Asia: Market and legal data analysis of the cannabis sector

What’s in store for cannabis regulation? Looking at 2024 with cautious optimism

Written by Freddie Dawson | 10th January 2024

Cannabis rather than hemp will see the primary regulatory changes in 2024, CannIntelligence predicts, with moves coming in the US, Thailand, Germany and France, among others ...

Japan’s first medical cannabis law: ‘historic shift’ or crackdown on illicit use?

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 17th November 2023

Japan’s first medical cannabis law may end up only legalising a single pharmaceutical product, while also criminalising recreational cannabis consumption ...

Thailand’s new PM vows to outlaw recreational cannabis once again

Written by CannIntelligence | 13th October 2023

Thailand’s cannabis free-for-all could come to a halt within months as the new prime minister has said he wants to make recreational use and sale illegal again ...

Election winners pledge to roll back Thailand’s booming cannabis trade

Written by CannIntelligence | 25th May 2023

Thailand’s government-in-waiting has said it will reclassify cannabis as a narcotic drug and promised a crackdown on imports and unlicensed dispensaries ...

Twitter policy on cannabis advertising remains obscure after latest shift

Written by Freddie Dawson | 9th May 2023

Twitter has claimed to have made another “major” step forward in cannabis advertising. But again the devil is in the details, which remain vague and contradictory ...

Thai election puts partial rollback of country’s cannabis policy into play

Written by CannIntelligence | 28th April 2023

Thailand goes to the polls on 14th May with the decriminalisation of cannabis back in the balance less than a year after the plant was removed from the list of banned narcotics ...

IMC 2022 revenue up 60% as it leaves Canada, focuses on Israel and Germany

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 11th April 2023

International cannabis company IM Cannabis (IMC) reported a significant rise in its revenue for the whole of 2022 as well as the last quarter of the year ...

‘Bad legal advice’ led Smoore to pursue patent case it was never going to win

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 6th April 2023

A claim by Smoore Technology that 38 cannabis companies infringed the Chinese firm’s patents had very little chance of success with the US International Trade Commission, according to legal experts ...

Cronos sees losses down, net revenue up due to higher sales in Canada and Israel

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 9th March 2023

Canadian cannabis producer Cronos Group saw overall reduced losses for the year, with results helped by sales growth in Canada and Israel but hindered by lower sales in the US ...

Developing countries could get economic boost from industrial hemp, says UN

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 25th January 2023

Government and industry representatives from around the world met in Geneva last week to hear about the “significant economic opportunities” offered by industrial hemp and the need for greater clarity on its legal status ...

Japan cannabinoid conference-goers look forward to future with legal reforms

Written by CannIntelligence | 9th January 2023

There are high hopes for the Japanese cannabinoid sector ahead of the legal reforms expected later this year, according to speakers at the CBD Journey Vol. 4 and CannaCon 2022 event and conference held at...

Is 2023 the year for the great leap forward on cannabis regulation?

Written by Freddie Dawson | 3rd January 2023

Will 2023 be the year that some fairly major changes start to roll in for cannabis and cannabinoids? It's possible ...

A watershed year? 2022 sees cannabis on the rise, while CBD goes downhill

Written by Freddie Dawson | 30th December 2022

This past year has seen a curious crossing of paths in the world of cannabis and cannabinoids, with concerns around CBD increasing even as many countries make moves towards the legalisation of cannabis ...

Hong Kong to ban CBD in the new year, ending a once-burgeoning business

Written by CannIntelligence | 19th December 2022

The sale and possession of CBD will be banned in Hong Kong from the beginning of February 2023 following an announcement earlier this year. Under the new rules, CBD will be classified in the same way as heroin...

UK scientist says medicinal cannabis research in the country lagging behind

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 21st October 2022

The UK is lagging behind other major markets in the world on research into the benefits of medicinal cannabis, according to a scientist specialising in the area ...

Medical cannabis could come to Japan after panel recommends legalisation

Written by CannIntelligence | 17th October 2022

Japan has taken a step closer to legalising cannabinoid-based medicines and clarifying restrictions on hemp cultivation, though it is also set to strengthen measures against recreational cannabis use ...

Medical cannabis advocates in the Philippines find government support

Written by CannIntelligence | 19th August 2022

Medical cannabis advocates in the Philippines have found an ally in a young senator, but there is still much to do ...

CBD moves further into UK mainstream with more invited listings on Amazon

Written by Freddie Dawson | 26th July 2022

Amazon is expanding its UK CBD pilot, inviting firms that comply with UK novel food regulations onto its platform – clear evidence that support for CBD continues to become increasingly mainstream ...

Israeli cannabis firms expand into Europe, bringing Cookies to Vienna

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 7th July 2022

Israeli cannabis firm InterCure is collaborating with US brand Cookies to launch Europe’s first flagship Cookies store in Vienna; meanwhile, Panaxia Labs exports to Germany from Malta ...

US at risk of missing huge opportunity in cannabis due to lack of federal reform

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 31st May 2022

The US is in danger of being left behind the burgeoning global cannabis market because of a lack of political will to commit to any form of federal cannabis reform ...

What action in the name of sustainability is the CBD industry likely to see?

Written by Freddie Dawson | 19th May 2022

CBD is already working from a higher base than many consumer products on the market. But that does not mean there is nothing else to be done ...

New studies explore how cannabis can help improve women’s menstrual health

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 12th May 2022

Clinical trials are investigating how CBD can improve menstrual health and treat conditions such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and perhaps even endometriosis ...

Israeli companies predict a bright future in plants following regulatory changes

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 28th March 2022

Regulatory changes in Israel have enabled a cannabis company to advance breeding methods and grow plants that promise to yield higher levels of cannabinoids ...

More medical applications for cannabinoids being explored

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 4th March 2022

Scientists around the world are starting to look even further afield for potential uses of cannabis in medical applications, such as treating the symptoms of long Covid-19, Alzheimer’s-related agitation, and to alleviate the pain resulting...

Thailand relaxes the rules on cannabis, removing whole plant from narcotics list

Written by CannIntelligence | 21st February 2022

Thailand has removed the entire cannabis plant including flowers and seeds from the country’s list of Category 5 narcotics ...

Hemp and CBD expansion in Thailand continues with government help

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 5th January 2022

Government support of Thailand's hemp and CBD industry is paying off. Examples include US based Australis' partnership with local GTH and MPX International's agreement with Salus Thailand ...

How well did we do? CBD-Intel’s predictions for 2021 reviewed

Written by Freddie Dawson | 28th December 2021

CBD-Intel was on point in its 2021 predictions. Much like the preceding year, we believed 2021 would largely be defined more by what did not happen than what did ...

So it’s farewell to 2021 – a year that promised little and delivered less

Written by Freddie Dawson | 27th December 2021

If 2020 was the year in the waiting-room then 2021 was perhaps the year of the unfulfilled hype. As predicted, there was little movement in many of the major issues controlling the CBD market ...

British CBD marketplace Mellow ready to take on the US while expanding at home

Written by CannIntelligence | 23rd December 2021

The acquisition of Mellow by US cannabis and CBD investment firm Thought Leaders will position the UK-based CBD marketplace to open in the US and bolster its position in Asia ...

Two studies seek to show the benefits of cannabinoids for liver health

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 5th November 2021

A research team at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) in the Netherlands recently launched a three-year study into whether medicinal cannabis oil can help to regress liver-cancer tumours ...

Thailand expecting massive returns from economic zone cannabinoid pilot

Written by CannIntelligence | 8th October 2021

Thailand’s government is allowing farmers in the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) to use 10,000 rai of undeveloped land to grow cannabis, hemp, and other medicinal herbs to help boost the economy and farmer's standard...

New regulations spell positive steps for Thailand's cannabis and hemp industry

Written by CannIntelligence | 9th August 2021

A series of changes in Thai law governing both medical cannabis and hemp has made the country one of the most cannabinoid-friendly countries in Asia ...

Details of China's proposed ban on CBD in cosmetics still unclear

Written by CannIntelligence | 14th April 2021

Suggestions that a Chinese ban on the use of CBD in cosmetics that would essentially shut down the domestic CBD market, blocking imports and cross-border online sales, appear to be premature ...

US market to top $3bn in two years, but Swiss remain the biggest CBD users

Written by CannIntelligence | 15th March 2021

Swiss consumers are head-for-head the biggest purchasers of CBD products, according to CBD-Intel’s 2021 market size analysis. Meanwhile, we predict big growth in a number of other markets, and a shift in the most popular...

Armenia looks to hemp legalisation as part of a route out of national crisis

Written by CannIntelligence | 10th March 2021

Crisis-hit Armenia intends to legalise and regulate the production of hemp as a part of a package of economic measures to alleviate issues arising from the military conflict with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region ...

Pakistan moves towards a legal hemp industry under the eye of government

Written by CannIntelligence | 8th March 2021

Pakistan is set to embark on a path to the legal production of hemp and hemp-derived products following the approval last September of hemp farming and processing under government control ...

'Outdated' Japanese import and growing restrictions may get even tougher

Written by CannIntelligence | 4th March 2021

Tough Japanese laws on the import of CBD products and the cultivation of industrial hemp are becoming more challenging for the industry – and even stricter regulations may be on the way ...

CBD health and wellness subcategory sees advances on a global scale

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 5th February 2021

CBD firms are making further advances into the health and wellness subcategory of the market with new product launches, distribution deals, and clinical studies underway ...

Supply chain hopefuls stay cheerful despite $150m investment fund flop

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 27th January 2021

Texas-based Collective Growth is remaining positive despite failing to find the right partners for a $150m investment fund raised to develop the US hemp market ...

Proposal to legalise low-THC hemp in South Korea submitted to parliament

Written by Marija Obradovic | 22nd January 2021

A proposal to legalise low-THC hemp was submitted on 19th January in the Korean parliament, which proposes to exclude synthetic products as well as preparations with THC content up to 0.3% from cannabis ...

Uzbekistan publishes regulations for hemp farming and production

Written by CannIntelligence | 15th January 2021

Uzbekistan has published a regulatory framework to implement its legalisation of industrial hemp farming and production passed last year ...

Funding and support promised for hemp sector development in Yunnan

Written by CannIntelligence | 29th October 2020

A CNY5bn ($745m) fund and three years of CNY100m ($14.9m) funding have been promised as part of a hemp sector development plan for Kunming City, the capital of Yunnan Province ...

Folium branches out with stalks to break into Japanese and Korean markets

Written by CannIntelligence | 29th September 2020

US-based CBD producer Folium Biosciences is looking to tap Asian markets by creating a dedicated stalk extraction line which it believes will meet the strict regulatory requirements of Japan and South Korea ...

Ale and hearty – a new CBD food and drinks trade springs up in Hong Kong

Written by CannIntelligence | 23rd September 2020

2020 seems an unlikely year for the emergence of any new industry, yet this is exactly what has happened in Hong Kong, where there are now locally produced CBD food and drink products ...

Researchers suggest CBD could work with terpenes in COVID-19 treatment

Written by CannIntelligence | 14th September 2020

Studies looking at the potential for CBD to treat or alleviate COVID-19 symptoms continue to progress – with one study hinting at promising results combining CBD with other terpene products ...

Multiple proposals could spell legalisation of hemp and CBD in Israel

Written by CannIntelligence | 4th September 2020

Israel is considering amending the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, which – if successful – will have a major impact on the market with hemp and CBD products ...

Licensing difficulties hold back hemp producers in China's Yunnan province

Written by CannIntelligence | 3rd September 2020

Companies seeking licences to produce hemp in the Chinese province of Yunnan face a tightening of the application process, according to some who have successfully negotiated the concealed hurdles ...

The entourage effect – absence of evidence, but no evidence of absence

Written by CannIntelligence | 11th August 2020

Some recent research has cast doubt on the idea that cannabis compounds may be more effective when taken together ...

Distribution deals show faith in future of European CBD retail

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 22nd July 2020

Firms from Israel and South America are showing faith in the European CBD market, and its bricks-and-mortar retail, with distribution deals to place their products in a growing number of outlets ...

Hong Kong faces serious rivals in its bid to become the Asian hub for CBD

Written by CannIntelligence | 14th July 2020

It remains unclear where the hemp and CBD investment centre for Asia will develop. History and existing infrastructure would point to Hong Kong, but development there has stalled – and there are other contenders ...

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