Germany's likely new government, the left-leaning Social Democratic Party (SPD), Greens and the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP), have been locked in intense coalition negotiations in recent weeks. One area that’s sure to change is Germany’s drug policy. According to Georg Wurth, President of the German Hemp Association, decriminalisation, which removes criminal penalties for consumption, typically precedes full legalisation and is the more likely outcome, though the parties are still negotiating. “It’s really hard to imagine that we’d jump straight to legalisation. But the signs from the coalition talks are there, and they’ve committed to modernisation. This would fit right in, and make us trailblazers in the global context,” said Wurth.

There is no shortage of people willing to plant and harvest coca; and there is no shortage of cocaine. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), global production hit a record 1,982 tonnes in 2020. That number is up by 11% on the year before, and nearly double the amount produced in 2014. Plenty of Latin American presidents have said the war is not working—though they tend to do so only once they have safely left office. Now some of those in power are beginning to speak up, too. In an interview with The Economist, Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s new president, talked of leniency for repentant gang members, decriminalising coca-leaf production and creating places where Colombians could consume cocaine in a supervised environment.

Las autoridades sanitarias de Brasil aprobaron la normativa para el registro y la venta de medicamentos a base de marihuana en las farmacias del país. La decisión de la Agencia Nacional de Vigilancia Sanitaria (Anvisa), vinculada al Ministerio de Salud, entrará en vigor en 90 días a partir de su publicación en el Diario Oficial y se someterá a una revisión pasados tres años. El objetivo de la medida es "encontrar una forma de garantizar el acceso, por la vía de la asistencia farmacéutica" y "asegurar un mínimo de garantía para los usuarios de los productos", señaló Anvisa en un comunicado. Anvisa agregó que las compañías deberán continuar investigando para probar la eficacia y seguridad de sus fórmulas.

Brazil’s national health agency (ANVISA) approved new rules for the registration of cannabis-based products for medicinal purposes in the country, authorizing their sale in pharmacies. By three votes to one, the agency rejected a proposal that would endorse cultivation for research and production of medicines - which in practice will force companies to import raw materials. Nonetheless, HempMeds, the first company to bring drugs to Brazil, saw the move as an important step, especially in reducing the cost to patients. (See also: New guidelines approved for medical cannabis in Brazil | Brazil’s new medical cannabis rules reject domestic cultivation, potentially setting up large import market)

Bermuda’s governor Rena Lalgie announced that the United Kingdom has blocked the Bermuda government’s controversial bid to legalize the use and production of cannabis in the British Overseas Territory. “I previously announced that I had reserved the Cannabis Licensing Bill 2022 for the signification of her majesty’s pleasure under Section 35 (2) of the Bermuda Constitution. I have now received an instruction, issued to me on Her Majesty’s behalf, not to assent to the bill as drafted." The Bill, as currently drafted, is not consistent with obligations held by the UK and Bermuda under the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. The Cannabis Licensing Act 2022 was intended to create a regulated framework for the growth and sale of the drug. (See also: Crisis looms as Britain blocks cannabis legalisation | The long road to legalisation)

The Mayor of Brussels, Philippe Close (PS) renewed his call for cannabis to be decriminalised and removed from the Belgian penal code. Speaking to Le Soir, Close once again urged a ‘great national debate’ on this divisive subject in view of the upcoming 2024 elections. The Brussels Mayor sustains that by taking cannabis out of the hands of criminal groups, the authorities can focus on the trafficking of hard drugs. Close’s comments come as Brussels has seen a wave of drug-related violence in recent months. Since the start of the year, 22 shootings have been recorded in the capital. According to the police, these often have a link with the drug market and trafficking. (See also: Coffee shops will 'hopefully' soon open in Brussels,' says Mayor)

Premier David Burt refused to confirm whether he had held any discussions with the Governor on cannabis regulations approved by the House of Assembly last week. The Premier however maintained that the legislation, if approved by the Senate, could receive Royal Assent despite concerns raised in the House of Assembly. “If our regulations were modelled after what is in place in Canada – another realm of the commonwealth where the Queen serves as head of state – and those are acceptable there, I cannot possibly imagine why they would not be acceptable here.” He said: “We live in a time, a point and place where we can be free to make our own laws and Bermuda has a long tradition of internal self governance and that tradition, I expect in this case, will be upheld and respected.”

Premier David Burt has expressed doubt over whether a new law to license cannabis production in Bermuda will get the royal assent from Governor Rena Lalgie, and says the island’s relationship with the United Kingdom would suffer serious damage. Burt told the House of Assembly there were indications that Lalgie would be unable to give assent to legislation that contravened Britain’s international obligations. But he added: “This legislation will pass . . . . If Her Majesty’s representative in Bermuda does not give assent to something that has been passed lawfully and legally under this local government, this will destroy the relationship that we have with the United Kingdom. (See also: Bermuda plans adult-use, medical cannabis industry)

Bermuda’s Government had “no intention” of tailoring its laws licensing cannabis production to fit with the UK’s conventions allowing the drug for medicinal use only. David Burt, the Premier, reiterated that legislation for legal cannabis in Bermuda is set to go before the legislature in the current session of Parliament. The statement came after the Premier’s return from the Joint Ministerial Council in London between the UK Government and elected heads of the Overseas Territories' A question mark hung over the cannabis legislation, passed by the House of Assembly but turned back by the Senate in the last parliamentary session, as to whether it would receive Royal Assent. (See also: A way out of trouble on cannabis reform)

Five years after cannabis legalization, California is awash with signs of an apparently booming industry. Californians can toke on Justin Bieber-branded joints and ash their blunts in Seth Rogen’s $95 ceramics. They can sip on THC-infused seltzers, relax inside a cannabis cafe, and get edibles delivered to their doors. But behind the flashy facade, the legal weed industry remains far from the law-abiding, prosperous sector many had hoped for. In fact, it’s a mess. Voters passed a law in November 2016 making recreational marijuana legal. But today, the vast majority of the market remains underground – about 80-90% of it, according to experts. (See also: ‘A farce of social equity’: California is failing its Black cannabis businesses)

California's legal pot market opens for business on Jan. 1. The day will be a milestone, but what exactly will happen then and, especially, in the weeks and months to come is unclear. Lori Ajax, the state's top pot regulator, has been at the center of the effort to establish rules for a legal pot economy valued at $7 billion. Businesses are required to have a local permit and a state license to open their doors for recreational sales, and that process has moved slowly. State law has specific guidelines for where not to light up, and they include being within 1,000 feet of a school or a daycare center when kids are around, or smoking while driving. (See also: Lawmakers, pot growers say California's marijuana cultivation rules favor big corporate farms)

In 2016, Californians voted to legalize recreational adult-use marijuana. Proponents of Proposition 64, including then-Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, argued that it would generate massive revenue, while decreasing illicit cannabis and drug cartel activity in California. Now, nearly six years later, it’s clear that promise has not been kept. While the state has collected billions in tax revenue from cannabis sales since legalization went into effect in 2018, billions more continue to pour into a thriving illicit market. A new report from cannabis website Leafly found that more than half of all cannabis sales in the state (55%) are in the illegal market. It means the product being sold hasn’t been subjected to the state’s rigorous testing and tracking regimen, and can contain harmful pesticides or other powerful narcotics.

After being listed as an illegal narcotic for many decades, Thais will finally be allowed to use and own Mitragyna speciosa, also known as kratom, as traditional medicine by August this year. On May 28, an announcement was made in the Royal Gazettewhich effectively removed the plant from the list of narcotics. As new laws take effect 90 days after their publication in the Gazette, kratom use and possession will be effectively decriminalised on Aug 24. Prior to its decriminalisation, kratom was categorised as a Class 5 Narcotic substance under the Narcotics Act, which made consuming, cultivating and possessing any part of the plant illegal.

The fight to legalize marijuana has never been easy, as evidenced by the recent collapse of months-long efforts in New Jersey and New York. A key issue in both is how to ensure that legalized cannabis doesn’t just create another privatized, corporate monopoly, but instead repairs the harm that has been done by the war on drugs. Legalizing cannabis, repairing the economy. Our guests say, reparations and restorative justice for workers in the budding cannabis industry need to be a part of the conversation. Featuring: Drug Policy Alliance‘s NY State Director Kassandra Frederique, Greenworker Cooperatives‘ Communications Director Raybblin Vargas, and Cannaclusive‘s Founder and CEO Mary Pryor.

La legalización de la marihuana ha reportado a las arcas públicas de Canadá 186 millones de dólares canadienses (139 millones de dólares estadounidenses) entre octubre de 2018 y marzo de 2019, según datos dados del organismo público Estadísticas Canadá (EC). Los impuestos especiales a la marihuana suponen un dólar extra por cada gramo. De esta cifra, un 25 % va a parar a las arcas federales y el resto, a las provinciales. Los impuestos a la marihuana legal están haciendo que muchos consumidores de cannabis sigan recurriendo a la compra de marihuana de fuentes no legalizadas. Los datos de EC establecen que, mientras que el precio medio de un gramo de marihuana legal en Canadá es de 10 dólares canadienses , en el mercado negro el precio es de 6,4 dólares canadienses.

As Canada prepares to legalize marijuana this summer, politicians are facing growing calls to grant a blanket amnesty for people convicted under the existing drug laws – many of whom belong to marginalized groups. Since the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, was elected in 2015 on a manifesto promise to legalize cannabis, more than 15,000 people have been charged over marijuana-related offences – joining close to 500,000 Canadians with marijuana convictions on their criminal record. The Campaign for Cannabis Amnesty launched a petition asking the government to consider pardons for possession charges. The group hopes to gain at least 5,000 signatures by the end of May.

Hace cuatro meses, en el Senado de un país donde la guerra contra el narcotráfico ha dejado más de 250.000 muertos en poco más de una década, un empresario canadiense dedicado al negocio del cannabis dijo ante los congresistas: "Su localización en el mundo es perfecta, sus costos laborales son perfectos, su clima es perfecto (...) Dejen que las empresas privadas expandan sus negocios, que hagan lo que saben hacer". Los ojos de los grandes nombres en el negocio del cannabis están puestos en el Senado mexicano. Algunas empresas tienen cabilderos que recorren los pasillos de la Cámara alta con la esperanza de quedarse con una tajada de un negocio multimillonario.

El 17 de octubre de 2018 Canadá se convirtió en el segundo país en el mundo -después de Uruguay- en legalizar el uso recreativo de la marihuana. En ese momento, el optimismo se esparció entre los habitantes y vendedores de cannabis, generando una especie de "fiebre verde". Sin embargo, a más de un año de la puesta en marcha de la ley se han evidenciado una serie de deficiencias en cadena para adquirir y vender la hierba. Una de las principales preocupaciones es que el mercado negro de cannabis no ha desaparecido precisamente. Los impuestos especiales de un dólar por gramo y los costos de operar en una industria altamente regulada, generan que el cannabis legal aumente su precio esto hace que los consumidores prefieran comprar de manera ilegal.

Desde octubre del año pasado, Canadá legalizó el uso privado del cannabis. Este negocio se transformó en una mina de oro para muchos empresarios. El límite de posesión por persona es de 30 gramos. Ya previamente, Canadá era uno de los países con mayor consumo de marihuana per cápita en el mundo. El mercado negro se avalúa en cuatro mil millones de euros. "Todo el mercado está enloquecido por el cannabis", explica Mark Rendell. El periodista del diario The Globe and the Mail ha monitoreado por un año y medio la industria del cannabis. "No es normal que seamos pioneros en una industria. Pero debido a la legalización, es mucho más fácil para nosotros que los bancos y los accionistas financien el cannabis", explica Rendell.

Mark Rendell, a business journalists  for Canada's second-largest daily, The Globe and Mail, says the decision to legalize cannabis has led to a gold rush mentality within the emerging industry. He saw even sober-minded investors get "high" on cannabis stocks. He is skeptical in view of the many broken promises made by a lot of companies about their production targets so far. "Companies had to drive their story forward, they had to come out with press release after press release... saying we are going to build this and sell this because they were talking to a retail investor audience. So there was a real shock, how much they underperformed." (See also: Establishing territorial footprint has been what the race in Europe has been all about since mid 2016 for the Canadian LPs so far)