Tag: cannabis

Only One European Country’s Cannabis Policy Is Actually Undermining The Illicit Market

In the last several decades, Europe has made significant strides in its approach to legalized cannabis use, moving from strict criminalization and prohibition to decriminalization and legalized medical and adult-use models. In addition to expanding healthcare and adult-use access to cannabis use, it’s also important to discuss what impact these varying policies have in counteracting the foothold of illicit cannabis markets throughout the European Union.

Under E.U. law, many countries encounter hurdles in legalizing adult-use commercial cannabis, as they likely would be subject to penalties under the European Court of Justice. For this reason, several countries—including the Netherlands, Malta, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Germany—have taken unique approaches to cannabis policy.

Germany, however, stands out in terms of producing a measurable impact to push back against the illicit cannabis market.

The Netherlands: A Tolerance Model Without Market Control

Long seen as a pioneer, the Netherlands’ approach to cannabis is based on tolerance rather than legalization. Adults can purchase small quantities of cannabis from Dutch “coffee shops,” which are tolerated but not fully legalized. These shops are forced to source products from an illegal supply chain due to a lack of legal production.

In terms of impact, the tolerated model might seem like a considerable way to go, as every adult in the Netherlands can access coffee shops. However, in terms of control, product safety and regulation, the Dutch cannabis system is vulnerable, as the whole value chain is not regulated and the products are produced illegally for the coffee shops.

Due to the drawbacks of the tolerance model, the Netherlands has just initiated its Weed Experiment. The experiment will allow coffee shops in 10 municipalities to sell legally produced and supplied cannabis. A report on the results of the closed-loop experiment is expected for 2028.

Malta: Liberal on Paper, Constrained in Practice

Malta decriminalized cannabis use in 2015 and, in 2021, became the first European Union country to allow the cultivation and private personal use of cannabis. However, the market remains heavily restricted.

The government permits adult cultivation of cannabis (up to four plants) and personal possession of seven grams when away from home and 50 grams at home. The country also legalized nonprofit cannabis associations that can distribute cannabis to their members. These clubs are limited to 500 people, and membership is only available to residents. However, the public consumption, transportation and sale of cannabis are still banned and can result in fines.

With club membership strictly limited, public consumption outlawed and no other options for adults to legally purchase cannabis outside of the nonprofit associations, the market remains very limited. As of May 2025, no public information is available detailing the exact amount of cannabis provided by these associations to their members.

Luxembourg: Legalization Without Access

In 2021, Luxembourg legalized cannabis cultivation for adult use. However, it wasn’t until two years later, in 2023, that the country defined its legal cultivation and possession rules for personal use. Under the law, adults can grow up to four plants and possess three grams. However, consumption, transportation, and sale in public spaces are still banned and can result in fines.

As reported by the Luxembourg Times, 46.3 percent of the country’s residents have tried cannabis at least once in their lives, including 14.2 percent who have used the plant within the last year and 7.8 percent in the past month, according to an ILRES poll. Just under seven out of ten people who grow cannabis at home said they started cultivation after the government legalized home grow, amounting to just 11.5 percent of recent users.

Despite homegrow gaining moderate interest from residents after legalization, there has not been a significant growth in users, and this has not resulted in an explosion in the market. For now, the market remains stagnant and limited in counteracting illicit sellers due to the country’s lack of legalized sales marketplaces as well as restrictions on public consumption.

Switzerland: Research-Oriented but Limited in Scope

Switzerland has taken a scientific approach through pilot programs across seven major cities to determine the viability of cannabis legalization and controlled distribution within the country over 10 years.

While the pilot programs are set up to allow recreational cannabis commerce at a local level, in terms of true societal impact, this initial rollout does not serve as a solution to counteract the illicit cannabis market. This is mainly due to the limited availability of the majority of Swiss residents. Only Swiss residents who have previously established histories of using cannabis can purchase through the pilot program entities. These pilot programs are also limited to a maximum of a few hundred or a few thousand participants.

Germany: A Functional, Scalable Legal Medical Market

Germany’s cannabis market is widely hailed as one of Europe’s most progressive. On April 1, 2024, the country passed The Cannabis Act (CanG), reclassifying cannabis as a non-narcotic. Through this, administrative burdens were eased for medical cannabis patients and prescribing doctors. CanG also allows possession of up to 25 grams of cannabis and cultivation of up to 3 plants, and it permits the rollout of not-for-profit cannabis clubs.

In January 2025, my medical cannabis company, Bloomwell Group, released its “Cannabis 2024 in Germany: A new era for patients in Germany” report. According to the report, in December 2024, the number of prescriptions issued increased by a little less than 1,000 percent compared to March 2024, following the reclassification of cannabis. The rise of patients who are now able to access cannabis for various medical conditions signals a shift in the perception of cannabis being used for its wellness properties in the medical space.

Telemedical technology in the sector has also positively impacted growth and counteracted the illicit market. Telemedical platforms offer convenience for patients and the physicians who prescribe their treatment. This is extremely helpful to patients who are located in rural or isolated areas of Germany and have geographic limitations in accessing healthcare professionals for their medical needs.

The Bloomwell report also revealed that medical cannabis prices dropped to an all-time low by the end of 2024. During October and November 2024, select strains were available for just €3.99 per gram, a stark contrast to previous pricing models. These decreases are due to a steady supply and increased demand for medical cannabis as the number of self-paying patients continues to soar.

Such demand continues to open doors for international imports of medical cannabis to supply the growing market. Just in the first quarter of 2025, more than 37 tonnes of cannabis for medical or scientific purposes have been imported to Germany, according to the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM).

Unlike other legalized markets, like California in the U.S., which fell victim to being dwarfed by a behemoth illicit market, the passage of CanG served as a catalyst to boom the German medical market, and with more patients able to access cannabis, prices of the plant actually decreased. This allowed the legalized medical market to stay competitive with the illicit market.

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DEA Promotes Claim That Marijuana Could Be More Likely To Cause Psychosis Than Meth

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is giving weight to the idea that marijuana could be more likely to cause psychosis than methamphetamine is—promoting a recent article where a psychiatrist indicated that the jury is out on the question.

In an email blast on Wednesday, DEA’s Just Think Twice campaign shared a link to the story from The Lund Report, with a subject line that asks: “Meth or Cannabis…Which Raises Risk of Psychosis More?”

“Studies have linked early and heavy use of cannabis to schizophrenia and psychosis,” DEA said, while prominently featuring a quote from Oregon-based psychiatrist David Rettew, who said there’s “overwhelming evidence that cannabis use, particularly for young people, changes the brain, and this is particularly true for adolescents.”

“But when it comes to psychosis, there’s really strong evidence at this point that cannabis raises the risk of psychotic disorders more than other drugs, even methamphetamines, which is surprising,” Rettew said.

While that was the only reference to meth in the original article, DEA evidently felt the standalone quote warranted more attention, with a subject line that indicated it was a key component of the reporting in the agency’s view.

This comes amid lingering questions about how DEA will navigate a pending marijuana rescheduling proposal that was initiated under the Biden administration. And while the agency has long been known to promote sensational claims about the risks of cannabis use, it appears there’s been a stepped-up push to reinforce that message, particularly for youth.

For example, DEA recently teamed up with an anti-marijuana organization to mark “National Prevention Week,” promoting a campaign that encourages people to share memes with dubious claims about the effects of cannabis—including the theory that it is a “gateway drug” to using other substances.

The memes ran the gamut, citing certain reports and studies that have been contradicted by other research. One meme claimed that cannabis use is associated with a 50 percent decrease in sperm count, which the DEA-promoted meme suggested could contribute to infertility.

In March, DEA separately promoted an “Anti-420 Day” campaign with Johnny’s Ambassadors that recruited students to send short videos warning their peers about marijuana use.

The plan was to “flood” Instagram with the short-form videos that would feature students talking about “why young people should not use THC.”

DEA has developed a reputation for its awkward messaging and educational materials around youth drug use.

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Nebraska Lawmakers Move Forward With Plan To Outlaw Most Consumable Hemp And THC Products

A legislative proposal that would ban most consumable hemp and other THC products in Nebraska advanced Tuesday without amendments as opponents blocked changes.

Throughout a four-hour debate on Legislative Bill 316, from state Sen. Kathleen Kauth (R) of the Millard area, only a handful of senators spoke. That’s because of pointed opposition from state Sen. John Cavanaugh (D) of Omaha, who filed nearly 30 motions or amendments throughout the bill’s life, largely to push senators toward considering regulations instead of a ban.

LB 316 advanced 32–15 with 32 of the 33 Republicans voting for it and all 15 Democrats voting against. The Legislature’s one nonpartisan progressive was not in attendance.

State Sen. Dan McKeon (R) of Amherst, who was “present, not voting” on advancing the bill, said he did so to wait for possible future changes. He said he recently toured a consumable hemp shop in his district and has concerns about whether the bill could freeze those operations.

LB 316 would prohibit raw hemp above 0.3 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) of any concentration and for processed hemp the lesser of 0.3 percent THC on a total weight basis or 10 milligrams per package, effective January 1. The mature stalks of Cannabis sativa and its fiber, oil, cake and any other naturally derived products would not be considered hemp, leaving a narrow legal path for some products such as fibers and textiles.

If the bill passed, it would include a “consumer safe harbor period” through the end of 2025 to give consumers time to discard any “illegal hemp” as newly defined under LB 316. Legal products would face an additional 10 percent wholesale tax at the time of purchase.

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London Mayor Backs Marijuana Decriminalization After A Commission He Created Recommends Reform

The mayor of London is voicing support for the decriminalization of marijuana following the release of a comprehensive report the government commissioned that ultimately determined that criminalizing people over simple possession of cannabis does more harm than good and disproportionately impacts minority communities.

On Wednesday, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the report from the independent London Drugs Commission (LDC), which he established, “makes a compelling, evidenced-based case for the decriminalization of possession of small quantities of natural cannabis.”

While the policy recommendation to move marijuana from the Misuse of Drugs Act to the Psychoactive Substances Act has been described as decriminalization, the proposal to remove any criminal penalties associated with low-level possession and stop police from conducting searches people over the smell of cannabis would effectively be non-commercial legalization.

What the report expressly does not recommend, however, is legalizing and regulating cannabis sales—at least for now. That comes as a disappointment to advocates, who feel the debate over reform and evidence from jurisdictions that have taken that step sufficiently shows that enacting commercial legalization would promote public safety with minimal risk.

“We need fresh thinking on how to reduce the substantial harms associated with drug-related crime in our communities,” the mayor said in a statement. “Better education, improved healthcare and more effective, equitable policing of cannabis use are long overdue.”

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One Out Of Four Indian Tribes In The U.S. Is Now Involved In Marijuana Or Hemp Programs, New Map Shows

A new infographic from an advocacy group representing Native American tribes in the legal cannabis industry shows that more than a fourth of Indigenous communities in the continental United States are now involved with marijuana or hemp programs.

The map, created by the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association (ICIA) in collaboration with the law firm Vicente, shows the locations of more than 100 tribal marijuana and hemp programs across the country.

Overall, approximately 26 percent of the 358 federally recognized Indigenous communities in the continental U.S. are now involved in some sort of cannabis program, the groups said.

The data, they said in a press release, “shows that the Indigenous cannabis industry is trending upward in terms of jobs, community development, and overall industry growth, with many Tribes currently scaling to meet demands for global cannabis distribution.”

“Since the first regulated Indigenous cannabis storefront opened almost 10 years ago in Washington State,” the groups said, “dozens of sovereign Indigenous communities have created their own unique regulatory systems to govern cannabis cultivation, production and sales.”

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New York Governor Signs Budget After Lawmakers Remove Her Plan To Let Police Use Marijuana Odor Against Drivers

The state budget bill signed into law by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) on Friday notably does not include a controversial marijuana provision the governor proposed earlier this year that would have allowed police to use the smell of marijuana as probable cause that a driver is impaired and then force them to take a drug test.

Amendments made in the legislature this week removed the provision, which a coalition of 60 reform groups had argued in a letter to Hochul and top lawmakers would “repeat some of the worst harms of the War on Drugs” and allow law enforcement to “restart unconstitutional racial profiling of drivers.”

The governor’s plan drew criticism from not just reform advocates but also the state’s Assembly majority leader and the governor-appointed head of the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), who’d previously said the plan would undermine the goals of legalization and was “not going to work for New York.”

Historically, New York has been home to some of the country’s starkest racial disparities when it comes to enforcement of laws against marijuana. For example, Black people in New York City in the 2010s were more than nine times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white people.

In Hochul’s original budget bill, a line would have added “the odor of cannabis, burnt cannabis or other drug” as a “reasonable cause” for law enforcement to stop and search a vehicle. An amended bill approved by lawmakers this week, however, removed that provision.

After both chambers approved the changes, the legislation went to the governor on Thursday and was signed into law the next day.

As for other cannabis-related provisions in the new state budget, one change eliminates the $229,000 annual salary for the chair of the state’s Cannabis Control Board (CCB).

That official, Tremaine Wright, said this week that she will not leave her post.

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Using Marijuana Reduces Alcohol Cravings In People Who Drink A Lot, Federally Funded Study Shows

New federally funded research into the effects of cannabis on alcohol use finds that people who used marijuana immediately before drinking subsequently consumed fewer alcoholic beverages and reported lower cravings for alcohol.

“We found that across the entire sample, self-administering cannabis before alcohol significantly reduced alcohol consumption compared to when alcohol was offered without cannabis,” authors wrote in a study preprint published late last month on the open-access website PsyArXiv.

“Furthermore,” they continued, “we found that cannabis and alcohol co-administration was associated with significant acute reduction in alcohol craving compared to alcohol administration alone.”

The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, provides further evidence of a substitution effect, in which users report replacing some or all of their alcohol use with cannabis.

An eight-person research team from Colorado State University and the University of Colorado looked at the behavior of 62 adults who used both marijuana and alcohol and who engaged in heavy drinking for at least three months.

Each person participated in two separate sessions in which they could drink up to five alcoholic beverages—an initial priming drink, followed by up to four more optional drinks offered at 15-minute intervals.

In one of the two sessions, participants were first directed to consume marijuana in a manner of their choosing and at their typical dose, which was weighed and recorded.

When subjects used alcohol alone, they drank on average two self-administered beverages. With cannabis added to the mix, the average number of self-administered drinks was 1.5—roughly 25 percent lower.

And while not every participant drank less after using marijuana, those who did “reported reductions in alcohol craving at several timepoints after consuming cannabis and alcohol compared to alcohol alone,” the report says.

Alcohol cravings among those who drank more or the same after consuming cannabis either stayed level or increased, it notes.

The study concludes that “for some individuals who drink heavily, cannabis may serve as a substitute for alcohol, and craving reduction may be the mechanism through which this occurs.”

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Trump Administration’s DOGE Cancels University’s Contract To Monitor Marijuana Potency

The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is touting the cancellation of another marijuana-related federal grant—this time targeting a program that’s long tracked cannabis potency levels in seized illicit products.

The contract has historically been awarded to the University of Mississippi, which for decades was the sole federally authorized cultivator of marijuana for research purposes. But it’s also received funding through the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to monitor cannabinoid content such as THC and CBD in confiscated cannabis.

That contract has now been ended as part of DOGE’s mission to make significant government spending cuts.

“In the last two days, agencies terminated 148 wasteful contracts with a ceiling value of $420M and savings of $198M, including a $143K HHS contract for the ‘potency monitoring of confiscated marijuana samples,’” DOGE said in an X post on Monday.

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Researchers Announce They’ve Discovered A New Cannabinoid In Marijuana

Researchers have announced that they’ve successfully identified a new cannabinoid—cannabielsoxa—produced by the marijuana plant as well as a number of other compounds “reported for the first time from the flowers of C. sativa.”

The team of government and university researchers out of South Korea also evaluated 11 compounds in cannabis for antitumor effects in neuroblastoma cells, finding that seven “revealed strong inhibitory activity.”

Authors said the findings represent “an initial step toward developing a product for the treatment of neuroblastoma,” a cancer they note “is the most common solid tumor in children and the most frequent malignancy in the first year of life.”

Published this month in the journal Pharmaceuticals, the paper says researchers used chromatographic techniques to isolate the compounds. They then examined their molecular structures and used a metabolic testing method to assess their toxicity to neuroblastoma cells.

“This study successfully isolated a new cannabinoid and six known cannabinoid compounds, along with a new chlorin-type compound and three additional chlorine-type compounds,” the study says, “which were reported for the first time from the flowers of C. sativa.”

Two of the compounds identified for the first time in cannabis—132-hydroxypheophorbide b ethyl ester and ligulariaphytin A—are described as “chlorin-type compounds.”

They, along with five other known cannabinoids—cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidiolic acid methyl ester (CBDA-ME), delta-8 THC and cannabichromene (CBG)—”could be considered as the potential compounds for antitumor effects against neuroblastomas,” researchers found.

Results of the antitumor analyses “demonstrated that cannabinoid compounds had stronger inhibitory effects on neuroblastoma cells than chlorin-type compounds,” the paper notes.

The new cannbinoid, cannabielsoxa, was not among the compounds that researchers identified as potentially toxic to neuroblastoma cells, however.

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Supreme Court Gives Trump Administration More Time To Consider Challenging Marijuana And Gun Ownership Ruling

The U.S. Supreme Court has approved a request from the government’s top lawyer that sought more time to consider a challenge to a February appeals court ruling around the federal prohibition on gun ownership by people who consume marijuana.

An order by Justice Brett Kavanaugh last week granted government lawyers an extension until June 5 to decide whether to appeal a February ruling from the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Solicitor General D. John Sauer had previously requested the extension, telling the high court that the government needed more time to consider the case.

“The Solicitor General has not yet determined whether to file a petition for a writ of certiorari in this case,” said Sauer’s three-page filing. “The additional time sought in this application is needed to continue consultation within the government and to assess the legal and practical impact of the court of appeals’ ruling.”

The case concerns a defendant, Keshon Daveon Baxter, who was found in possession of both a firearm and a bag of marijuana. The government charged him under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3), which prohibits gun ownership by “unlawful” users of controlled substances.

Baxter argued in district court that the prohibition was itself illegal, contending both that “unlawful” use was too vague in the statute to be enforceable and also that the government’s ban on drug users’ possession of firearms was unconstitutional under the Second Amendment.

The lower court rejected both arguments—a ruling Baxter appealed to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

It a February opinion, an Eighth Circuit panel upheld the portion of the district court’s decision denying Baxter’s vagueness claim but reversed the lower court’s ruling on the constitutionality of the firearms ban. However, judges wrote that there were insufficient factual findings in the record “for this Court to review Baxter’s as-applied Second Amendment challenge.”

Nevertheless, the Eighth Circuit wrote, “We reverse the district court’s ruling on Baxter’s as-applied Second Amendment challenge and remand to the district court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.”

Had the Supreme Court not granted the government’s extension, in the case, U.S. v. Baxter, a decision whether to appeal the Eighth Circuit ruling would have been due May 6.

Sauer, an appointee of President Donald Trump, formally assumed his role as solicitor general earlier this month. He previously helped represented Trump in his landmark case on presidential immunity.

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