9 Countries That Could Be Next To Legalize Marijuana

(Photo: Fora do Eixo/Flickr)

Talk of marijuana legalization is taking place all over the world.

The conversation took off in late 2012, when Washington and Colorado voted to legalize marijuana, and only grew louder after Uruguay did the same in December.

While Uruguay is so far the only country to fully legalize marijuana, a number of others look ready to join.

1. Argentina

Argentina’s Supreme Court decriminalized personal possession of drugs, including marijuana, in 2009.

But legalization may be on the horizon. Last December, after Uruguay legalized marijuana, Argentina’s drug czar said his country should consider following suit.

2. Brazil

Personal drug possession is also permitted in Brazil, although traffickers are still punished.

But this month, a federal judge took the legal community by surprise when he acquitted a marijuana dealer and ruled the country’s marijuana laws unconstitutional.

While the decision is being appealed, some believe it could lead to a serious reconsideration of the nation’s marijuana policies.

3. Canada

With a federal election due in 2015, a lot of attention is being paid to legalizing marijuana. The leader of Canada’s Liberal Party, Justin Trudeau, has been an outspoken supporter of regulating marijuana like alcohol.

While Canada’s medical marijuana program is currently transitioning to a commercial market, legalizing recreational marijuana is now part of the Liberal Party’s official campaign platform.

4. Guatemala

President Otto Perez Molina was one of the loudest supporters of drug policy reform at the U.N. General Assembly last fall. In his address, the President of Guatemala praised Uruguay and the states of Washington and Colorado for taking a “visionary” approach to marijuana policy.

President Molina also announced that his country would undertake a study of alternate approaches to drug laws.

5. Jamaica

Despite a long cultural tradition of marijuana use, Jamaica has lagged behind more progressive countries when it comes to reform.

But just in the past year, medical marijuana has garnered significant support from top politicians, including the nation’s health minister. Changes in Uruguay and the U.S. have also given legalization activists new hope.

6. Mexico

Federal law in Mexico remains tough on all drugs, including marijuana, despite the flourishing drug trade that fuels local cartels. On the other hand, personal possession of drugs has been decriminalized since 2009.

More drastic change could be coming soon to the nation’s capital. This month, Mexico City lawmakers introduced a bill that would legalize the sale of recreational marijuana.

7. Morocco

The small African country happens to be the world’s top hash producer. In fact, hash is estimated to contribute as much as 10% to the nation’s economy, and many Moroccan farmers rely on marijuana crops to sustain their livelihood.

Now, two leading political parties have begun to discuss the legalization of medical and industrial cannabis as a way of stimulating the country’s economic growth and legitimizing the trade for farmers who depend on it.

8. Netherlands

The Netherlands has long been recognized for its liberal approach to marijuana. Since the 70s, coffee shops throughout the country have been permitted to sell marijuana to both residents and tourists.

However, many have been critical of the country’s failure to legalize production and distribution – creating a ‘back door problem’ that forces coffee shops to illegally obtain their supply.

With such an obvious hole in the law, it’s no surprise that mayors of 35 cities have come together to call for a fully legalized marijuana system.

9. United States

Federal law still considers marijuana as Schedule I substance. And despite President Barack Obama’s interesting comparison of marijuana and alcohol, there isn’t much sign of the law changing soon.

On the other hand, the kick-off of legal marijuana sales in Colorado has drawn significant public attention. Washington’s new marijuana laws will also come into play later this year.

Without a major disaster occurring in the two states, it’s likely that, over time, lawmakers will face increasing pressure to legalize marijuana on the federal level.

Source Leaf Science

How Did Marijuana ‘Mega-Farms’ End Up In Canada?

(Photo credit: The Peace Naturals Project)

Canadian health regulators have created a new industry that allows what The National Post describes as marijuana ‘mega-farms.’

Come April 1st, these operations are supposed to supply medical marijuana for some 40,000 patients. And these patients are not your average smokers. Last year, they were licensed to consume a total of 190,000 kg of medical marijuana.

But the focus for most of these companies is likely the long-term. According to Health Canada, the number of Canadians using medical marijuana will rise to somewhere between 300,000 to 400,000 by 2024.

When Did It Begin?

In June 2013, Health Canada announced a new medical marijuana program called the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR). The MMPR outlined a massive overhaul to the previous medical marijuana program, known as the MMAR.

Complaints about the old program came from multiple sources.

For patients, it was difficult to sign up for medical marijuana. The MMAR required extensive paperwork that doctors had to fill out, which then had to be reviewed by Health Canada for final approval.

Then-Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announced the MMPR on June 10 (Photo credit: Health Canada)

The MMPR introduces a much simpler prescription-based system, more like the systems of certain states in the U.S.

For law enforcement, the MMAR also created problems by allowing patients to grow in their own homes. Some license holders would use it as a cover-up to grow marijuana for the black market. While others didn’t, privacy laws made it difficult for law enforcement to monitor crime.

The MMPR bans home-grows, forcing patients to register with a commercial producer and purchase their medicine online.

Who Owns the Mega-Farms?

The MMPR allows any commercial entity to apply for a license to produce marijuana. Regulations are strict, which makes the cost of starting a MMPR business high. Thus, those who can afford to meet the regulations also can afford to operate large-scale grows.

Since June, the total number of MMPR applicants has exceeded 400. But the vetting process has been slow. As of now, Health Canada says it has approved 8 companies under the MMPR. But only 4 are listed on the government’s official website. According to Health Canada, the other 4 are not ready to register patients yet.

Tweed CEO Chuck Rifici standing in the empty Hershey’s factory (Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

Hopeful applicants include a company called Tweed, which has purchased an abandoned Hershey’s Chocolate factory in Smith Falls, Ontario with 470,000 square ft. of space. Privateer Holdings, a U.S. private equity firm focused on marijuana, has also purchased a 35,000 square ft. facility in Nanaimo, B.C. through its new Canadian subsidiary Lafitte Ventures.

One company already approved is Prairie Plant Systems, which was the only supplier contracted by Health Canada to supply patients under the MMAR. The company revealed last October that it undertook a $24 million retrofit of its production facility, allowing it to grow 5 times more than before.

Tjalling Erkelens, CEO of Dutch medical marijuana company Bedrocan BV (Photo credit: Bedrocan BV)

Another approved producer, Bedrocan Canada, will initially import product from its Dutch sister company Bedrocan BV, which has supplied European pharmacies with medical marijuana for years. The company plans on beginning production in Canada by late 2014.

What Will Happen on April 1?

Licenses for personal cultivation will expire. Patients will be expected to get their marijuana from a commercial producer.

But there are problems. For one, patients have launched a Constitutional Challenge to prevent the MMPR’s ban on home-grows, which many say would make medical marijuana unaffordable. If they win, they could stop the ban from happening. If they don’t, some say it’ll take more than a policy change to stop them from growing.

Canadians rally on Parliament Hill for 4/20 (Photo credit: Patrick Doyle/Reuters)

Another issue is a shortage of supply. Growing enough cannabis for 40,000 patients isn’t easy.

According to Privateer Holdings CEO Brendan Kennedy, Health Canada expressed concern about a shortage as early as last June. But today, the department says it’s “confident that there will be adequate production levels” for the new program.

However, with only 4 to 8 companies ready to meet the April 1 deadline, it’s unclear whether the MMPR will be sufficiently supplied at the start. And at this point, even if companies like Tweed or Lafitte Ventures are approved before April 1, it seems unlikely they can have product ready by then.

Source Leaf Science

Why Bedrocan Is Selling Cannabis In Canada: Q&A With CEO Marc Wayne

Bedrocan's product sold in Europe (Photo: Sensi Seeds)

Last week, Bedrocan Canada was granted a license to sell medical cannabis under the country’s new program.

Bedrocan Canada was formed by Bedrocan BV, the sole supplier of medical marijuana in Holland and other European countries. It is also now one of 8 companies to be approved by Health Canada under the new program.

The program, called the MMPR, introduces a commercial industry for medical marijuana. Beginning April 1, some 40,000 Canadians will be required to purchase their medicine from companies like Bedrocan, instead of growing it themselves.

Despite Bedrocan’s operations in Europe, the company says it has much to look forward to in Canada. We spoke to CEO of Bedrocan Canada Marc Wayne about the company’s history and what’s in store for Canadians.

Q: How did Bedrocan get started?

Bedrocan started as a family business and it’s still run by two brother-in-laws in Holland. They’ve been in the agricultural business in the north of Holland for 30 years. They got into the production of cannabis seeds when cannabis seeds were legal in the 90s in Holland.

They moved into cannabis production when the government was looking for producers of medical marijuana for the Dutch program. Two companies were selected, but one company fell off, and Bedrocan became the sole provider.

Q: What does Bedrocan do today in Europe?

Bedrocan services all the patients in the medical cannabis program in Holland, which is around 3,000. The Dutch program distributes through pharmacies, so all of Bedrocan product is distributed through the pharmacy system.

It’s also covered by the largest health insurer in Holland, but that’s just been for the past couple years. Those are the type of initiatives we’re going to try and work on in Canada, because there’s precedent over there.

Tjalling Erkelens, CEO of Bedrocan Canada’s parent company Bedrocan BV (Photo: Bedrocan)

Q: So Canadians can hope for insurance coverage?

One of the initiatives we want to take on is how to get insurance coverage in Canada similar to Holland, to enable cost coverage for patients as much as possible.

Bedrocan product is pharmaceutical grade and standardized from batch to batch. We’re hoping that type of quality will help in the argument to the insurance companies, so they know the product they’re covering isn’t different every time.

We believe standardization and quality are, obviously, top priority.

Q: How does Canada’s MMPR program compare to Europe?

The European market for Bedrocan is strongly influenced by government and government regulations.

The MMPR is the next step, in our opinion, in the development of cannabis becoming a more common medicine in Canada, produced and distributed by professional companies.

The MMPR also allows for more competition compared to Europe. The European production is organized usually through contractual agreements between government and producers, which limits the development of a good market model for medicinal cannabis to mature.

Bedrocan BV’s growing facility (Photo: Bedrocan)

But the MMPR puts physicians in a role to give patients access to cannabis like in Europe. That’s a similarity.

Overall, medical cannabis is becoming more of a private industry in Canada, which should hopefully help with pricing in the long run. There’s more competition, so perhaps pricing will come down over time for the patients.

Q: Will the MMPR help cannabis become more accepted in Canada?

You can already see, since the regulations came out, how much more mainstream it’s become in Canada as a topic.

As more companies get involved, and more visibility gets involved, and more people accept medicinal cannabis as an option, it should help provide better access for everybody.

Source Leaf Science

Tweed Inc. Joins List Of Canadian Medical Marijuana Providers

(Photo: John Kealey/Businessweek)

Tweed Inc., a company out of Ottawa, announced Tuesday that it has been authorized to grow medical marijuana under Canada’s new program.

Tweed is now the fifth producer to be licensed under the MMPR and have their name listed on Health Canada’s website. Others include Mettrum, CanniMed, The Peace Naturals Project, and Bedrocan Canada.

“We are ecstatic to have a production license in-hand,” said Tweed President and CEO Chuck Rifici on Tuesday. “Tweed is now one monumental step closer to providing Canadians in need with premium, affordable marijuana.”

Rifici told the Ottawa Citizen that the company plans to offer 25 different strains of cannabis when the new program takes over on April 1.

By then, patients will be forced to abandon their previous grow set-ups and buy their medicine from commercial suppliers instead.

Tweed says customers will be able to make purchases online or over the phone. Prices will range from $5 to $12 per gram, with a 20% discount offered to low-income patients.

The company plans to begin registering patients by early February. Tweed already has 10,000 plants growing in its 470,000 square-foot facility, a former Hershey’s Chocolate factory in Smith Falls, Ontario.

The company currently has 20 employees and has plans to expand quickly, including a possible public offering.

Since June, Health Canada says it has received over 400 applications from businesses interested in the MMPR. However, with only 5 companies approved, some fear a shortage of supply come April.

Last year, doctors prescribed a total of 190,000 kilograms of cannabis to Canada’s 38,000 marijuana patients. Under the new program, the number of patients is expected to reach up to 400,000 by 2024.

Despite the concern, Health Minister Rona Ambrose told CBC News she believes “there will be sufficient supply, but again it will done in a way that is regulated and inspected by Health Canada officials.”

Source Leaf Science

Why Washington’s I-502 Is Being Fought By Patients

(Photo credit: effjohn/Flickr)

Recreational users may look forward to the implementation of I-502, but many patients aren’t happy with the legislation and are now fighting back.

Yesterday, on the opening day of the state’s 2014 Legislative session, a group of patients, doctors and caregivers introduced a bill outlining their proposed changes to Washington’s new marijuana system.

Backed by Americans for Safe Access, House Bill 2233 aims to fix many of the shortcomings of the Liquor Control Board’s final recommendations, which include restrictions on qualifying medical conditions, the elimination of “collective gardens,” possession and cultivation limits, and excise taxes.

In the Senate, long-time medical marijuana advocate Jeanne Kohl-Welles, a Democratic senator, is also planning to introduce a bill.

Kohl-Welles told Business Insider that her proposal would give patients authorization to purchase marijuana without paying taxes. She also wants to expand the number of stores permitted under I-502, currently capped at around 300.

Only 21 of these are allotted to Seattle, despite the fact that over 150 medical marijuana dispensaries operate in the city today. Most of these dispensaries will likely be forced to close once I-502 rules take over.

Even with medical marijuana’s proliferation in Washington in recent years, state law has always been ambiguous on the issue – something that I-502 was meant to fix.

The last major overhaul happened in 2011, when Kohl-Welles managed to push a comprehensive reform bill through the state legislature. But before then-Governor Christine Gregoire signed the bill, she vetoed many of its most important clauses, which Kohl-Welles says left her “furious.”

With I-502 licenses to be issued by mid-year, now could be the last chance for patient advocates such as Kohl-Welles to achieve medical marijuana reform in Washington. She expects to see a “wide array” of bills, some that will aim to eliminate medical marijuana completely.

Although Kohl-Welles admits it’s uncertain how the Legislature will vote, the senator says current I-502 provisions will likely cause prices to rise. If this were to happen, it would push both recreational and medical users toward the black market, she says.

Source Leaf Science

Study Confirms Marijuana Can Help In Arthritis

(Photo: Timothy Hamilton/Flickr)

New findings confirm marijuana could be helpful for patients suffering from arthritis.

Published last month in the journal Rheumatology, the study reveals more evidence of how marijuana fights inflammation of the joints.

It seems to do this by activating pathways known as CB2 receptors, which are present at abnormally high levels in the joint tissues of arthritis patients.

CB2 receptors are one of the two types of pathways activated by chemicals in marijuana. However, only CB1 receptors are responsible for the high.

“Historically, therapy with marijuana was used to ease the symptoms of a broad spectrum of diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis,” explained study co-author Dr. Sheng-Ming Dai of China’s Second Military Medical University in a recent interview with Nature.

But a major barrier to the widespread use of marijuana-based treatments is their psychoactive effect, he notes. As a result, scientists have been searching for ways to achieve the same benefits without the high.

In the new study, Dr. Dai and his team confirmed the presence of CB2 receptors in tissue samples taken from patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

What’s more, by using a chemical that only activates CB2 receptors, the researchers were able to suppress inflammatory molecules thought to be involved with cartilage erosion.

The team is now working on figuring out the best way to target these receptors exclusively in the treatment of arthritis.

Recent studies suggest marijuana compounds may also help manage pain from joint diseases.

Source Leaf Science

Experts Want More Research On Medical Marijuana For Elderly

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More research is needed on the potential benefits of marijuana for older patients, according to a team of medical experts from Holland.

Writing this month in the journal Ageing Research Reviews, investigators at Radboud University Medical Center argue that not enough studies involving marijuana-based treatments, including a class of chemicals called cannabinoids, are focusing on seniors.

“Although trials studying medical cannabinoids included older subjects, there is a lack of evidence of its use specifically in older patients.”

But the need is strong, according to the report. In the Netherlands, one third of patients with a medical marijuana prescription are over 60. Israel’s program distributes marijuana directly to some nursing homes. Statistics from Canada and the U.S. also suggest a rise in cannabis use among the baby boomer demographic.

More importantly, marijuana-based treatments have proven to be effective at managing a variety of symptoms common in aging patients, the authors note, including neuropathic pain and nausea and loss of appetite in patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Marijuana shows promise in treating symptoms of dementia as well.

“It is highly worthwhile to conduct well designed studies on the efficacy of cannabinoids in symptom management in dementia, given the initial positive results on weight loss and agitation in this patient population, and the great lack of other effective and safe strategies in this field.”

However, elderly patients may be more vulnerable to side effects of marijuana treatment, which only large-scale studies can help reveal.

After reviewing the current body of evidence, the researchers found just five studies on marijuana-based therapies that provide results specifically on elderly patients. But the sample sizes were small, and none of the studies involved the use of medical cannabis in its herbal form.

In order for physicians to prescribe these treatments confidently, they explain, more evidence is required.

The team concludes: “Adequately powered trials are needed to assess the efficacy and safety of cannabinoids in older subjects, as the potential symptomatic benefit is especially attractive in this age group.”

Source Leaf Science

Canada’s Ban On Marijuana Dispensaries Will Hurt Patients Most

Plants waiting to be sold at Toronto dispensary CALM (Photo: Tyler Anderson/National Post)

Under new rules that take effect in April, medical marijuana dispensaries are being brushed aside in favor of a commercial mail-order system.

Rebecca Penn, a graduate student at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, is one of many who believe the government has overlooked the role of dispensaries.

“When someone goes into a community-based cannabis dispensary,” she explains, “they have the potential of linking up to all kinds of additional resources that will help support their health and wellness.”

“Those things are being lost when you’re turning it into a mail-order, internet-based business. You don’t have that kind of personal connection.”

Dispensaries, also known as compassion clubs, have always operated in a grey area of the law, since Health Canada has never officially approved them. Yet today, they provide medical marijuana for roughly 50,000 patients across the country.

However, it’s not just marijuana that they offer, but access to resources and support networks as well.

“Dispensaries are a safe and empowering environment,” says Amy Brown, who conducts member orientations at Toronto-based dispensary CALM.

“It’s very crucial to the medicine itself.”

While Health Canada seems to have missed these qualities, in a paper published last month in theInternational Journal of Drug Policy, Penn highlights the role that medical marijuana dispensaries have long served in Canada.

Penn’s paper argues that dispensaries help form a community of support around a medicine that many still consider taboo. In fact, she believes this fits what social theorists call an ‘embodied health movement,’ which describes patients empowering one another through a treatment that challenges traditional science.

Indeed, the first dispensaries in Canada came years before medical marijuana was legalized. And over time, they’ve played a major part in shaping both policy and research that surrounds the treatment.

Penn notes that organizations like the Canadian Association of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries have also made efforts to integrate with government regulations. Yet for reasons unclear, Health Canada decided to reject the dispensary model in drafting the new MMPR program.

It’s unfortunate, Penn says, since she believes the best form of treatment often involves more than just the medicine itself.

“We know through research done around counselling and therapy that what matters most isn’t necessarily the model of therapy as much as the connection with the provider. That’s so important, and that’s going to be completely lost in the approach they’re taking now.”

Brown, who has spent the last 4 years working at CALM, agrees that dispensaries in Canada now face an uncertain future.

“It’s very up in the air. According to the MMPR, dispensaries or storefronts are not allowed.”

She suspects most dispensaries haven’t made a final decision on what to do come April. However, her experiences lend weight to concerns about the ban – for patients.

“There’s a lot of people who are new to cannabis, who’ve never used it in their life,” says Brown of the patients who visit CALM. “Cannabis has such a stigma attached to it that a lot of people, who are new coming into using it, are a bit scared in the first place.”

“Having a conversation over the phone and placing an order for a medicine that you’ve never tried is a little disheartening. It’s not empowering at all.”

Source Leaf Science

5 Drugs That Scientists Hope Can Cure Marijuana Addiction

(Photo: Raymond Bryson/Flickr)

As marijuana continues to gain public acceptance, more scientists are looking for ways to treat cannabis addiction.

Just this week, the prestigious journal Nature Medicine published an article on current developments in this field.

According to the report, “experts continue to worry that the amount of research going into effective drug treatments for marijuana addiction is not keeping pace with the size of the addiction problem.”

On the other hand, scientists don’t appear to be slacking. In fact, research is now being conducted around the world in an effort to find a treatment for this apparently alarming illness.

1. Marinol

(Photo: deamuseum.org)

Dronabinol, also known as Marinol, is a synthetic version of THC, the chemical responsible for marijuana’s high.

Like marijuana, Marinol can help reduce nausea in patients undergoing chemotherapy and weight loss in HIV/AIDS. But scientists believe it may help marijuana users quit their habit as well.

In a recent study, Marinol proved to be more effective than placebo at reducing symptoms of cannabis withdrawal. The drug is currently being investigated in combination with lofexidine, an opiate substitute similar to methadone, in Phase 2 clinical trials.

2. Pregnenolone

(Photo credit: Wikimedia commons)

Last month, a group of French scientists found that a naturally occurring hormone called pregnenolone may act to reduce the high from marijuana. The study, published in Science, showed that large doses of THC lead to a dramatic spike in pregnenolone levels in rats’ brains.

Since pregnenolone appears to be the body’s natural way of preventing users from getting too intoxicated, the scientists hope that extra doses of the hormone can deter marijuana addicts from seeking the drug.

3. Cannabidiol

(Photo: Coleen Danger/Flickr)

Scientists in Brazil recently had success using a non-psychoactive compound found in marijuana, cannabidiol (CBD), to treat symptoms of cannabis withdrawal in a 19-year-old woman.

José Crippa, the lead researcher, remarked to Nature Medicine: “It’s funny that one compound in the plant can help to recover from addiction to another.”

Now, Crippa is working with researchers in California to conduct a larger study on cannabidiol as a treatment for marijuana addiction.

4. Sativex

(Photo credit: GW Pharmaceuticals)

Researchers in Australia are studying a pharmaceutical cannabis extract called Sativex as a treatment for cannabis withdrawal.

In a recent study, the team found Sativex effective at reducing symptoms in the short-term, but its long-term effect proved no better than placebo.

Nevertheless, the team, led by Dr. David Allsop of the National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre, plan to conduct another study using Sativex, in hopes of achieving a better outcome.

5. Rimonabant (failed)

(Photo: gurupandora.blogspot.com)

Originally sold as a weight loss pill in 56 different countries, rimonabant was an early candidate for treating marijuana addiction. The drug works by blocking the pathways that cannabis acts on, and was indeed helpful for reducing appetite and weight.

Unfortunately, the drug was later found to cause severe depression and suicidal thoughts, and was quickly withdrawn from the market.

The problem: blocking the pathways of marijuana also blocks the action of naturally occurring chemicals in the brain.

These chemicals, known as cannabinoids, help regulate positive mood, which also explains why marijuana causes euphoria and why rimonabant causes depression.

Source Leaf Science

Marijuana Could Reduce Brain Damage After Stroke, Researchers Say

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New research suggests compounds in marijuana may protect the brain from damage following a stroke. Scientists hope to perform human trials in the near future.

Researchers at the University of Nottingham conducted a meta-analysis of previous studies, reports the Nottingham Post, concluding that cannabinoids could reduce the severity of stroke as well as improve neurological outcomes.

Lead author Dr. Tim England, honorary consultant stroke physician at the University of Nottingham and Royal Derby Hospital, presented the findings at this week’s annual UK Stroke Forum conference.

Dr. England explained in an university release that while research thus far has been limited to animals, the latest findings provide support for human studies.

“This meta-analysis of pre-clinical stroke studies provides valuable information on the existing, and importantly, missing data on the use of cannabinoids as a potential treatment for stroke patients. The data are guiding the next steps in experimental stroke in order to be able to progress onto initial safety assessments in a clinical trial.”

Dr. England and his team examined 94 past studies involving the effects of various cannabinoids on 1022 rats, mice or monkeys, reports The New Zealand Herald. The effects on stroke seemed to be consistent across all three types of cannabinoids: synthetic, marijuana-derived and those naturally produced by the body.

Dr. Dale Webb, director of research and information at the Stroke Association, also concluded that scientists should now aim to replicate the findings in humans.

“The findings have identified the potential for cannabinoids to reduce brain damage caused by stroke. Further research is needed to investigate whether cannabinoids have the same effects in humans: the effects of cannabis on the brain are highly complex and it remains a risky substance.”

Following the presentation of the findings, Dr. Madina Kara, a neuroscientist at the Stroke Association, said that human trials are now “under discussion.”

Source Leaf Science