El boom del cultivo de marihuana amenaza ecosistemas del sur y este de España. La posibilidad de regular el mercado del cannabis avanza con fuerza en ese país y en otros de Europa, pero hasta el momento hay diferencias respecto a qué modelo de normativa utilizar: si basarse en la de Uruguay (que permite el autocultivo, el consumo por recreación y la producción medicinal) o en la de Canadá, más enfocada en la producción industrial y medicinal. Sobre esto -entre otros temas- trató el Cannabis Europa Madrid, un evento internacional en el que empresas, autoridades, científicos e inversores se reunieron para debatir sobre esto. (Véase también: ¿Canadá o Uruguay? Activistas e industria se enfrentan por el modelo de regulación del cannabis que quieren para España)

Investigadores de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid han clamado por regular el uso medicinal del cannabis para aquellas patologías sobre las que hay evidencias científicas de sus efectos terapéuticos porque, aunque no es "esencial para la vida, sí lo es para que vivamos bien". Así lo han expuesto los catedráticos de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid José Antonio Ramos y Manuel Guzmán y la profesora titular de Derecho Penal Araceli Manjón-Cabeza en la presentación de la obra "Usos medicinales del cannabis. ¿Qué sabemos de sus propiedades curativas?", en la Facultad de Medicina de la UCM.

The stakes for legalising cannabis in Morocco are rising. On 11 March, the Moroccan government approved Cannabis Legalization Framework, Bill 13-21, to regulate medical cannabis and industrial hemp. However, the bill still must be ratified by Parliament, and political debate on cannabis is intensifying amid the leadup to the September 2021 general elections. This is not the first attempt to legalise cannabis in Morocco. But unlike other efforts, this proposal has come directly from the sitting coalition government. "Although legalising the cultivation of medical cannabis and industrial is a first positive step, the proposal is limited because it doesn't include any regulatory framework on recreational cannabis," said Tom Blickman from the Transnational Institute.

Cannabis company Clever Leaves has only managed to export a few marijuana derivatives because of the tight regulations threatening to choke Colombia’s ganja industry. Colombia was one of the first countries to regulate the cultivation, commercialization and export of marijuana products. But businesses that invested in cannabis complain delays in regulatory adjustments are stemming exports and discouraging potential investors. The problem is especially serious given competition from other Latin American countries like Uruguay. Colombia has complicated regulations that demand legal cannabis growers get permissions from bodies ranging from agriculture and medical authorities to the anti-narcotics police and drug regulators. (See also: Cocaine country is embracing cannabis exports)

In recent years several African governments have changed their stance and implemented policies that legalise cannabis cultivation, manufacturing and processing, mostly for the export market. In southern Africa, Lesotho led from the front with South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and Eswatini also coming to the party in an effort to capitalise on what has been positioned as a future answer to dwindling foreign currency earnings for crops such as tobacco. What is enticing for these states is the existing size and purported potential of the industry over the next few years. (See also: A Sustainable Future for Cannabis Farmers)

Policy changes over the past five years or so have dramatically reshaped the global cannabis market. Not only has there been an unprecedented boom in medical markets, but following policy shifts in several jurisdictions a growing number of countries are also preparing for legal regulation of non-medical use. Such moves look set to bring a clear range of benefits in terms of health and human rights. As this groundbreaking Report, highlights, however, there are also serious concerns about the unfolding market dynamics.

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The cannabis plant is not new to Indonesia. According to Inang Winarso, executive director of the Sativa Nusantara Foundation, an organisation actively researching the use of medical marijuana, it was first brought by merchants and sailors from Gujarat in India to Aceh in the 14th century to be used not only for smoking, but also as a steeped drink, a cooking spice, and as a type of pest control. In recent years, grass roots efforts to legalise medical marijuana have gained ground, but by most accounts these seem bound for failure because the government remains resistant to the idea. The government has granted access to marijuana in limited quantities for research purposes, but it has never been serious about at least attempting to see marijuana as an alternative medicine.

Two years ago, Canadian cannabis companies were racing to scoop up international assets, from swaths of fertile land in southern Africa to cultivation licences in Jamaica and everything in between. Now, with fears of a cash crunch looming over the industry, some of the same producers who spent tens of millions to build an international presence have started dialling back, putting projects on hold or divesting of their foreign operations altogether. And it’s a trend that some pot analysts expect will only intensify over the next 12 months. “Licensed producers are now in a capital constrained environment and investors want to see profitability.” (See: ‘Building a new industry from scratch is hard’: Cannabis firms brace for more spilled blood in 2020)

France is Europe’s biggest cannabis consumer, despite having some of the continent’s toughest laws against the drug. In response to this failure of the law to act as a deterrent, a group of MPs from across the political spectrum have launched an initiative to shift the terms of the debate on this issue. The first step in these MPs’ bid to encourage the French political class to be more open to the idea of legalising cannabis was a citizens’ consultation launched on January 13. More than 175,000 people responded on the Assemblée Nationale’s website – compared to an average of 30,000 responses to such consultations. This consultation, open until February 28, has two objectives: to better understand the French public’s views about cannabis, and to understand what government policies people want.

As a nearly unanimous French Senate gave medical marijuana the green light, France will start experimenting the use of medical marijuana for “about two years”, pending the approval of the health ministry. According to patient groups, somewhere between 300,000 and 1 million patients could be eligible to its use. The use of medical cannabis will be strictly controlled. Doctors will be permitted to prescribe it only as a last resort, after trying other available therapeutic treatments. In December 2018, the National Agency for the Safety of Health Products identified possible applications for medical cannabis: cancer, certain types of epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, palliative care, and pain that does not respond to usual treatments. (See also: Is France about to legalise cannabis?)

Last summer in France, dozens of “CBD cafés” suddenly opened across the country. Exploiting a legal loophole originally created for hemp farmers, these pop-up businesses sold queuing customers oils, drinks and salves infused with cannabidiol, a cannabis compound that is a faddish if unproven “cure” for insomnia, anxiety and more. The French government reacted quickly and by mid-June had officially prohibited the sale of CBD. The CBD cafés vanished within a month. But France’s brief experiment with cannabidiol seems to have started a movement to legalize cannabis, which has been illegal since 1970.

French MPs discussed a bill this week to legalise the consumption of cannabis. Proposed by the hard-left France Unbowed party (LFI), it is not expected to find government support, but several recent polls show public opinion shifting in favour of legalisation. Caroline Janvier and Jean-Baptiste Moreau from the ruling LREM party were among MPs from five parliamentary groups in support of a bill which would "legalise the production, sale and consumption of cannabis under state control". A similar proposal put forward by Esther Benbassa from the France Unbowed party back in 2014 was rejected.

A scientific committee convened by the French government has concluded that it might be “appropriate” to legalise cannabis for therapeutic use in a report. The committee, convened by France's ANSM (the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products), stated that it would be “appropriate to authorise the use of therapeutic cannabis […] in certain clinical situations and in cases where [existing] therapies provide insufficient relief or are not well tolerated”. According to the committee, the law should authorise the use of the plant in cases of severe pain, for certain types of epilepsy, as part of ancillary care for cancer patients, in certain “palliative situations” and for the muscular contractions linked to multiple sclerosis.

Growing ganja has provided new hope for villagers in Thailand to diversify their income. Since the government legalised the use of cannabis for medicinal and research purposes in Feb 2019, ganja has become a highly-regarded cash crop. The Kasikorn Research Centre forecasts that the market value of medical cannabis in Thailand will reach anywhere between 3.6 billion to 7.2 billion baht this year. At present, individuals are not allowed to farm cannabis and hemp unless they register themselves as a community enterprise. Each group must have at least seven members and must have contact with a local hospital, including small-scale Tambon Health Promotion Hospitals (THPH).

Germany has awarded contracts to supply domestically-grown cannabis to two Canadian companies, as it seeks to develop its own medicinal marijuana industry and reduce reliance on imports. Drugs regulator BfArM said it would purchase 4,000 kg and 3,200 kg of cannabis over four years from German production subsidiaries of Canada’s Aurora Cannabis and Aphria, respectively. Another tender over a four-year harvest of 3200 kg has been delayed because an unidentified bidder who lost out is challenging the procedure with a regulator. The first home-grown harvest is slated for late 2020. (See also: Canopy Growth CEO expects to hit $1B in revenue for fiscal year 2020)

Germany's government is taking steps toward the legalization of cannabis by publishing the draft bill for the first pillar of a two-pillar model designed to dismantle prohibition policies. German's Ministry of Health published on July 5 the long-waited draft bill to regulate the use of cannabis for personal use, home growing, and the establishment of cannabis growers' associations designed similarly to the cannabis social clubs' model. The proposed legislation aims to address the first pillar of a comprehensive two-pillar model that will put an end to cannabis prohibition. Under the draft bill, adults aged 18 and above will be allowed to possess up to 25 grams for personal use and cultivate a maximum of three plants. (See also: Top German officials unveil draft marijuana legalization bill)

The Ganja Growers and Producers Association (GGPA) welcomed the start of the consultation process for the special permit policy for the cannabis industry. The Cannabis Licencing Authority (CLA) said it had begun meeting with stakeholders on the Cultivator's (transitional) Special Permit Policy. The policy is geared towards transitioning small or subsistence farmers who currently find it challenging to obtain a licence to enter into the medical cannabis industry. While the GGPA welcomed the development, the association said it was alarmed that it was not consulted about the policy. The association noted that it has over 4,000 registered members of which over 600 are currently active.

Ghana has legalized the use of cannabis for health and industrial purposes as it joins other African countries hoping to derive economic and health benefits from the substance. On Friday the country’s Parliament passed into law the Narcotics Control Commission Bill, 2019. The law now makes the country’s Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) a Commission with enhanced powers to oversee the industrial use of some narcotic substances. The Commission, however, will have the mandate to control and eliminate the trafficking of prohibited narcotic drugs to ensure public safety. The Hemp Association of Ghana (HAG) has already signed a deal with a Ghanaian-owned Cannabis business operator based in Portugal. (See also: Ghana legalises use of cannabis for health and industrial purposes)

Cam Battley believes that in the not-too-distant future, his company — one of Canada’s largest licensed producers — will be exporting a “significant chunk” of the cannabis it is growing domestically. “We have a massive market over in Europe, even in Latin America,” says Battley, chief corporate officer at Aurora Cannabis Inc. “These countries are legalizing medicinal cannabis one by one but they’re not growing as much as us. They’re going to need product, and we’ve already got the ball rolling on exporting.”  It’s a sentiment shared by other major producers that are spending tens of millions of dollars to build up international footholds with the intent of being key players in the emerging global cannabis industry. But before they can make good on those ambitions, some things will have to change.

The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) was set to hold a significant vote to reclassify cannabis as a medicine, a historic change to international drug control treaties drafted nearly sixty years ago. But that vote isn’t happening, according to a draft decision. “After politically tense and lengthy informal negotiations these past weeks, everything points to that there will not be a vote on any of the WHO recommendations this coming week,” Martin Jelsma, the program director for drugs and democracy at the Transnational Institute (TNI), said. "Several countries pushed hard to vote on and accept at least the deletion of cannabis from Schedule IV of the Single Convention, but in the end agreed to a compromise to postpone all, in return for a clear timeline for taking a vote within a year."