Forbes • 25th July 2024

Thailand To Reverse Cannabis Re-Criminalization Plan

Thailand is making a U-turn by planning to regulate cannabis without re-criminalizing it for recreational use, despite previous promises to restrict its use to medical purposes by the new government following the elections. This move, announced by Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, as well as former Minister of Public Health from 2019 to 2023, who pushed for the decriminalization of cannabis, would save Thailand’s thriving recreational cannabis industry, which w...

Forbes • 22nd July 2024

Where Does Kamala Harris Stand On Marijuana?

With U.S. President Joe Biden stepping aside for the presidential race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, her potential candidacy for the 2024 election against Donald Trump brings attention to her stance on multiple issues, including marijuana. Following Joe Biden’s announcement on Sunday that he will not seek re-election, Democrats are rapidly strategizing to maintain control of the presidency. In the hours after his announcement, several Democrats endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris...

Forbes • 19th July 2024

Senator Introduces ‘DOOBIE Act’ To Remove Marijuana Use Barriers For Federal Jobs

A Senator has proposed legislation that would restrict federal agencies from considering past marijuana use when making employment and security clearance decisions. Democratic Sen. Gary Peters from Michigan introduced on July 11 the Dismantling Outdated Obstacles and Barriers to Individual Employment Act, also known as the DOOBIE Act. This legislation aims to prevent past marijuana use from negatively affecting an individual’s eligibility for federal employment. Under current legislation, mariju...

Forbes • 17th July 2024

FTC And FDA Issue Warning Letters Over Delta-8 THC In Child-Friendly Packaging

Federal Trade Commission and Food Drug Administration have issued cease-and-desist letters to six companies for selling delta-8 THC products in packaging that closely mimics popular national brands appealing to both children and adults. For the second time, the FDA and FTC have warned companies as part of their ongoing joint effort against the sale of illegal copycat food products containing delta-8 THC, a cannabis compound not found in significant amounts in the hemp plant and typically manufac...

Forbes • 11th July 2024

Illinois Marijuana Sales Hit $1 Billion So Far This Year

Illinois has reached a significant milestone in marijuana sales, hitting the $1 billion mark so far this year. This achievement was made almost two weeks earlier in 2024 than it was in 2023. Governor JB Pritzker announced on Wednesday that Illinois hit $1 billion in marijuana retail sales on July 1, 2024. This figure includes over $850 million in adult-use marijuana sales and nearly $150 million in medical marijuana sales. This milestone was reached nearly two weeks earlier than in 2023, when th...

Forbes • 5th July 2024

Will Labour Change Cannabis Policy In The UK?

The Labour Party has secured a majority in the UK’s 2024 general election. With Keir Starmer as the leader, Labour will form the government after 14 years of Conservative rule. However, like the Conservative governments that preceded him, Starmer is not expected to change the UK’s drug policy or decriminalize cannabis. Starmer has repeatedly stated he won’t change the UK’s drug policy, mentioning he has “no intention” of altering drug laws if his party wins the next election. Just one week befor...

Forbes • 28th June 2024

Kentucky To Open Applications For Medical Marijuana Businesses

Medical marijuana in Kentucky is taking a significant step forward, with Gov. Andy Beshear announcing the opening of applications for the state’s medical marijuana businesses. Beshear announced Thursday that the Kentucky Medical Cannabis Program will begin accepting license applications for medical marijuana businesses starting Monday, July 1, six months ahead of the original schedule. Businesses interested in growing, processing, or selling medical marijuana in Kentucky can begin applying for

Forbes • 26th June 2024

Brazil’s Top Court Decriminalizes Cannabis For Personal Use

Brazil’s Supreme Court has voted to decriminalize possession of cannabis for personal use. While this ruling does not legalize cannabis for personal use, it may aim to reduce the penalties for possession. The decision was delivered on Tuesday, with eight of the eleven top court judges voting in favor of keeping possession of small amounts of cannabis as an “illicit act” that does not warrant criminal prosecution. The judges are set to discuss today the amount of cannabis that distinguishes a

Forbes • 25th June 2024

Bipartisan Pennsylvania Lawmakers Push Again To Legalize Marijuana

Pennsylvania lawmakers are making another attempt to pass a bill that would legalize adult-use marijuana, following the stalling of a similar Senate bill introduced nearly a year ago. The state legalized medical marijuana in 2016, but it has not yet approved adult-use legalization. Bipartisan efforts are pushing for this change, emphasizing economic benefits and alignment with neighboring states. However, despite substantial legislative support and ongoing debates, unresolved concerns involve

Forbes • 17th June 2024

Maryland Governor To Pardon 175,000 Marijuana Convictions

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is expected to issue a mass pardon of 175,000 marijuana convictions this week. These pardons mark one of the largest state-level pardons in the country and coincide with Wednesday’s Juneteenth holiday, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. About 100,000 individuals with low-level marijuana possession charges will receive pardons, according to The Washington Post, which initially reported the news. Moore described his pardons as “the most far-reaching a

Al-Monitor: Independent • 16th June 2024

Do Lebanon's US Embassy attack, border clashes signal rise in extremism?

While armed groups are becoming more active in Lebanon in the wake of regional tensions resulting from the Gaza war, some believe the country is not prone to rise of extremism.

Forbes • 12th June 2024

New York Governor Appoints New Acting Chief At Cannabis Agency

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced new appointments for the state’s cannabis regulatory agency following the resignation of former Executive Director Chris Alexander. These leadership changes are part of Hochul’s effort to change the direction of the legalization of cannabis sales in the state, which has faced multiple issues since its implementation. Felicia A. B. Reid has been named Executive Deputy Director and Acting Executive Director at the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), the

The new Arab • 10th June 2024

Is Israel gearing up for war with Hezbollah?

Rockets fired by Hezbollah at northern Israel last week caused days of wildfires that burned over 2,500 acres of land, raising fears of an all-out war amid fresh calls for a military escalation from Israeli officials. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Wednesday that he is prepared to take "very strong action" to restore security along the border, while Israel’s northern army commander said the military is ready for war. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National S

Forbes • 31st May 2024

Cannabis Tops Alcohol In Daily Use For First Time Ever, Study Finds

Americans are now choosing cannabis over alcohol for daily consumption, marking the first time in history that such a shift has taken place, according to a new study. Published this week in the journal Addiction by the Society for the Study of Addiction, the data, authored by Jonathan P. Caulkins, a Professor of Operations Research and Public Policy at the Heinz College of Carnegie Mellon University, reveal a progressive trend of cannabis overtaking alcohol in Americans' daily consumption, a sh

Forbes • 30th May 2024

South Africa Legalizes Cannabis For Personal Use

South Africa takes a groundbreaking step forward in cannabis reform, legalizing the cultivation and possession of the plant for personal use. With President Cyril Ramaphosa's final approval, South Africa becomes the first African country to legalize cannabis for personal use. President Ramaphosa signed the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act on May 28, removing cannabis from the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act. This move enables amendments to the Medicines and Related Substances Act, the Plant B

Forbes • 29th May 2024

What Is THCA, And Why Doesn’t The DEA Consider It Legal Hemp?

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has sent a letter to explain why THCA doesn’t meet the definition of legal hemp. The letter is a response sent on May 13 from the DEA’s Chief Drug & Chemical Evaluation Section, Diversion Control Division, Terrence Boos, to Shane Pennington, cannabis lawyer and partner at law firm Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP, who requested the control status of tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) with a letter dated April 25. The l

The new Arab • 28th May 2024

How Raisi's death will test the unity of Iran's hardliners

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, 63, died in a helicopter crash in the north-western province of East Azerbaijan province on 19 May, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and six others. To demonstrate the Islamic Republic of Iran's ability to handle any crisis, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei declared five days of national mourning and appointed First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber as interim president, with the country expected to hold early presidential elections on 28 June. How

Forbes • 24th May 2024

House Committee Approves Farm Bill Amendment To Ban Delta-8 THC

An amendment to the new Farm Bill may put an end to the gray market for intoxicating hemp-derived products, such as delta-8 THC, by closing the loophole opened by the 2018 Farm Bill. The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture voted on Thursday to approve an amendment proposed by Republican Rep. Mary Miller for Illinois that would ban intoxicating hemp-derived and synthesized cannabinoid products, which has been added to the 2024 Farm Bill draft. As a result, the amendment would federally ban all

Forbes • 22nd May 2024

DEA Publishes Proposed Rules To Reschedule Marijuana

Progress toward the federal rescheduling of marijuana took a step forward yesterday. The Drug Enforcement Administration published proposed rules, open to comment, in the U.S. Federal Register to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. This represents a further concrete move in changing U.S. marijuana policy and easing industry regulations: the most significant change in national marijuana legislation since 1970. The proposal initiates a 62-day pu

Weed World Magazine • 21st May 2024

Japan is on the Verge to Change its Policy on Cannabis

Image source: Paid for on license via Adobe Firefly & Duncan Lewis via unsplashed.com Japan is known to have one of the strictest policies on cannabis, but something has been moving forward in recent months. The country’s parliament passed a bill in December to legalize medical products containing cannabinoids, amending the Cannabis Control Law. However, at the same time, it established new criminal penalties for the use of cannabis, putting an end to the legal loopholes that have surrounded c