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Cannabis – recreational
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Daily news alerts
Daily regulatory updates of legal changes in the cannabis sector, including monthly compilations
5th December 2023
US - Ohio: A Senate committee has added and approved major changes to the recreational cannabis legalisation ballot initiative approved by voters last month that is scheduled to take effect on 7th December, press reports. The emergency measure was attached to a liquor control bill and would make the following changes, among others: prohibit home cultivation of cannabis, set potency limits on cannabis products, reduce the permissible amount of cannabis that may legally be possessed, increase the cannabis excise tax from 10% to 15%, redirect tax revenues, restrict public consumption, and decrease the permissible number of dispensaries. The bill must be approved by the plenary Senate, which could vote on it this week, and then by the House.5th December 2023
- Germany: The second and final reading of the Cannabis Bill in the Bundestag (lower house), which was supposed to happen in the first week of December, was postponed due to concerns raised by the Social Democratic Party (SPD), press reports. The reasons for the party's concerns over the bill were not disclosed. Carmen Wegge, the spokesperson for cannabis in the SPD parliamentary group, said that it would be sufficient for the law to come into force on 1st April 2024 if an understanding is reached in the Bundestag in January or February.
4th December 2023
- US - New York: The New York Supreme Court has approved a settlement in two lawsuits that will now allow the Office of Cannabis Management to resume processing and reviewing conditional adult-use retail dispensary programme (CAURD) licences. The approved settlement could allow for the opening of 436 dispensaries by provisional CAURD licensees.
1st December 2023
- US - Federal: Senate Banking chairman Sherrod Brown says he will not try to include the Secure And Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act in any end-of-year legislation, press reports (subscription required). In years past, attempts were made to include cannabis banking bills in end-of-year legislation that is considered must-pass, such as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), but those efforts failed. This means any attempts to pass the SAFER Banking Act will likely not occur until 2024.
30th November 2023
- Germany: A recent amendment to the Cannabis Act proposed by the coalition parties and the Ministry of Health has been leaked to the press. In addition to the changes previously reported by CannIntelligence, German producers of medical cannabis would no longer be limited to the tendering process and maximum quantities, and would be able to cultivate varieties according to market demand; regulations on private cultivation and possession would come into force on 1st April 2024, while regulations on associations would come into force on 1st July 2024. The second and final reading of the bill in the Bundestag (lower house) is scheduled for the first week of December.
30th November 2023
- South Africa: The Select Committee on Security and Justice is inviting stakeholders and interested parties to send in written submissions on the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill until 19th January 2024. The bill would allow possession and cultivation for private purposes and sets a clear distinction between hemp and cannabis.
30th November 2023
- US - New Hampshire: A commission tasked with making recommendations on how to regulate recreational cannabis in the state has failed to make any recommendations, press reports. Although a bill that would have allowed state-selected franchisees to sell cannabis with a 15% sales tax was proposed, no consensus was reached. Complicating the matter was governor Chris Sununu threatening at the last minute to veto any bill that allowed more than 15 retail locations and failed to ban political contributions and lobbying by cannabis licensees.
30th November 2023
- Australia: The government of the state of Victoria has announced that it is open to discuss the decriminalisation of the personal use of cannabis, press reports. This comes after a bill proposing to allow small quantities of cannabis for personal use and self-cultivation of up to six plants was introduced by the Legalise Cannabis party. Mental health minister Ingrid Stitt said that although the Victoria government may be unable to give support to the bill at this time, it is willing to participate in “ongoing discussions with the Legalise Cannabis Victoria party on this topic”. As of today, 30th November, the only state where cannabis for personal use is decriminalised is the Australian Capital Territory.
28th November 2023
- US - Federal: The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is revoking hemp licences from hemp cultivators who are also cultivating higher-THC cannabis under state-legal cannabis programmes, press reports. Many cultivators in Mississippi and Vermont, at least, have reportedly already lost their hemp licences, while several others in other states have been warned by the USDA that they would lose their hemp licence if they start growing state-legal cannabis. The risk of USDA enforcement appears to be higher in states in which the USDA issues hemp licences directly, though the USDA denies any difference in enforcement. The revocations rely upon USDA hemp regulations which require that hemp cultivation licensees dispose of all non-compliant hemp plants (i.e. those above an acceptable THC level), as they are, by definition, marijuana, a Schedule I drug under federal law.
27th November 2023
- Germany: The Bundestag has agreed on amendments to the Cannabis Bill – which aims to regulate the self-cultivation of cannabis by adults and the non-commercial cultivation of cannabis by cannabis clubs – according to the press and an instagram post from Bundestag member Kirsten Kappert-Gonther. The measures include reducing the ban zone for public consumption around youth facilities from 200 m to 100 m, increasing the possession of home-grown cannabis to 50 g, and removing criminal liability for possession of between 25 g and 30 g in public and 50 g and 60 g in private. The second and final reading of the bill in the Bundestag is scheduled for the first week of December.
27th November 2023
- Malta: While commenting on the news that the government is considering stopping smoking for future generations, a group of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and associations have reportedly called on the government to enact additional measures, such as stopping self-cultivation of cannabis, so children who live with parents who cultivate cannabis are protected.
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