Cannabis as we've never seen it, a look back at the highlights of 2018

That's it! We're in 2019, a year that promises to be full of promise for cannabis worldwide. Before we put 2018 behind us for good, we'd like to offer you a quick summary of this crucial year, which has been one of the world's most important for cannabis. game-changer for cannabis and its perception in society, politics and the economy.

The year 2018 was indeed decisive: it witnessed the lightning consolidation of the now increasingly globalized cannabis industry and was marked by a profusion of legalizations in a multitude of territories and on every continent.

1. Canadian legalization

Last October 17th, All eyes are on Canada, which, in defiance of widespread prohibition, is making cannabis legal and available for recreational use. The news was relayed by the world's media, and everyone eagerly awaited the next chapter in the soap opera. Despite a difficult start marked by cannabis shortages, Despite concerns about widespread use and risky behavior among motorists, legal cannabis hasn't decimated the population. Phew. On the other hand, Canadian activists decry legalization as a new form of prohibition, with numerous new bans and an unnecessarily strict framework.

Undoubtedly the most important event of 2018, the legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada has left its mark on people's minds and contributed to the »domino effect» promised by Justin Trudeau, encouraging other countries and territories to legalize cannabis in part or in full. Above all, it paved the way for a globalized industry, with Canadian companies now worth billions of dollars and largely dominating the international market. 2019 will see the industry develop even further, with the introduction of concentrates, topicals and edibles.

2. American legalizations

By early 2018, just under thirty states had legalized medical and/or recreational cannabis. For some of them, 2018 marked the launch of legal sales and was therefore a crucial milestone. This is the case, for example, of California, America's largest cannabis market, but also Massachusetts. In addition, legalization followed in other US states, bringing to 33 the number of states where cannabis is legal in some form. The first to open the ball in 2018 was Vermont, which has legalized recreational cannabis by the initiative of its legislators. Then, it was through popular initiatives that Michigan, Missouri and Utah legalized cannabis during the legislative elections mid-term elections. The latter also saw the fall of some ramparts against legalization in Congress and in the Trump administration, This was a major obstacle to the debate on federal legalization. Nevertheless, the United States has just legalize hemp at the federal level paving the way for an entire sector of the cannabis industry will pay off handsomely in the years to come. 2019 is shaping up to be even more eventful and challenging. many states are already considering some form of legalization, even the most conservative.

3. The FDA has approved Epidiolex

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Epidiolex, an epilepsy treatment. This is an important event, as it contributes to the recognition of cannabis as a medicine. For some states that have legalized or are considering legalization, the fact that a drug has been approved by the American health authorities is crucial in determining which products they will authorize. What's more, Epidiolex is available and transportable throughout the US, which is not the case for cannabis. In the emerging cannabis industry, medical research occupies an increasingly important place: it supports legalization and acts as a safeguard against trivialization, and fuels the pharmaceutical industry's frantic race to discover, patent and market tomorrow's medicines.

4. UN to review status of cannabis in international treaties

Although the process is a long one, spanning several years, the review of cannabis' status has seen some highlights in 2018. The process has been underway since 2016: the Committee of Independent Experts gathered data on cannabis in its phase of pre-review and then proceeded to the critical review to give its opinion on the possible reclassification of cannabis in international treaties. This phase took place from November 12 to 16, as planned, but the public disclosure of the results was scheduled for December 7, has been postponed. The results are therefore still in the hands of the WHO at the start of 2019, and will surely be revealed later this year. On the other hand, the WHO has already positioned on the issue of CBD which she declared to be harmless.

5. Mexico ends prohibition

At the end of 2018, Mexico's Supreme Court issued a fifth ruling stating that prohibition is unconstitutional in the name of the right to the free development of personality. This ruling sets a precedent and prohibition is no more, but that doesn't mean cannabis is legal. are currently working on the drafting of a law of cannabis regulation, including legal trade. In addition, Mexico has already authorized the marketing of a number of cannabis-derived products, including CBD products. In 2019, cannabis will be legal in Mexico, making the entire West Coast of North America weed-friendly.

6. Self-cultivation and personal consumption permitted in South Africa

Following a court decision in a regional court, the Constitutional Court ruled unconstitutional prohibiting the cultivation and consumption of cannabis for personal use. A first in Africa. As in Mexico, cannabis is not yet completely legal. The South African Parliament has 2 years to amend the necessary laws. In the meantime, private use of cannabis will no longer be prosecuted. On the other hand, public consumption and sale of cannabis remain prohibited.

7. Legalizations in Europe

In Europe too, things are moving in 2018: Luxembourg, Georgia, Malta, Lithuania and United Kingdom have legalized medical cannabis. Greece, meanwhile, has legalized local cannabis production and granted the first production licenses. This process has been delayed in Germany (once again) due to a complaint. In any case, the European market is coveted by cannabis multinationals. The debate on the legalization of recreation is open in Spain and Luxembourg announced the legalization of recreational, probably in 2019.

In France, the picture is mixed: on the one hand, the ANSM has just announced experimentation with medical cannabis by the end of 2019, on the other side, lump-sum fines added to an already heavy arsenal of repressive legislation to punish cannabis consumption.

8. Legalizations in Asia

Asian legalizations are all the more spectacular for being rare and unexpected. Indeed, the continent is the most conservative when it comes to cannabis, with anti-drug laws that often include capital punishment. Until 2018, the only Asian country to legalize medical cannabis was Israel. Now.., South Korea and Thailand have joined the movement, with programs that remain fairly restrictive. In 2019, it is possible that other East Asian states will jump on the bandwagon, including Malaysia or the Philippines.

9. Legalizations in Oceania

Two Pacific archipelagos (both affiliated to the USA) legalized cannabis this year: Vanuatu medical cannabis and Northern Mariana Islands medical and recreational cannabis. New Zealand has officially legalized medical cannabis with an industry to be operational within a year and a compassionate program for palliative care patients. She also decriminalized, In a statement, the President of the Republic said that, for the time being, the possession of all drugs for personal use was unofficial, and announced a date for the referendum on the legalization of recreational cannabis, scheduled for 2020.

10. The Caribbean gets in on the act

In the Caribbean, more and more islands are considering the legalization of medical cannabis as a way of boosting their economies. These include the island of Barbados, Bermuda, of Antigua and Barbuda and Virgin Islands. None of them has yet legalized the drug, but in all of them, legislation on the issue is currently under discussion, and key political figures have announced legalization. It's only a matter of time, then, and it looks as though we'll have the answer in 2019, which promises to be a very promising year for cannabis worldwide.