Era cuestión de tiempo que los adeptos a la marihuana buscasen alternativas legales para poder consumir libremente sin sentirse susceptibles de alterar la salud pública, y esa alternativa ya ha llegado. Se llama CBD (Cannabidiol), y aunque posee un porcentaje de THC (Tetrahidrocannabinol) -el principio activo de la planta que es psicoactivo- este es inferior al 0,2%. Es decir, lo permitido por ley. Esta es la novedosa sustancia con propiedades diferentes al tradicional cannabis y que se está convirtiendo en todo un ‘boom’ entre jóvenes y personas con enfermedades crónicas.

The four-year-old Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) reached another major milestone last week by issuing its 50th licence for medicinal use of the drug. The 50th licensee is Outlier Biopharma, a Montego Bay-based company, which provides consulting and advisory services to companies that wish to expand capacity and lower their operational cost, while improving their return on investment. In making the announcement, the CLA acknowledged that, as at October 31 this year, it had issued a total of 49 licences. There are a further 16 applications at the granted stage that will be issued on the payment of the respective fees and security bonds. In addition, there are 259 applications at the conditionally approved stage. (See also: Americans behind Jamaica's latest medical hemp company)

Fernanda de la Figuera, la activista más veterana de España por la legalización del cannabis, será juzgada este miércoles en Málaga, vista oral que se suspendió el pasado abril por unos hechos que se remontan a 2014, cuando le requisaron las plantas de su huerto con las que se abastecían con fines terapéuticos y medicinales más de un centenar de socias de una asociación de mujeres. El fiscal solicita para ella cuatro años de cárcel para ella en un procedimiento judicial representantes de la Universidad, las letras, el movimiento asociativo y el derecho consideran un despropósito, fruto de la ausencia de una regulación del cannabis en nuestro país, y que exigen, por ello, el sobreseimiento de la causa contra esta mujer de 76 años, la "Abuela Marihuana".

Madrid va a vivir un fin de semana muy verde y muy festivo. Organizaciones cannábicas de todo el país han convocado la Marcha Mundial de la Marihuana, que se celebra anualmente en más de 700 ciudades del mundo para exigir la legalización del cannabis y que en la capital de España partirá mañana sábado, 18 horas, de la Puerta del Sol, amenizada por varios grupos de reggae y rap. El año pasado participaron 25.000 personas y Confac, una de las entidades convocantes, confía en que mañana aumentará la asistencia. (Véase también: Los partidarios de que la 'maría' sea legal toman la Gran Vía madrileña)

Interest in Colombia’s medical marijuana market is booming, but out of over 100 licensed cannabis companies operating in the country few have finished registering their first cultivars, a prerequisite to growing crops for commercial purposes. So far, no company is selling or exporting medical cannabis commercially. That highlights the challenges still facing businesses operating in Colombia’s medical marijuana industry. A year ago, most Colombian cannabis companies were focused on obtaining licenses and securing funding. Today, many boast immense licensed areas, theoretical production capacities, sophisticated marketing plans and low expected costs of production. But mandatory regulatory issues still remain the key hurdle likely to separate the leaders from the rest of the pack.

Other countries are passing laws to permit the production, import and export of medical marijuana but Colombia has a leg up because it did so three years ago, says Rodrigo Arcila, president of the Colombian Cannabis Industry Association. He said the group's 29 member companies have invested more than $600 million in building medical marijuana facilities. Arcila maintains that Colombia can produce cannabis products at lower prices than competitors due to affordable land, relatively low wages and an abundance of skilled farm hands who cut their teeth in Colombia's booming flower business. As an emerging venture it's unclear how the medical marijuana business will play out.

A finales de este año, Colombia podría estar realizando su primera exportación comercial de marihuana medicinal, después de dos años de haberse aprobado la regulación para el cultivo de este producto. Esto marcará un hito para esta industria, que más pronto que tarde apunta a estar en el top de las exportaciones del país, según empresarios del sector. En 2016 se aprobó la Ley 1787 sobre el acceso al uso médico y científico del cannabis y sus derivados, pero solo fue reglamentada en abril del 2017 con el decreto 613. Desde entonces, en el país se han concedido 331 licencias para producir marihuana medicinal. Si bien el total de licencias no significa que todas las personas o empresas ya estén produciendo cannabis medicinal, sí da una idea del interés que tiene la industria.

Las compañías de cannabis se apresuran a establecer operaciones en Colombia, con el fin de posicionarse en una de las capitales de la droga más específicas de América Latina, una medida que los gobiernos de todo el mundo adoptan la floreciente industria legal de la marihuana. Los productores, muchos con respaldo financiero de empresas de Canadá y Estados Unidos, estiman que se han invertido hasta US $ 500 millones para comprar tierras agrícolas, construir invernaderos y establecer laboratorios para producir aceites, cremas y otros productos que contienen cannabidiol, o CBD, un extracto utilizado para tratar una gran variedad de afecciones, desde dolor crónico hasta insomnio. (Véase también: Los desafíos del cannabis medicinal en Colombia)

Fernanda de la Figuera, la activista más veterana de España por la legalización del cannabis, ha sido condenada por el Juzgado de lo Penal número 5 de Málaga a 9 meses de prisión y una multa de 10.000 euros por el cultivo y distribución de la marihuana de la que se abastecía la asociación de mujeres MaríasxMaría con fines terapéuticos, una pena inferior a la de cuatro años de cárcel que solicitaba para ella el fiscal. La sentencia, que va a ser recurrida por Fernanda de la Figuera, también conocida como la abuela marihuana, considera probado que esta mujer, de 76 años, es culpable de un delito de tráfico de drogas de "sustancias que no causan grave daño a la salud". (Véase también: La 'Abuela Marihuana', condenada a nueve meses de cárcel aunque no entrará en prisión)

Preliminary research is emerging out of Canada that certain strains of the psychoactive drug cannabis may also increase resistance to the coronavirus. If the study, which is not yet peer reviewed, can be verified, it would appear that cannabis works in a similar way to nicotine. As with the research into nicotine's effect on the coronavirus, it is thought that some strains of cannabis reduce the virus' ability to enter the lungs, where it takes hold, reproduces and spreads. In a paper on preprints.org,  where scientists can publish non-peer-reviewed results, the researchers write that their specially developed strains of cannabis effectively stop the virus from entering the human body.  

A new study suggests cannabis could be a safer and more effective substitute for opioids in the treatment of chronic pain, but can it help fight the opioid crisis? Researchers at the University of British Columbia and the B.C. Centre on Substance Use conducted over 5,000 interviews with 1,152 people who used heroin and other drugs and reported chronic pain at some point from June 2014 to June 2017.  The participants were largely from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, and lead author M-J Milloy said the study aimed to discover "new interventions" that might "lower or address the risk of overdose" in heavy opioid users.

L'impact de la culture du cannabis sur la biodiversité et les ressources a été au centre d'un webinaire organisé à l'initiative de l'Alliance marocaine pour le climat et le développement durable, en collaboration avec l'Union internationale pour la conservation de la nature (UICN). Tom Blickman, chargé de projet senior au Transnational Institute, un think tank d’Amsterdam, a indiqué qu’au cours des 50 dernières années, les cultivateurs de cannabis marocains ont fait preuve d’une remarquable résilience aux tentatives du gouvernement d’éradiquer ou de réduire la culture du cannabis, ainsi que d’une capacité remarquable à s’adapter aux conditions changeantes du marché international. le défi est de trouver un modèle de développement durable qui inclut la culture du cannabis au Maroc.

The Czech government has approved a draft amendment to the Act on Addictive Substances that will allow issuing licences to both grow and export medical marijuana. The bill would also newly allow more than a single central producer, with the State Institute for Drug Control granting licences to smaller ones. People suffering from a range of diseases have long called for making medical marijuana, which has been technically legal in the Czech Republic for many years now, easier to obtain and less expensive. This January, public health insurance was extended to cover medical marijuana, under certain conditions. (See also: Seznam: Medical cannabis prescriptions on the rise)

The Czech Ministry of Health has indicated that it will take marijuana off the list of banned substances and allow it to be prescribed by doctors for its medical effects. “By the end of this year we will submit to parliament an amended law on addictive substances which will move marihuana from the list of banned substances to the list of those which can be prescribed,” Deputy Health Minister Martin Plíšek pledged.

Tourists in Prague may get the impression that the Czech capital is also the cannabis capital of Europe. From stickers to posters, the iconic leaf of the marijuana plant is all over the place. It adorns the windows and facades of plenty of shops offering everything someone might need to grow the plant. But that first impression is misleading. These products contain at most 1% of the psychoactive substance tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and they won't get you high. The possession of up to 10 grams of marijuana, hashish or hemp oil or the growing of up to five cannabis plants is an offense with a fine of up to €500. Around 20,000 Czechs are fined each year. (See also: Czech Republic plans to legalize cannabis in coordination with Germany)

The Obama administration has denied a bid by two Democratic governors to reconsider how it treats marijuana under federal drug control laws, keeping the drug for now in the most restrictive category for U.S. law enforcement purposes. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) chief Chuck Rosenberg says the decision is rooted in science. Rosenberg gave "enormous weight" to conclusions by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that marijuana has "no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States". (See also: DEA decides not to loosen restrictions on marijuana, keeping it schedule 1 (with heroin))

The Lebanese government is looking to cannabis cultivation for medicinal and industrial purposes to improve the country's economic situation. Lebanon is the third most indebted country in the world, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 170%. Parliamentary committees passed a draft law on Feb. 26, legalizing cannabis cultivation for medical and industrial use. The draft law will be transferred to the parliament for approval. The Lebanese Parliament closed due to the coronavirus outbreak, but, the law is expected to pass after it reconvenes. The type of plant that Lebanon seeks to cultivate is specific to medical industries. The Lebanese state does not accept the use of hashish as a resource to support the economy.

Desde el esquejado de la planta hasta el empaque final: así recorre la producción de cannabis medicinal la primera plataforma que, de la mano de una disruptiva "blockchain", rompe tabúes y garantiza transparencia en el paso a paso de su elaboración. El proyecto, ideado en el Centro de Innovación y Emprendimientos de la Universidad ORT hace un año, fue pensado para la productora de cannabis medicinal Uruguay Can pero es, a su vez, pionero en el mundo al combinar el uso de "blockchain" (cadena de bloques) con la trazabilidad de un producto tan particular. La app garantizará la calidad del producto y despejará dudas del consumidor.

The Delhi High Court has sought Centre's response over a plea filed by Great Legalisation Movement India Trust (GLMIT) challenging certain provisions of the law that prohibits and criminalises the use of cannabis. The GLM has challenged the constitutional validity of provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act) and the NDPS Rules which prohibit and criminalise the use of cannabis or industrial hemp and restrict its use. The plea has sought court's directions to the government to frame rules permitting and regulating use of cannabis, especially for medicinal purposes. (See also: HC issues notice on plea against cannabis use | Delhi HC issues notice in plea challenging prohibition and criminalization of cannabis use in India)

The Danish government announced that as of 2018, doctors will be able to prescribe medicinal cannabis to certain patients. The government said that a four-year trial programme will allow “a defined patient group” to be treated with medical cannabis. The Danish Medicine Authority (Lægemiddelstyrelsen) determined that ailments eligible for the treatment are multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, spinal cord injuries and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. (It’s official: Medicinal cannabis trial to light up in 2018 | Danish farmers going to pot, but in a good way for a change)