can only be adopted if the risk to public health invoked by France “appears to be sufficiently established”.*

“The biggest remains to be done”*

“It’s a huge relief, even if it’s not over yet,” Sébastien Béguerie told AFP from the Czech Republic, where he continues his activities related to CBD. This decision recognizes us as pioneers and before -guards, not like drug dealers. “*

“After such a persistence of the French state to kill this industry in the bud, it is a huge snub,” said his lawyer, Xavier Pizarro.*

By emphasizing that CBD does not have a harmful effect on health, as recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) since 2017, the CJEU is “forcing the hand” of French judges, he believes. He anticipates “releases by the shovel” in similar proceedings.*

“This is a very important stop for the CBD industry in Europe”, while “the European Commission seemed tempted by the idea of ​​considering CBD as a narcotic,” said Eveline Van Keymeulen, Antonin’s lawyer Cohen.*

The scope of this decision “goes well beyond the Kanavape affair,” adds Yann Bisiou, president of the L630 association, which specializes in drug law.*

The judgment not only validates the importation into France of CBD from other European countries, but also “opens the doors of the market to Canadians, who are heavyweights in the cannabis industry” and will benefit from the treaty. free trade CETA to export.*

“For entrepreneurs who want to develop this market in France, this is an extremely positive signal,” said the president of the Professional Hemp Trade Union, Aurélien Delecroix, which lists some 300 shops selling CBD in France.*

“But the biggest remains to be done. The government must […] allow farmers to produce CBD”, he judges, stressing that France is “the first European producer of hemp”.*

On Twitter, the president of the parliamentary mission on cannabis, Jean-Baptiste Moreau, was quick to call for measures “to start the production of CBD in France”.*

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From 01.01.2021, the following regulations apply, informs the Federal Office of Agriculture FOAG.*

• Agricultural production of hemp is permitted, provided it is not hemp used as a narcotic. All provisions of the Seed Law relating to the production and sale of hemp seeds and plants are repealed (Agricultural Ordinance Package 2020).*
• For agricultural production of hemp, the provisions of the Plant Health Law and the Ordinance on Direct Payments must be observed.*
• For the use of hemp as animal feed, the provisions of the animal feed legislation must be observed.*

Any variety of hemp is allowed for agricultural production, as long as it is not used as a narcotic (<1% THC w/w). So far, only certain varieties have been.***

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Mexico’s Senate approved a landmark cannabis legalization bill in a landslide vote on Thursday, paving the way for the creation of the world’s largest legal marijuana market if the initiative passes the next hurdle in the lower house of Congress, report Reuters.*

Senators voted 82 to 18 to approve the measure, with seven abstentions.*

Lawmakers are rushing to secure final approval before the end of the current congressional session in December. If enacted, the reform would mark a major shift in a country where drug cartel violence in recent years has claimed over 100,000 lives.*

The Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that recreational marijuana should be permitted, just one year after lawmakers legalized it for medicinal use.*

Socially conservative President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has shied away from publicly backing the legalization push, but neither has he opposed it, and senior cabinet members like Interior Minister Olga Sanchez have openly called for a shift to legalization and regulation.*

Lopez Obrador’s left-of-center Morena party, which backed the initiative, holds a majority in both chambers of Congress with its allies.*

The bill aims to “improve living conditions” and “contribute to the reduction of crime linked to drug trafficking,” according to its text.*

Weed companies have expressed interest in a future Mexican legal market, including Canada’s Canopy Growth WEED.TO and The Green Organic Dutchman TGOD.TO, as well as a unit of California-based Medical Marijuana Inc MJNA.PK.*

The legislation would let users carry up to 28 grams and grow as many as four plants at home.*

Sales to adults in authorized businesses would be allowed, provided the product abides by maximum levels of psychoactive ingredients.*

Children would be prohibited from using the drug or any involvement in its cultivation and sales, and driving while high would be illegal.*

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The Dutch government is supporting research into the use of medicinal cannabis in the treatment of neuropathic pain with € 1.9 million. The grant has been awarded to a joint project of the Centre for Human Drug Research (CHDR), a Dutch independent institute that specializes in clinical drug research, and the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC). Neurologist Geert Jan Groeneveld (CSO / CMO at CHDR and professor of Clinical Neuropharmacology at the LUMC) and Albert Dahan (professor of Anesthesiology at the LUMC) will conduct the research, reports the Dutch producer.*

The research intends to lead to a specific recommendation of an optimal delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) –  cannabidiol (CBD) dosage for the treatment of neuropathic pain in a particular subgroup of patients. In addition, it contributes to evidence for the effectiveness of medicinal cannabis. Bedrocan’s raw materials will be used for the production of the research material.*

Innovative

The research does not look at the entire plant, but purely at the pharmacological effect of THC and CBD. Groeneveld: “We want to approach this research exactly as a drug developer would. As a clinical pharmacologist, you extract the proven pharmacological components from a plant and do research with it. That is also innovative in this research”.*

The researchers will very accurately measure the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of THC and CBD, the effects of both substances on pain and brain function and how the substances behave in the human body.*

“We are going to isolate the THC and CBD from Bedrocan cannabis and administer them in tablet form in different proportions. We will then look at the influence of CBD on the effects of THC , and investigate which THC-CBD combination is best for the treatment of neuropathic pain”, said Groeneveld.  The Dutch company Echo Pharmaceuticals from Leiden will produce the tablets for the research.*

Healthy subjects

The study consists of two parts. In the first part, healthy subjects will be administered the tablets with different THC and CBD ratios. The first part of the research will show whether the adverse effects of THC, such as getting high or feeling anxious, can be reduced by administering CBD simultaneously. According to Groeneveld, the scientific literature has so far provided conflicting results about this: “To be honest, I do not expect much from CBD alone as a treatment for neuropathic pain. From a pharmacological point of view, it is likely that THC affects pain, but this is less the case for CBD. CBD could have an effect on inflammation, but there is no reason  to use CBD as a treatment for inflammatory pain. We already have Ibuprofen for that. It will only become interesting if the adverse effects of THC, such as feelings of anxiety, can be alleviated by administering CBD at the same time. “*

Search for the ideal ratio between THC and CBD

THC (9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) are the two most studied active ingredients of the cannabis plant. THC is known for its analgesic effect, but it also causes psychoactive side effects. CBD could lead to pain-relieving effects through other mechanisms. It is believed that CBD may also influence the psychotropic effects of THC by modulating THC binding to the CB1 receptor. However, it is still unclear what the ideal ratio of THC to CBD would be to take advantage of the CB1 modulating effects of CBD while preserving the positive effects of THC on pain. In addition, it is still unclear whether the analgesic effects that some patients experience as a result of CBD use are due to a pharmacological action of CBD, or simply because CBD prevents the metabolism of concomitantly used pain killers. The latter will also be investigated in these studies.*

Patients with neuropathic pain conditions

The effects on pain in patients will not be investigated until the second part of the study, after the results of the first study are known. This will provide information on which THC:CBD ratio works best. The second part of the study will take place among a diverse group of 200 patients with different neuropathic pain conditions. Groeneveld: “We are going to phenotype this group very well in advance. This means that we want to know exactly how the neuropathic pain manifests itself specifically in this group. Do patients have demonstrable nerve damage, do they have a personality disorder, are they depressed, or do they have sleep disorders? All these are variables that we are going to map.”*

Subsequently, the participants in a crossover study will receive placebo for five weeks, and after a wash-out period, they will receive five weeks of cannabinoid treatment or vice versa. Pain will be measured in each treatment period. Groeneveld: “In patients with clear pain relief, we want to further investigate whether there is a correlation between their variables, such as sleeping problems, anxiety or peripheral nerve damage, and the response to treatment with THC.”*

The first part of the study will start in the spring of 2021, and Groeneveld expects the first results in the summer. The second part of the study with the pain patients will start in the autumn and will last at least two years.*

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Rwanda is in talks with four European and American companies about growing and processing cannabis for export to meet rising pharmaceutical demand for the narcotic, although its consumption is still banned in the country, report Reuters.*

The move could help boost Rwandan state revenues, hit by the effects of COVID-19, officials said on Wednesday (Oct. 14, 2020).*

The central African nation joins a host of countries that have legalized, or are considering legalizing, cannabis to some degree, as attitudes towards the drug slowly change and investments in its medical benefits grow.*

“We have been in talks with four different companies so we will start with those applications,” Rwanda Development Board (RDB) chief executive Clare Akamanzi told Reuters, adding the firms were from Europe and the United States.*

She declined to give the firms’ names or say which sectors they normally operate in.*

She said the government had realised that the country could potentially make $10 million per hectare, which is much higher than earnings from traditional exports like coffee and tea on the same size of land.*

Like most other countries, Rwandan government revenues have been slashed as measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic batters key sectors like tourism and investment.*

In a statement on Tuesday RDB said the government expected “the sector to generate significant export revenues and employment opportunities in high value agriculture and agro-processing.”*

Consumption of cannabis and other narcotics is banned in Rwanda and is punishable by a jail term of up to two years, while drug dealers face between 20 years to life in prison.*

The statement said all cannabis produced would be strictly for export and that the domestic consumption ban would remain despite the new policy allowing the plant’s production.

“The consumption of cannabis is an offence and it will continue to be an offence,” Rwanda’s chief justice Faustin Ntezilyayo said in a news conference on Wednesday.*

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