Middle East Eye • 23rd May 2022

Lebanon's opposition MPs now need to prove their victory not only symbolic

Thirteen candidates inspired by the 2019 protest movement have been elected, making them the fifth largest bloc in parliament.

Forbes • 23rd May 2022

Thailand To Give Away One Million Cannabis Plants To Households Across The Country

Thai people may soon receive a cannabis plant at home gifted by their government. Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced in a Facebook post on May 7 that he wants to distribute one million cannabis plants with a THC level below 0.2% to households across the country for medical purposes only. The plant giveaway coincides with the new law on cannabis growing, which will enter into force on June 9, and a recent government decision to remove cannabis from the list of drugs considered illega

Forbes • 19th May 2022

Colorado To Create A Task Force To Study Cannabis Delta-8 THC Products

This week, Colorado's lawmakers passed a Senate bill (SB-205) to allow the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to limit the sale of delta-8 THC products and create a task force to study intoxicating hemp products and, meanwhile, focus on consumer protection. The task force will submit a report to the general assembly by January 1, 2023. It will comprise 20 members, including state government representatives, experts in cannabis and industrial hemp regulation, and other

Middle East Eye • 15th May 2022

Lebanon votes for first time since economic crash

Lebanon's 2022 general elections | Live blog - news coverage from Tripoli, Lebanon.

Middle East Eye • 15th May 2022

Hope and apathy as Lebanon votes in first polls since economic meltdown

Low voter turnout comes as a disappointment to many who believed the country's crippling financial crisis would drive more voters to the polls.

The Independent • 15th May 2022

Lebanon is desperate for change but Sunday’s election is unlikely to help

Lebanon goes to the polls on Sunday for the first general election since a severe economic and political crisis hit the country in late 2019.

Forbes • 9th May 2022

Germany Speeds Up The Process To Legalize Recreational Cannabis

When Germany's new coalition included the legalization of recreational cannabis in its political agenda in late 2021, there were few details on how to regulate the industry. However, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach announced last week that it would start the legal process for cannabis legalization soon. He told German newspaper Handelsblatt he changed his mind on legalization over the past two years, and he now believes the dangers of non-legalization outweigh the risks of recreational cannabi

The New Arab • 6th May 2022

Why Gulf states are rekindling ties with Lebanon

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Yemen in April announced the return of their ambassadors to Lebanon, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain have yet to return their envoys to the country. The re-engagement came after diplomatic tensions had escalated in October 2021 following Lebanese information minister George Kordahi's criticism of the Saudi-led coalition's war in Yemen. Although Kordahi made those comments before being appointed minister, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states withdrew the

Forbes • 5th May 2022

Switzerland To Launch Adult-Use Cannabis Sale Trial Program This Summer

Switzerland will start adult-use cannabis sales this summer amid a trial program that will involve 400 people. Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) authorized on April 19 the first pilot on the sale of cannabis for recreational use. The initiative is a joint project with the University of Basel and will take place in Basel, Switzerland's third-most-populous city in the North of the country. The study on the legal sale of adult-use cannabis aims to provide information to regulate canna

Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East • 1st May 2022

Beirut blast families fight to keep ruined silos up until justice served

Families of the victims and activists say the Lebanese government is in an undue hurry to bring down a massive symbol of the 2020 Beirut port explosion and the negligence behind it.

Forbes • 28th April 2022

Biden Grants Pardons And Commutations To People With Marijuana Convictions

U.S. President Joe Biden issued on Tuesday, April 26, three pardons and 75 prison sentence commutations who were previously released to home confinement amid the coronavirus pandemic in his first-year grants of clemency since taking office. One of the pardons was related to non-violent marijuana offenses, and eight people with marijuana-related convictions received commutations. Overall, nine of the people that have been granted clemency were charged with marijuana. "America is a nation of law

22nd April 2022

Good Night Insomnia, How Cannabis Helps with Sleep

Although very common, insomnia can be very annoying. Around 16 million people suffer from sleepless nights or insomnia in the United Kingdom , and nearly 70 million Americans have a sleep disorder. Insomnia can be recognised very easily. People find it hard to go to sleep, wake up several times during the night, feel tired when you wake up and struggle to nap during the day even though you feel tired. Not all insomnia is the same. People can experience it in different ways, as there are many p

Forbes • 22nd April 2022

More Than Half Of Europeans Support Cannabis Legalization

The journey to legalize cannabis in Europe has taken a new direction in recent years. The use of medical cannabis across Europe, the production and marketing of CBD products, and the domino effect of state-level adult-use legalization in the United States brought Europeans to see the legalization of recreational cannabis from a new perspective. According to a report by Hanway, a London-based consultancy agency, 55% of Europeans support legalizing recreational cannabis, while almost 30% of resp

Forbes • 19th April 2022

Amsterdam Mayor Wants To Ban Tourists From Cannabis Coffee Shops

Femke Halsema, the mayor of Amsterdam, is pushing, once again, to ban tourists from buying cannabis products from coffee shops. On Monday, April 11, local news media outlets reported that the mayor of the Dutch capital said that the move remains the only option to control the local soft drugs market. Halsema said there is worrying interdependence between the soft and hard drug trade. She added that money from the lucrative cannabis trade easily finds its way into hard drugs. "Many of the majo

Forbes • 15th April 2022

New York Issues 52 Recreational Cannabis Cultivation Licenses

The cannabis industry is taking shape in New York as the state's cannabis regulators have given the green light to cultivate recreational cannabis. New York's Cannabis Control Board (CCB) approved on April 14 the first licenses to cultivate recreational cannabis, issuing 52 permits to local hemp farmers. The approval marks a significant development in the nascent state's recreational cannabis industry. In February 2022, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a law allowing New York cannabis farmers to star

Middle East Eye • 10th April 2022

Lebanon: What is driving the judiciary's recent actions against banks?

Increased judicial scrutiny over the banking system raises questions around the motivation and timing behind recent actions against banks.

Forbes • 5th April 2022

U.S. House Of Representatives Passes Medical Marijuana Research Bill

U.S. House of Representatives passed on Monday, April 4, a bipartisan marijuana research bill that would remove barriers to conducting research on marijuana and allow scientists to access cannabis from dispensaries of legal cannabis states. The Medical Marijuana Research Act passed the House in a 343-75 vote. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D) introduced the bill in October 2021. It is co-sponsored by 11 Representatives, both Democrats and Republicans, including Rep. Andy Harris (R), known as legal mari

Forbes • 30th March 2022

You Can Risk Death Penalty For Cannabis In These Countries

The US women's basketball superstar Brittney Griner's detention in Russia has raised concern over the lack of a spotlight on her case and the danger of traveling abroad carrying out cannabis products. On February 17, 2022, Griner, 31, who plays for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), was arrested in Russia. The Russian Federal Customs Service found cannabis oil cartridges for a vape pen in her luggage at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow. Russi

CBD-Intel • 24th March 2022

European Commission moving ahead slowly on permissible THC levels in food

THC levels have been established for certain hemp foodstuffs, which may later govern the amount of THC allowed in ingestible cannabinoid products, experts working for the European Commission have confirmed. Meanwhile work also continues on the of CBD and implementation of the European Court of Justice (CJEU) ruling in the Kanavape case into EU and member state regulations.

Forbes • 24th March 2022

Aurora Cannabis To Acquire TerraFarma (Thrive Cannabis) In $38 Million Deal

Canadian cannabis company Aurora Cannabis expands its recreational portfolio by announcing the acquisition of TerraFarma Inc., a parent company of Thrive Cannabis, an Ontario-based vertically integrated cannabis company. Toronto-based TerraFarma Inc. acquired 100% of the shares of Thrive Cannabis in 2019. According to the press release, Aurora will acquire all of TerraFarma's issued and outstanding shares for $38 million in cash and Aurora shares. Furthermore, Thrive will also be eligible for