It’s been five years since the Canadian government legalized and regulated non-medical cannabis cultivation, commerce, and consumption. California is ahead of us by two years, having followed a similar experiment in 2016 when it legalized recreational cannabis. Today, California and Canada are facing similar challenges though they have adopted vastly different regulations. The two jurisdictions offer an interesting contrast in how regulatory frameworks can support or undermine a nascent legal cannabis industry. Evidence from the past five years suggests that the regulations have failed to provide equitable access to the industry and develop balanced tax structures. Legalization in Canada and California also remains hampered by the legacy of global cannabis prohibition.

Se ha cumplido un año de la legalización canadiense del cannabis recreativo. Canadá fue el segundo país –después de Uruguay- en insertar en el marco legal la mariguana con fines lúdicos, pero ha sido hasta el momento el único miembro del G20 en llevar a cabo una medida de ese calado en todo su territorio. “El escenario negativo tan publicitado simplemente no ocurrió. Se temía un aumento del consumo y consecuencias en la esfera laboral. También se imaginaban salas de urgencias saturadas. La legalización entró en vigor, va avanzando y refleja que es mejor que la prohibición. Por supuesto que está el tema del mercado negro. Aún es muy grande, pero tomará tiempo para que se reduzca significativamente”, comenta Jean-Sébastien Fallu, profesor en la Universidad de Montreal

Dozens of legal cannabis producers, backed by billions in investor capital, were expected to put the black market on its heels, launching Canada to the forefront of an expanding global industry with the promise of mass-produced, high-quality, heavily regulated marijuana. But scandals, sluggish earnings and executive shakeups have replaced the soaring expectations of a year ago. Government data show that the legal market has only supplanted 14 per cent of the black market since legalization on Oct. 17, 2018, and some are concerned that further inroads may be difficult to come by. One of the biggest problems was that the industry’s early focus on scale — something that was largely a symptom of the push to raise capital ahead of legalization — distracted it from other important considerations.

The Australian Capital Territory law to legalise cannabis possession appears to “do nothing to end the continuing operation” of commonwealth offences, Christian Porter has warned. The attorney general’s comments suggest Canberra cannabis users will be left in legal limbo when the laws take effect from February, contradicting the ACT government’s claim that its law provides a defence to the federal offence. The Morrison government has stepped up its rhetoric against the laws. Health minister, Greg Hunt, accused the ACT government of being “blind and indifferent to the health consequences” of cannabis after asking it what medical evidence was considered before legalising it.

Activistas del cannabis en Uruguay realizó una “concentración y fumata” frente a la Suprema Corte de Justicia (SCJ) en reclamo por el “excesivo punitivismo ejercido por los operadores judiciales y policiales” sobre los autocultivadores de cannabis. Esta persecución se realiza en el marco legal generado por “la LUC [Ley de Urgente Consideración], el Nuevo Código del Proceso Penal y las instrucciones de fiscalía en referencia al combate al microtráfico”. “Tras haberse regulado en 2013 en nuestro país la producción y expendio de marihuana en flor, nos enfrentamos hoy por hoy a una política de seguridad pública y drogas con un pronunciado sesgo belicista y prohibicionista”, continúa la misiva. (Véase también: A través de un convenio con el Ircca, la Policía puede acceder sin intermediarios a las direcciones de los clubes cannábicos)

Established medical cannabis companies could be looking to set their foot in Malta’s flegdling recreational cannabis market, according to sources. Releaf, the NGO that led the campaign to legalise recreational cannabis, fear that the sacking of the Authority for Responsible Use of Cannabis’s first director could lead to the dealer-driven black economy for cannabis poised for a takeover “an equally profit-driven market run by a few friends in high places”. Mariella Dimech was sacked after 10 months in the job, with not one single licence for the non-profit cannabis ‘clubs’ having yet been issued. Dimech complained that she had been left without a functional office, staff, budget or political strategy with which to carry out her job. (See also: McKay appointment a ‘direct insult to the spirit of the law’, says Releaf Malta)

Teen marijuana use fell sharply in Colorado in the years 2014 and 2015, after the opening of that state's recreational marijuana market, new federal survey data show. The state-level data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that 18.35 percent of Coloradans ages 12 to 17 had used marijuana in the past year in 2014 or 2015, down sharply from 20.81 percent in 2013/2014. That works out to roughly a 12 percent drop in marijuana use, year-over-year. Year-over-year teen marijuana use fell in most states during that time period, including in Washington, the other state to open recreational marijuana markets in 2014. But that drop wasn't statistically significant.

The European Union is currently a hotchpotch of different approaches to cannabis use, ranging from complete prohibition to different levels of decriminalisation and tolerance. Even in liberal enclaves like Barcelona and Amsterdam, the sale of cannabis from licensed clubs or outlets, is only allowed on murky legal grounds. But legalisation remains a rarity, with only Luxembourg preceding Malta in plans to legalise home-growing of a limited number of plants. But that is about to change as Germany, the EU’s economic powerhouse and most populous and influential country, is set to embark on legalisation, which could well have an impact across the continent.

Voters in some parts of Alaska rejected efforts to ban commercial marijuana cultivation and retail sales, three years after the nation’s largest state passed a voter initiative legalizing the recreational use of the drug. The votes came during local elections in the state’s major marijuana growing areas — in and around Fairbanks and on the Kenai Peninsula southwest of Anchorage. All lost by wide margins. If the bans had been successful, they would have forced retail stores and cultivation facilities to close within 90 days and that would have left a gaping hole for other retail stores across the state in need of product. Personal use and growing pot at home for that use would still be allowed.

Albania plans to legalise the cultivation of cannabis for medical purposes, six years after beginning a crackdown on an illegal trade that turned it, by some accounts, into Europe’s largest outdoor grower of cannabis. Prime Minister Edi Rama said the time was ripe for one of Europe’s poorest countries to enter the lucrative market, emulating its neighbours North Macedonia, Greece and Italy - the latter a destination of tonnes of cannabis from Albania. “Illegal cultivation is completely under control,” Rama said. “This is the third or fourth year of consolidation. We plan to pass the bill in this session of parliament.” Villagers were asking for a full amnesty for those convicted on cannabis charges - not merely the amnesty for dodging tax on illicit earnings that Rama is proposing in addition to the legalisation.

The Albanian government is close to concluding a draft law which allows for the cultivation of medical cannabis in the country. According to Rama, the government has been working on the draft law for a year now after continuous consultations with foreign experts. "The draft will be available very soon for public discussion, just like the one on the fiscal amnesty, which is ready and is being discussed with several international institutions," Rama said, emphasizing the importance of these discussions. The EU delegation to Albania stepped in to clarify that it had not been involved "in preparation, drafting or consultation of draft reports concerning plans for cultivation and legalization of cannabis for medical purposes in Albania."

The second draft of a law on cultivating and processing cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes has been put forward by the Albanian government, bringing the plant another step closer to at least partial legalisation. Albania has a long reputation for being one of the biggest producers and exporters of cannabis, as well as having extensive gang networks in Europe. But now, the government wants to legalise the herb and reap the tax and investment benefits. In July, a first draft was proposed under which licenses will be granted for 15 years with a right of renewal. The new draft states that those applying to cultivate medicinal cannabis must hold another similar license in an OECD country and a Good Manufacturing Practice from the European Medicines Agency or Food and Drug Administration.

La junta de tratamiento de la cárcel aprobó la concesión del tercer grado a Albert Tió y a Víctor Segués, respectivamente presidente y tesorero de Airam y condenado en el mismo proceso, primero para que pudieran salir de prisión los fines de semana y después también de lunes a viernes, entre las siete de la mañana y las ocho de la tarde. Sigue pendiente de la resolución del Gobierno a su petición de indulto, a la que se han sumado más de 20.000 firmas, pero ya ha perdido la batalla en el Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos, que, según le han notificado, ha desestimado la admisión de su solicitud de amparo. De momento, tendrá que seguir pasándose cerca de tres horas al día en un coche haciendo el trayecto de ida y vuelta entre Lledoners y su casa.

El presidente Alberto Fernández aseguró que no tiene "problema" que durante su gestión se abra el debate sobre la legalización de la marihuana en Argentina, la comparó con el consumo de alcohol y advirtió que es "el mayor problema en los jóvenes" pero que pasa eso "no hay restricciones". Para el mandatario "hay algunas cosas sobre las que no tiene sentido" discutir, como por ejemplo "que el consumo de marihuana se ha expandido y que muchos jóvenes la consumen", pero "también es cierto que la marihuana es nociva, que como toda droga genera perjuicios a la salud". (Véase también: El gobierno habilitó el registro para autorizar el cultivo de cannabis medicinal)

The US House of Representatives passed a bill to expand cannabis industry access to banking. While a version of that bill stalled in the last Senate, Democrats now have a majority. Major companies are taking notice. Cannabis Wire was the first news organization to report that Marlboro maker Altria had started to get into cannabis lobbying at the state level, through its registration on cannabis sales in Virginia, and that the company planned to lobby at the federal level. Last month, Altria joined Molson Coors and other mainstream companies, like Brink’s, to launch the national Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education, and Regulation. Then, this month, the Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity and the Reason Foundation launched another national group called the Cannabis Freedom Alliance.

La semana pasada tendría que haberse presentado el borrador de ley para la legalización del cannabis en Alemania según los planes del ministro de Salud, Karl Lauterbach, a quién el Gobierno alemán ha encargado el proyecto. Pero no ha habido novedades. Según el medio alemán LTO, el retraso se debe en parte a que varios ministros estuvieron enfermos y no pudieron acudir a una reunión previa sobre el tema que estaba programada para el miércoles. Aún así, según las fuentes consultadas por el medio, el proyecto sigue sin estar acabado y hay novedades que apuntan a que el Gobierno prevé renunciar a una legalización que incluya la producción y venta de cannabis, al menos en un primer momento.

El Gobierno de coalición de Alemania avanza hacia la legalización del cannabis y el ministro de Salud, Karl Lauterbach, confirmó que está previsto tener listo un proyecto de ley para finales de este año. En su intervención durante una serie de consultas con expertos en Berlín, Lauterbach dijo que la legalización del cannabis era "un paso largamente esperado por muchos". "El consumo de cannabis con moderación, de forma segura, de alta calidad y sin delitos en su adquisición es algo que debe aceptarse y forma parte de una sociedad moderna", aseguró el ministro de Salud alemán. El jefe de la cartera sanitaria germana remarcó sin embargo que aún debían aclararse varias cuestiones, entre ellas la protección de los menores, pero también aspectos relativos al código penal, así como la legislación fiscal y de tráfico.

El debate sobre la legalización del cannabis ha aterrizado en la política alemana: "Introduciremos la distribución controlada de cannabis para adultos con fines de consumo en tiendas autorizadas”, dice el acuerdo de coalición del actual gobierno federal, formado por los Verdes, liberales (FDP) y socialdemócratas (SPD). De aprobarse, la nueva ley podría afectar a muchas personas. El economista Julius Haucamp dijo que se calcula que cuatro millones de personas consumen cannabis en Alemania, la mayoría de ellas ocasionalmente. Aunque todas las señales apuntan hacia la legalización, cada tres minutos un consumidor de cannabis es penalizado en Alemania según la actual ley de estupefacientes.