International Cannabis Weekly: 230

GROWTH OF MEDICAL CANNABIS SALES IN GERMANY IS FALTERING

New data on reimbursements for medical cannabis released by The German National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV) shows that sales of medical cannabis have stagnated over recent quarters, with Q3 of 2021 having almost the identical value of sales as Q3 of 2020.

The reimbursed market grew by 7% for the nine months ending December 2021, compared to the same period in 2020. This data represents sales of medical cannabis that have been reimbursed by public health insurers, which cover 90% of the German population. The current lack of market growth reflects an unfortunate reality in Germany that patient access to medical cannabis is still relatively low, with one issue being that doctors are often unwilling to prescribe cannabis.

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RECENT DATA SHOWS CANNABIS REDUCES OPIATE USE BY 40% IN ISRAEL

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EXPERT INTERVIEW: GIORGIO FERDINANDI, CHIEF SALES OFFICER, LINNEA

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• Ukraine could legalise medical cannabis in 2022, with a government bill already released for discussion.
• Italian hemp growers will soon be able to receive €300 funding in public aid per hectare.
• Danish biotech firm TETRA Pharm is raising €2 million in capital to launch clinical trials.
• After study period, Project Twenty21 explains its subsidised cannabis price rise for the coming year.
• Cannabis firm Drapalin is conducting a study on cannabis therapy to alleviate the effects of ADHD.
• Italian officials confirm that 630,000 advocate signatures were made to force national cannabis referendum.
• Psychotherapist Mariella Dimech is set to head up Malta’s Responsible Use of Cannabis Authority.
• HELLENIC Dynamics delays its listing on the LSE due to working through rigorous FCA requirements.
• Irish CBD and hemp businesses tackle the state in a bid to safeguard the industry’s future.
• MPX announces that its Maltese subsidiary Alphafarma Operations has received EU-GMP certification.
• UK’s Medical Cannabis Access Bill ‘destined to fail’ due to lack of political support, MP says.

• Experts exercise caution over 2022 growth predictions as US cannabis sales hit US$37.4 billion in 2021.
• California’s cannabis department is awarding US$100 million to support the local cannabis market.
• Washington is falling behind other states in regulation and taxes to support the cannabis industry.
• A new Republican-led bill has landed in the state of Kentucky which could see medical cannabis legalised.
• State lawmakers in South Dakota are working on more than two dozen cannabis reform bills this month.
• Governor threatens to veto cannabis bill despite the Mississippi Senate Committee approving the notion.
• The Director of National Intelligence says employers shouldn’t reject applicants over past cannabis use.
• Suppliers state that demand is high since a new smokable form of cannabis became legal in Louisiana.
• Matt Karnes joins Business of Cannabis Live to discuss how New York legalisation impacts the sector.
• A US study suggests that compounds in cannabis could prevent people from catching COVID-19.

EARLY BIRD TICKET SALES FOR CANNABIS EUROPA LONDON – ENDING SOON!

2022 is set to be another significant year for cannabis in Europe. With the coalition government in Germany announcing its intentions to legalise adult-use cannabis, and a swathe of legislative changes expected elsewhere in Europe in the coming 12-24 months, the continent’s cannabis industry is arguably entering its most pivotal phase, as the industry strives for normalisation and to go mainstream.

Cannabis Europa returns to London on 28-29 June 2022 for our biggest and most ambitious event to date – delivering cutting-edge knowledge and networking opportunities, paramount to driving growth across the sector. We want you to be a part of it.

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• Canadian minister announces that only the vaccinated will be allowed in cannabis stores in Quebec.
• Organigram’s Q1 revenue is set to reach a record C$30.4 million as it increased by 22% from Q4 2021.
• Leafly and Merida Merger Corp. enter into a C$30 million purchase agreement with new investors.
• Brewing firm Anheuser-Busch InBev is committed to making CBD-infused non-alcoholic drinks in Canada.
• Canada’s cannabis report shows that Canadians’ attitudes on cannabis haven’t changed in 2021.
• A British Columbia airport could be the world’s first to open a cannabis retail store.

• Seven legislative assemblies in Brazil have projects to make access to medicinal cannabis more flexible.
• The Universidad of Rosario and Aupac in Argentina will move forward with a cannabis research project.
• The Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica has approved a bill to legalise medical cannabis.
• St Vincent becomes the first state in the Eastern Caribbean to export medical cannabis.
• Apollon Formularies starts agreements with over a dozen approved cannabis growers in Jamaica.
• Greencare Pharma releases new authorised cannabis-based medicinal product for the Brazilian market.
• Paraguay develops a supply chain that starts with indigenous communities and ends in a growing volume of exports.

THE GLOBAL CANNABIS LEGALISATION OVERVIEW

As we look forward into 2022 and the new hopes it brings, we look at which countries – from Canada to Croatia, Australia to Argentina and Malta to Morocco – are relaxing their legislation and leaning towards more progressive policy on cannabis.

At the time of writing, only Canada, Uruguay and 21 states in the US, including Washington D.C. and Guam, have legalised adult-use cannabis, but this is expected to increase at pace over the next five years, as the economic, health and justice benefits become clearer to regulators around the world. We’ve put together an overview of the rules and regulations currently in place across the globe. Explore each region using our intuitive interactive map.

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• Canntab Therapeutics delivers its first shipment of THC tablets to the Ontario Cannabis Store.
• The Indian government tells Delhi High Court that medical cannabis is allowed despite the bench’s resistance.
• AUDACIOUS CEO announces that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Golden Triangle Health.
• New Zealand’s Greenfern Industries strikes a deal with Cannvalate to market its products in Australia.
• A report has been released on how cannabis can be used to manage pain from endometriosis.

• 4.2 tonnes of cannabis are distributed to a total of 100,000 patients in Israel every month.
• Cantourage and Together Pharma partner to see Ugandan cannabis brought to Germany.