Quick Hit: what we've missed in the last two weeks

Regular Newsweed consumers will have noticed, we were on a break for the last two weeks. But since the news doesn't wait for us, here's a recap of what's been happening on the Cannabis planet in the meantime.

France

L’Fixed criminal fine for drug consumers has indeed returned to all of France, against a backdrop of frenzied posturing linked to a supposed drug dealing spot filmed in Grenoble. The drug dealing spot turned out to be just a rap clip, but the police operation requested by the Interior Ministry still managed to control 50 drug users and seize 2 scooters. The rapper himself, taken into custody.

The fine, already criticized by a significant number of associations, received little support:

• «The flat-rate fine misses its target» according to Sociologist Marie Jauffret-Roustide
• «The state is still sweeping the issue under the rug. Release
• «The fine will not solve the problem in any way» according to Drug law specialist Yann Bisiou
• «We're still beating a dead horse and wondering why it's not working.» for addiction specialist Jean-Pierre Couteron
• «We're scaling up a method that doesn't work.» for Dr. William Löwenstein

Eric Poulliat, the originator of the fine, acknowledged in an interview on BFM TV that it was not made to fight cannabis consumption, nor to do prevention, nor to clear the courts, nor to reduce trafficking, but simply to facilitate police work.

For Philippe Astruc, public prosecutor of Rennes, the assessment of the fine is conclusive fines have been issued.

Gérald Darmanin declared for its part «If there were no consumption, there would be no trafficking,» a likely tribute to Coluche.

Police Against Prohibition Collective published the results from their survey of police officers and gendarmes regarding drug legislation and current enforcement practices. While 29.5% of the 298 respondents believe that criminal enforcement is an appropriate response to drug use, 36.4% wish to exclude cannabis from this approach, and 34.1% disapprove of enforcement. The’fine Poulliat is not universally supported: 47.2% of % respondents think it is not a good idea, and 20.4% of % respondents are waiting to see. 37.7% of % believe that the expected time savings will be offset by non-payment of the fine and potential collection procedures, and 37.1% of % believe that this system exposes them to an increased risk of hostility, contempt, and defiance.

The ACT collective, the representative body for therapeutic cannabis consumers, chaired by Bertrand Rambaud, created a questionnaire regarding the medical use of cannabis, aimed at consumers and non-consumers. It includes around twenty questions to better understand the profiles, needs, and expectations of patients and non-patients.

In French Polynesia, Karl Anihia, president of Tahiti Herb Culture (THC) was required 6 months suspended sentence on appeal to have planted a foot of paka before the Assembly of French Polynesia last March to request the legalization of cannabis for therapeutic use. He had been sentenced to 3 months in prison, suspended, in the first instance.

Europe

As the status of non-medical CBD is uncertain at the European level and the Novel Food applications have been stopped., those concerning synthetic CBD and CBD derived from flowers and seeds continuing to be processed, forcing a distinction of CBD based on its origin without any scientific or regulatory basis. Kenzi Riboulet-Zemouli from FAAAT note, by the way that the 1961 Convention specifically excludes the control of the CBD at the international level when it is for non-medical purposes.

A temporary shortage of Dutch medical cannabis intended for export to Germany highlighted The lack of supply sources in the European market. The recent distribution of medical cannabis production licenses in Portugal could notably streamline the European supply, with the arrival of Colombia's Clever Leaves and Switzerland's SMC.

International

Israel has decided to remove CBD for medical use from their Controlled Substances Act of 1973, a measure that will significantly reduce the prices of CBD products for patients and the bureaucratic hurdles to access them. This step will also create a new market with significant economic potential for individuals who have not found effective alternative treatments.

Indonesia will return Regarding the designation of cannabis as a «medicinal plant,» its production has theoretically been under the purview of the Ministry of Agriculture for research purposes since 2006.

The Mexican President confirmed that the country will advance well on the legalization of cannabis in 2020. The main points of the Mexican cannabis legalization The details are as follows: a government agency will oversee the issuance of licenses for the production and sale of cannabis, which will be taxed at 12%, and consumption will be permitted in places where smoking cigarettes is allowed. Home cultivation will be permitted for up to 20 plants, and possession of 28 grams of cannabis will be allowed in public. Hemp and CBD will not be subject to THC regulations.

In the United States, the federal agency Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that Cannabis legalizations have not increased cannabis consumption among students. Their cannabis consumption increased from 2009 to 2013 and then decreased from 2013 to 2019, with the first legal adult sales beginning in 2014.

In California, two years after the start of legal cannabis sales, more than 70% of the state still lacks access to retail outlets. Weedmaps has released the trailer for a three-part documentary that will chronicle the complex path to legalization in California, from Proposition 215 to Proposition 64.