Quick Hit January 2025: what we've missed in recent weeks

As regular Newsweed consumers will have noticed, we've been on hiatus for the past few weeks. But since news doesn't wait for us, here's a recap of what's been happening in the meantime on Planet Cannabis.

France

Haaaaa France. The land of the Enlightenment, art, science, and... the refusal to legalize a medicine that could relieve at least 300,000 people. The new Minister of Health, Yannick Neuder, who has introduced an amendment in 2023 to integrate medical cannabis into the 2024 Social Security Financing Bill (PLFSS), said they wanted to «study this avenue of therapeutic cannabis» for patients suffering from painful diseases with no alternatives.

That is to say, it's not as if a 3000-person experiment has been running for 4 years, including 2 years of extension, and that some 25 countries in Europe had already legalized medical cannabis use.

Industrial stakeholders were obviously pleased with this statement, not wanting to offend the new minister who, however, announced nothing groundbreaking and openly offers no path to legalization.

So while awaiting yet another study to prop up a piece of furniture at the Ministry of Health, the French government, in its magnanimity, announced an extension of the experiment medical cannabis until July 31, 2025, thus giving the 1,800 patients currently included more time to stop their treatment or find alternatives to a treatment they are experiencing because they no longer had an alternative. Kafkaesque.

Europe

While France debates the possibility of a potential study on the potential opportunity for a form of ersatz cannabis legalization, the’Ukraine registered its first medicines Based on medical cannabis, oral drops made in Spain. They will appear in pharmacies at the beginning of 2025.

According to the results of a new poll commissioned by the German Hemp Association (Hanfverband), support for the full legalization of adult cannabis use in Germany has risen to 59%.

«For the first time, an absolute majority of Germans are in favor of legalizing cannabis, meaning regulated distribution to adults, as originally agreed upon in the traffic light coalition agreement. An equally significant majority opposes the CDU/CSU's plans to make possession of small amounts of cannabis and the cultivation of certain plants a new offense,» said Hemp Association in a press release.

Tilray announced on January 6 that its German subsidiary, Tilray Deutschland GmbH, has won a tender to supply Luxembourg with cannabis flowers. The Luxembourgish Ministry of Health and Social Security has authorized qualified healthcare professionals to prescribe medical cannabis as a therapeutic option since February 2019. In a blog post published on its website, the agency indicates that as of January 1, 2025, THC-rich flowering tops will no longer be available, but patients will still have access to CBD-rich cannabis flower and «balanced» THC and CBD flower, as well as cannabis oil.

United States

Big year for US states where cannabis is legal.

Massachusetts cannabis dispensaries have surpassed $7 billion in sales since the adult-use market launched in 2018. Medical cannabis sales, on the other hand, have reached $1.4 billion since 2018, when the CCC began tracking sales under the medical program.

On their side, New York State dispensaries sold over a billion dollars worth of cannabis in 2024. The State has issued or provisionally approved over 5,250 licenses, permits, and registrations since the program's launch, including 221 adult-use cultivator licenses, 292 adult-use processor licenses, 569 conditional adult-use retailer licenses, 448 adult-use retailer licenses, 569 conditional adult-use retailer licenses, 185 distributor licenses, and 272 adult-use microbusiness licenses. Authorities have also recognized 17 registered organizations and granted over 3,200 cannabinoid hemp licenses and permits. Cannabis sales in New York are projected to reach $1.5 billion in 2025.

New Jersey’s cannabis market surpassed $1 billion in combined medical and recreational cannabis sales in 2024, an increase of nearly 25% from the previous year’s total of $800,279,300, illustrating the industry’s strong growth in the state.

Rather than banning intoxicating products made from hemp like in California, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has supported a measure to set the age limit for purchasing intoxicating hemp products at 21 and to restrict the sale of hemp products to only licensed cannabis dispensaries.

The company DoorDash, which specializes in food and grocery delivery, announced that its services now cover on-demand delivery of hemp-derived THC and CBD products in certain US states.

Delaware has awarded the state's first 15 adult-use dispensary licenses. The recipients were chosen by lottery from 529 applicants.

Texas Democratic State Representative Jessica González has introduced a sweeping bill on Legalization of cannabis use for adults, which would establish a licensing system for cannabis businesses and impose a 10% excise tax on sales. The bill introduced by Ms. González sets higher personal possession limits than those in states that have already adopted similar reforms, allowing for the possession of 10 ounces of cannabis in individual residences, provided it is stored in a secure location.

Cannabis reform advocates have once again called for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) be excluded from the reassessment hearing to be held in January, citing new evidence that the agency might seek to «subvert the process» and «thwart» the reassessment procedure. In response, a DEA judge has canceled the first cannabis reassessment hearing scheduled for next week and postponed it for at least 3 months.

Canada

Canadian authorities have missed a legally mandated deadline to fully implement a program aimed at pardoning citizens with cannabis possession records. Legislation passed in 2022 – four years after cannabis was legalized federally – requires all cannabis possession records in the country to be warehoused, preventing them from appearing on background checks. In a statement to CBC, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) stated, «We are doing manual validation and record warehousing, and this work requires extensive research and considerable effort.».

Manitoba is moving forward with legalizing home cannabis cultivation, allowing up to 4 plants per adult per household, and has entered a public comment phase for its bill. The law could come into effect by April.

Rest of the world

Following the 2018 amnesty, the government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is now supporting the efforts of Rastafarian cultivators to create cannabis farms.

Search

A team of Thai researchers recently conducted a clinical trial on the use of cannabis-infused oil in patients suffering from osteoarthritis-related knee pain. Sublingual administration of oil extracts containing plant-derived cannabinoids significantly reduces knee pain in subjects with treatment-resistant osteoarthritis, according to clinical data published in the Journal of Southeast Asian Orthopaedics.

A recent study showed that a single 800-mg capsule of cannabidiol (CBD) could be effective in reducing alcohol cravings in people with alcohol use disorders. Participants were between the ages of 18 and 60 and were randomly assigned to receive either 800 mg of CBD or a corresponding placebo for the study. They were asked to abstain from drinking for 24 hours prior to the study, and upon arrival, they received either the CBD capsule or the placebo capsule. After some time, participants underwent stress tests and were exposed to alcohol. Participants who received the CBD capsules reported a «significantly lower craving for alcohol.».

A article A recently published study examining the effects of adult-use cannabis legalization on opioid overdose deaths indicates there is a «consistent negative relationship» between legalization and fatal overdoses, with more significant effects in states that legalized cannabis earlier in the opioid crisis. In short, cannabis legalization led to an «immediate drop» in opioid overdoses.

According to data published in the journal Expert Review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) report a sustained improvement in their health-related quality of life after consuming cannabis.

Events

On May 31, 2025, the first edition of the Buds and Beats Cannabis Festival will take place in Zurich (Halle 622), with the CannaTrade Friends and Family B2B dinner the day before, and several afterparties following the festival. The reason and purpose? To celebrate cannabis culture and bring together the Swiss cannabis industry in this CannaTrade-free year.

The 8th Czech cannabis trade fair KONOPEX will be held from April 25 to 27, 2025 in Ostrava, Czech Republic, in the TripleHall Karolina complex. KONOPEX combines a B2B trade show and a B2C trade event, with a three-day program of conferences, music and entertainment. Over 120 leading Czech and international companies will be presenting their products, services and innovations.