Forbes • 12th June 2025

German Court Rules Inmates Can Legally Possess Cannabis In Their Cells

A German court has ruled that prisoners who possess up to 50 grams of cannabis are not committing a criminal offense or administrative violation, as prison cells qualify as a ‘habitual residence’ under the country’s cannabis law. The Berlin court has recently ruled that a defendant serving a two-year and three-month prison sentence was not criminally liable for possessing 45.06 grams of cannabis resin in his cell, as it was intended for personal use. The court stated that the prison cell qualifi...

Forbes • 7th June 2025

Republican-Led House Committee Passes Bill To Ban Hemp Products With THC

A Republican-led House committee has approved a spending bill that includes a measure to ban all hemp products with THC nationwide, a move that could upend the entire U.S. hemp industry. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies approved on June 5 the fiscal year 2026 spending proposal in a 9–7 vote, sending it to the full Committee. The bill covers a wide range of issues, including hemp. One section of the bill wo...

Forbes • 6th June 2025

U.S. Seniors Nearly Double Cannabis Use In Just Two Years, Study Finds

U.S. Seniors are turning to cannabis more than ever, with use nearly doubling in the past two years, a new study shows. Published this week in JAMA Internal Medicine, four researchers from the University of California and NYU Langone Health found that monthly cannabis use among adults aged 65 and older increased from 4.8% in 2021 to 7% in 2023, resulting in a 45.83% increase. The reasons for this increase are attributed to several factors, including greater access to cannabis. As of today, medic...

The New Arab • 5th June 2025

The Trump family's lucrative Middle East business empire

From golf courses to crypto, the Trump business empire is booming in the Middle East. But is there a conflict of interest with US foreign policy?

Forbes • 5th June 2025

Czech Republic To Decriminalize Cannabis As Legalization Plan Stalls

The lower house of the Czech Republic has approved an amendment that would decriminalize cannabis for personal use at a time when the process of full legalization is stalled. The Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic passed an amendment last week with an overwhelming majority of 142 out of 159 votes. The amendment would modify the Criminal Code to ease restrictions on cannabis possession and cultivation, and it is part of a broader series of changes aimed at introducing alternative punishmen...

Forbes • 29th May 2025

London Mayor Backs Cannabis Decriminalization As New Report Examines Current Laws

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is backing a new report that calls for cannabis decriminalization, renewing his vocal support to end the persecution of individuals possessing small amounts of cannabis. The London Drugs Commission today published a 320-page report on the implications of recreational cannabis use in London and the impact of current laws, presenting a detailed analysis of written and oral evidence from over 200 experts and academics. The report concludes that while cannabis can ca...

Forbes • 28th May 2025

Germany Issues First Tax Stamp For CBD Flowers

A German CBD company is the first to receive a tax stamp from Customs for its THC-free CBD flowers, marking a breakthrough that shows Germany recognizes such products can be legally marketed as industrial hemp. Announced by the CBD wholesaler Sanaleo and confirmed by the German Cannabis Business Association this month, the issuance of the tax stamp sets a precedent that could potentially redefine the legal and tax framework for CBD flowers in the European country. CBD in the European Union is ca...

Forbes • 27th May 2025

U.S. Cannabis Employment Declines Amid Strategic Staffing And Growing Sales, Report Finds

Jobs in the cannabis industry went down by 3.4% in 2024, even though retail sales went up by 4.5%, signalling that companies are changing the way they approach hiring, focusing more on strategy than expansion, according to a new report released this month by cannabis hiring platform Vangst along with consulting firm Whitney Economics. The 2025 Cannabis Jobs Report showed that by early 2025, 425,002 people were working in the legal cannabis sector in the U.S., a 3.4% drop compared to the year bef...

Forbes • 22nd May 2025

Far-Red Light Boosts THC In Some Cannabis Strains And Lowers Energy Use, Study Suggests

Far-red lights can improve yield and the quality of specific cannabis strains, and reduce energy costs and carbon emissions amid energy-intensive cannabis cultivation, according to a new study. Published in Nature this week, this Australian government-funded study, conducted by researchers from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Southern Cross University, analyzed whether the daily light period to which cannabis plants were exposed could be shortened from 12 to 10...

Forbes • 20th May 2025

Ukraine Launches Its Largest Industrial Hemp Processing Plant

Ukraine is making a bold entrance into the European hemp market with the launch of its largest industrial processing plant, aimed at revitalizing a once-thriving sector and signaling resilience through innovation. Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy announced last week that the Ma’Ryzhany Hemp Company has begun operating what is now the country’s largest hemp processing facility. The plant is located in the Ma’Ryzhany industrial park in the Zhytomyr region of the war-torn country. The company has turn...

Forbes • 14th May 2025

Texas Lawmakers Approve Bill To Expand Medical Cannabis Program

A new bill has been approved by Texas lawmakers to broaden the state’s medical cannabis program, which would increase the number of qualifying medical conditions and allow the prescription of vaping cannabis products. The Texas House on Monday approved a bill aimed at expanding the list of conditions that make patients eligible for the state’s medical cannabis program. Backed by Representatives Ken King (Republican) and Penny Morales Shaw (Democrat), the bipartisan measure advanced through commi...

Forbes • 1st May 2025

Cannabis May Boost Memory In PTSD But Harm It In Others, Study Suggests

Regular cannabis use could boost a key memory function in people with PTSD, according to a new study, which shows that for those with severe symptoms, cannabis may improve the brain’s ability to distinguish between similar but different experiences or memories. However, for people with mild or no PTSD, the effect might be the opposite. In a study published in the scientific journal npj Mental Health Research, researchers from the University of California, San Diego and the VA San Diego Healthcar...

CannIntelligence • 30th April 2025

Italy’s top court rules that oral CBD products are prescription drugs | CannIntelligence

Italy’s Regional Administrative Court (TAR) has dismissed an appeal challenging the Ministry of Health’s decree to classify oral CBD products as narcotics.This decision, taken on 16th April, was based on the precautionary principle, as it took into account the potential for trace amounts of THC in CBD oil, which may pose health risks or cause dependence. Italy’s Regional Administrative Court (TAR) has dismissed an appeal challenging the Ministry of Health’s decree to classify oral CBD products...

Forbes • 29th April 2025

U.K. Reports 90% Decrease In Mail-Order Cannabis Imports From Thailand

Cannabis shipments from Thailand to the UK have plunged by 90% in just three months as a crackdown led by Thai Customs and British officials starts to bite. The Home Office revealed last week a sharp drop in cannabis arriving by post from Thailand to the UK. In just three months, the volume fell by 90%. The Home Office credits the decline to a new partnership with Thai Customs. Since Thailand decriminalized cannabis in 2022, illegal shipments to the UK have surged. By the end of last year, Borde...

Forbes • 22nd April 2025

Over 70% Of Studies Back Medical Cannabis In Cancer Treatment

A sweeping meta-analysis of over 10,000 studies has found that more than 70% support the use of medical cannabis in cancer treatment, reinforcing growing scientific consensus around its therapeutic potential for managing symptoms and possibly even slowing disease progression. The study, published in Frontiers in Oncology last week, is a comprehensive meta-analysis that evaluates the therapeutic potential and safety of medical cannabis in the context of cancer treatment. The authors from Whole He...

Forbes • 19th April 2025

Florida Bills Seek To Regulate And Tax Hemp-Derived THC Products

Florida lawmakers have moved forward with two bills aimed at regulating hemp-derived THC products, setting up a taxation system, and establishing rules for sales. The House Committee unanimously approved on April 16 two proposals that would strengthen regulations on hemp-derived THC products and introduce a 15% excise tax on their retail sales. Although Florida legalized medical cannabis in 2016, recreational cannabis remains illegal in the state. However, hemp-derived THC products have become p...

Forbes • 15th April 2025

Cannabis Smoking Declines As Vaping And Edibles Surge, CDC Finds

While smoking is still the most common method of using cannabis, alternative methods like vaping and edibles are growing in popularity, according to a new survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC report published last week provides an overview of how adults in the U.S. consume cannabis based on the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), an annual telephone survey of health behaviors among adults in all 50 states, DC, and three territories. The surv...

CannIntelligence • 9th April 2025

Italy’s looming CBD ban triggers fears of a potential shutdown of its hemp industry | CannIntelligence

Italy’s government has invoked its emergency powers to issue a decree on security matters, including a ban on the sale of CBD products.On 4th April, Italy’s Council of Ministers converted the so-called Security Bill – which introduces new rules in multiple areas, including public safety and the prison system – into a decree, introducing amendments to hemp law 242/2016 that explicitly ban the cultivation, processing and sale of CBD flowers and related products, including CBD oil.The new decree ba...

The New Arab • 7th April 2025

Will the US cut a nuclear deal with Iran or go to war?

US President Donald Trump is looking to revive talks with Iran to secure a nuclear deal that would dissuade Tehran from potentially developing nuclear weapons, but the path to negotiations is challenging. In early May, Trump sent a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, reportedly through an Emirati diplomat, proposing nuclear talks with demands for Iran to dismantle its nuclear program, halt its support for regional militias, and comply within two months for sanctions relief. Iran reje...

Forbes • 26th March 2025

How Do Tariffs On China Affect The U.S. Cannabis Industry?

U.S. tariffs on China could drive up some cannabis product prices, as the industry heavily depends on Chinese manufacturing. However, some companies are already diversifying their production to avoid the rising costs. Since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term, he has implemented tariffs on imports from China, Canada, Mexico, and the European Union. These measures aim to encourage domestic manufacturing, protect U.S. jobs, and address trade imbalances despite potential economic...