Tag: THC

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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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 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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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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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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• 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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