Forbes • 17th February 2025

Switzerland Moves To Legalize Recreational Cannabis With A State-Controlled Monopoly

Swiss lawmakers have introduced a bill to legalize recreational cannabis in an effort to curb the illegal market. The Health Committee of the House of Representatives approved last week a draft bill aimed at relaxing restrictions for adults. The proposal, which received 14 votes in favor, nine against, and two abstentions, is intended to curb illegal market activity, safeguard public health, and establish a non-profit sales framework. Recreational cannabis is still illegal in Switzerland, though...

Forbes • 14th February 2025

FDA Grants Fast-Track Designation To Cannabis Withdrawal Syndrome Drug

Pharmaceutical development company PleoPharma has received a grant from the U.S. Federal Drug Administration to fast-track the development of a medication designed to mitigate cannabis withdrawal syndrome in patients with cannabis use disorder. U.S.-based PleoPharma announced yesterday that the FDA has granted it a fast-track designation for PP-01, which is a new investigational drug for cannabis withdrawal syndrome. If approved, this medication can help people with cannabis use disorder to over...

Al-Monitor • 14th February 2025

Why Hezbollah, Amal want to control Lebanon's Finance Ministry

The New Arab • 11th February 2025

Will Arab states push back against Trump's Gaza expulsion plans?

US President Donald Trump's repeated remarks about the US taking over Gaza for reconstruction and expelling Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan have shocked Arab states. The brazen proposal was made during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington last week when he said the US could take ownership of Gaza and redevelop it into the "Riviera of the Middle East", resettling Palestinians in regional states. Since Netanyahu’s visit, he has doubled down on his remarks, on Monday s...

Forbes • 11th February 2025

Alabama Senator Introduces Bill To Ban Intoxicating Hemp Products

An Alabama senator has introduced a bill to ban intoxicating hemp products, such as delta-8 THC, making Alabama the latest state to seek to prohibit these substances. Republican Senator Tim Melson introduced a bill last week to ban hemp-derived THC products like delta-8, delta-9, and delta-10 in Alabama. The bill is currently awaiting action in the Senate Committee on Healthcare. If passed, the bill would classify these psychoactive cannabinoids as Schedule I controlled substances, and it would...

Forbes • 4th February 2025

Heavy Cannabis Use Linked To Lasting Memory Deficits, Study Finds

A new study on brain activity found that heavy cannabis use is linked to reduced activity in memory-related regions, while recent use may cause temporary cognitive impairments. Published in the Substance Use and Addiction journal of JAMA Network on January 28, researchers from the U.S. and Canada analyzed surveys and brain scans of over 1,000 young adults, comparing their cannabis use habits with brain activity during cognitive tasks. This study explored the impact of cannabis use on brain funct...

Forbes • 30th January 2025

Ohio Republican Lawmakers Seek More Marijuana Taxes And Home Grow Limits

Ohio Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill to reform their state’s marijuana laws, increasing taxes on the substance and limiting personal cultivation. Recently introduced by Sen. Stephen A. Huffman, the bill is a rewriting of Issue 2, which legalized marijuana in the state with a ballot measure approved by voters in November 2023. The new bill includes increased taxation, cuts in home cultivation limits, and removal of social equity provisions. While supporters say the moves will refine r...

Forbes • 28th January 2025

Illinois Cannabis Consumer Files Class Action Against Companies For Allegedly Exceeding THC Limits Deceptively

Cannabis companies in Illinois are facing a class action lawsuit for allegedly labeling cannabis-infused products as concentrates in order to exceed the state’s THC limits. Illinois cannabis consumer Chad Alsip filed two class action lawsuits this week against multiple defendants, including Wellness Group Pharms and its affiliates operating collectively as Aeriz, as well as several entities under Acreage Holdings, In Grown Farms, and NCC. The two complaints represent over 100 members each, with...

Forbes • 24th January 2025

Aurora Cannabis Launches Its First Germany-Made Medical Cannabis Brand

Canadian company Aurora Cannabis has announced the launch of its first German-cultivated medical cannabis product amid the easing of restrictions in Germany’s medical cannabis market. Aurora announced this week the launch of its brand, IndiMed, which manufactures medical cannabis products at Aurora’s leading EU-GMP facility in Leuna, Germany. The first product launched by the IndiMed brand is Island Sweet Skunk, dried flower, sativa, 20% THC, and less than 1 % CBD, which is expected to be availa...

Forbes • 20th January 2025

U.S. Court Upholds Virginia’s Ban On Intoxicating Hemp

A U.S. court has upheld Virginia’s strict regulations on intoxicating hemp products, ruling they don’t conflict with the federal law and Dormant Commerce Clause, reinforcing the state’s power to protect public health and safety. Earlier this month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit decided an appeal filed by hemp company Northern Virginia Hemp and Agriculture and other plaintiffs challenging Virginia’s Senate Bill 903, a law regulating hemp products. The court denied claims that t...

Forbes • 14th January 2025

High Tide Enters Germany’s Medical Cannabis Market By Acquiring 51% Of Purecan

Canada-based cannabis company High Tide has entered the German medical cannabis market by purchasing a 51% stake in Frankfurt-based pharmaceutical company Purecan. The announcement of the acquisition, made on Monday, comes after Germany legalized recreational cannabis for personal use, effective last April that took the ban off the controlled substances list, and eased medical access for patients. High Tide has acquired a majority stake of 51% in Purecan GmbH for €4.8 million to enter the German...

CannIntelligence • 13th January 2025

How Italy’s ban on driving with any THC in the body could affect the hemp industry | CannIntelligence

Cannabis users driving on Italian roads could find themselves in legal trouble when stopped by the authorities, even if they are not under the influence at the time. In an effort to prevent dangerous driving caused by drug use, Italy has introduced stricter measures on drug impairment, with potential implications for the hemp industry. The revised law, which went into effect last month, makes the mere presence of drugs in the body a crime, regardless of the driver’s physical state. Cannabis use...

Forbes • 30th December 2024

Judge Halts Tennessee Rules That Would Ban Hemp Products

A Tennessee judge has temporarily blocked new hemp testing regulations that were set to take effect last week, which could ban products legally sold in the state since 2019. Davidson County Chancellor I’Ashea Myles issued the temporary injunction on December 23, pausing the rules until February 18 to allow further review, as first reported by Tennessee Lookout. Chancellor Myles stressed that expert testimony and further evidence were necessary regarding the propriety, reasonableness, and lawfuln...

Forbes • 27th December 2024

CBD May Reduce Alcohol Cravings In People With AUD, Study Finds

A new study suggests that a single dose of CBD may reduce alcohol cravings and lower activity in the brain’s reward center, providing the first clinical evidence that this cannabis compound could help with alcohol use disorder. In a study published in Molecular Psychiatry journal this month, researchers from the Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine at the University of Heidelberg in Germany analyzed how CBD impacts alcohol cravings and brain activity in people with alcohol use...

Forbes • 23rd December 2024

Nearly 60% Of Germans Support Full Cannabis Legalization Ahead Of Upcoming Elections

Most Germans are in favor of fully legalizing recreational cannabis months after the government approved its use for personal consumption and amid the upcoming federal elections. The German Hemp Association published a poll last week, showing that 59% of Germans support full legalization of recreational cannabis, including its sale. The poll’s results support the government’s original vision for cannabis reform, which was then scaled back to allowing only personal use. This marks the first incre...

Forbes • 19th December 2024

Teen Marijuana Use Hits Lowest Levels In Decades, Study Finds

Teen marijuana use has hit its lowest point in over three decades, a new study reveals, defying concerns that legalization might spur a rise in use among young people. The University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research released its annual report this week, highlighting trends from its survey on drug use. The Monitoring the Future study, conducted by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research and funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, released its annual report th...

Forbes • 17th December 2024

How Bat Guano Turned Deadly For Two Men Growing Marijuana

Two men have reportedly died after inhaling bat guano used to grow marijuana, raising concerns about the safety of natural bat guano and commercially available fertilizers. The cases of the two men who died from exposure to bat guano used to grow marijuana came to light earlier this month through an accepted manuscript published in the journal Open Forum Infectious Diseases. The study highlights two fatal cases of histoplasmosis, a fungal infection caused by Histoplasma capsulatum, linked to bat...

The New Arab • 9th December 2024

What the fall of Assad means for Iran's regional influence

A coalition of Syrian rebel groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched an unprecedented 12-day offensive that on 8 December put an end to Bashar Al-Assad’s 24-year rule in Syria. Launched on 27 November, the ‘Deterrence of Aggression’ operation rapidly seized significant portions of northern and southern Syria, facing little to no resistance from the Syrian army. Rebels took control of strategic highways, military assets, and key cities such as Aleppo, Hama, Daraa, and Homs, ultimately...

The New Arab • 2nd December 2024

Will Lebanon's army be able to uphold the ceasefire with Israel?

Since the early hours of 27 November, when the US-brokered ceasefire ended one of the fiercest wars between Israel and Hezbollah in decades, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) began to move troops to southern Lebanon. The ceasefire is the result of months-long indirect negotiations that ended a 13-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah linked to Israel's war in Gaza following Hamas's attack on 7 October 2023. In Lebanon, Israel killed nearly 4,000 people, injured almost 16,000, displaced ove...

Forbes • 29th November 2024

Denmark’s Medical Cannabis Trial Program Set To Become Permanent

The Danish government has reached an agreement with opposition parties to make Denmark’s medical cannabis trial program as permanent. Minister of the Interior and Health Sophie Løhde announced on Thursday that this decision follows a new evaluation showing a significant increase in the number of prescriptions filled, now at its highest level since the trial began in 2018. The move represents a significant shift in Denmark, where recreational cannabis remains illegal, and the tolerated policy on...