Following the recent legalisation of medical cannabis in Ukraine, Adam Kavalier PhD, explores what we know about its potential in the treatment of PTSD.  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently signed into law reforms on medical Cannabis to provide relief to victims of trauma, resulting from the [...]

A medical cannabis patient has been cleared of charges against him on the grounds that he has a legal prescription, after being pulled over by police for a second time.  Nathan Williams was found not guilty of failure to provide a specimen at Welshpool Magistrates Court [...]

Via Business of Cannabis Germany’s Bundesrat (Federal Council) has voted to pass the CanG bill without calling in a mediation committee, meaning the law should come into effect on 1 April, 2024. In perhaps the most important vote on cannabis liberalisation in European history, the German [...]

Curaleaf International, a market-leading global cannabis company, has been announced as the Headline Partner for Cannabis Europa, scheduled to take place in London on 25-26 June, 2024. Cannabis Europa is Europe’s foremost conference series that connects influential leaders in science, policy and business, helping to build [...]

Via Business of Cannabis Portugal’s cannabis regulator has approved three new cannabis preparations for its medical cannabis programme, marking the first expansion since 2021. Since voting to legalise medical cannabis in 2018, Portugal has only seen one cannabis preparation be approved by INFARMED (Instituto Nacional de [...]

Switzerland has launched its seventh adult-use cannabis pilot, the largest to date, following the publication of the first trial data earlier this month. Officials in Switzerland announced a seventh pilot study into the sale of legal cannabis for adult-use in the district of canton Zürich on [...]

The first study of its kind has found cannabis to be beneficial in the treatment of female orgasm disorder.  For the first time researchers have investigated the effects of cannabis in treating female orgasm disorder/difficulty (FOD), with the results demonstrating ‘significant benefit’. While previous research has [...]

Newly-published real-world evidence finds medical cannabis to be effective in managing symptoms of PTSD and comorbid depression.  There has been increasing interest in using cannabis-based medicines in the treatment of  PTSD, particularly in the veteran population.  Most notably, Ukraine recently legalised medical cannabis with President Zelensky [...]

Via Business of Cannabis  The French National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) has confirmed that flowers will not be included in its upcoming generalised medical cannabis framework. While not wholly unexpected, the abrupt nature and failure of the ANSM to provide any viable alternative to patients currently [...]

Early economic analysis suggests that cannabis-based medicines may be a cost-effective treatment for managing chronic pain.  Initial findings from a small feasibility study suggest that at the right price point, cannabis-based medicines could offer a cost-effective alternative for the treatment of chronic pain, if prescribed on [...]

Cannabis products high in CBD can ease anxiety better than THC-dominant products, new research suggests.  A study of 300 people, published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, is the first randomised trial to examine how legal, commercially available cannabis impacts anxiety symptoms. The study, led [...]

Almost six years since the law changed, children still struggle to access a consistent supply of cannabis-based medicine in the UK.  With families now facing national shortages of other anti-epileptic drugs, it’s time the sector stepped up, writes co-founder and director, Matt Hughes, Medcan Family Foundation. [...]

In an extract from the handbook, Principles of Clinical Cannabinology, Viola Brugnatelli and Fabio Turco explore the cutaneous Endocannabinoid System and its potential applications in treating various dermatological conditions. The skin, the body’s largest organ, serves not only as a protective barrier but also plays crucial [...]

New findings suggest that cannabis could reduce reliance on other stimulant drugs, and play a role in addressing the ongoing opioid overdose crisis. A new study at the University of British Columbia has observed that using cannabis is associated with decreased use of crystal methamphetamine among [...]

Via Business of Cannabis  Spain’s Ministry of Health has launched a public consultation on its proposals for a medical cannabis framework in the country. Organisations and individual citizens will now have until 4 March  to submit their comments on the proposals, as Spain’s new government makes [...]

Back in 2020, the European Commission formally classified edible cannabidiol (CBD) products like gummies, drinks, oils and even bread as novel foods (NFs). Today, all submitted applications remain on hold, with no CBD products receiving NF authorisation in the UK or Europe. Here Libby Clarke, managing [...]

From 26th February, the medical cannabis division of Rokshaw Ltd is rebranding to Curaleaf Laboratories. Since its inception in 2012 by founders Jonathan and Richard Hodgson, Rokshaw has created an industry wide reputation of providing the highest quality of products from our MHRA-approved manufacturing facility. Its [...]

Patients from across the globe will call for fair and equal access to medicinal cannabis treatment at the upcoming session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs. Members of the IACM Patient Council, alongside other non-profit organisations, will represent the rights of patients seeking legal, fair [...]

A new study has found few changes in driving performance among patients taking medicinal cannabis products.  Researchers at Swinburne University in Australia examined the effects of cannabis products on simulated driving performance in a group of 40 patients legally prescribed medical cannabis. The semi-naturalistic study found [...]

A cannabis extract has shown positive results in slowing down melanoma cell growth and increasing cell death rates in skin cancer, a new in-vitro study has found. Researchers from Charles Darwin University (CDU) and RMIT investigated programmed cell death caused by a specific extract (cannabinoid PHEC-66) [...]

Via Business of Cannabis  The Irish Government has approved the establishment of an Oireachtas committee to examine the Citizens’ Assembly recommendations for the decriminalisation of drug use ‘as quickly as possible’. It comes just two weeks after the Dáil, Ireland’s lower parliamentary house, voted to delay [...]

Glaucomas constitute a group of eye disorders characterized by progressive damage to the optic nerve, often associated with increased intraocular pressure (IOP), leading to irreversible vision loss. Glaucoma can develop slowly, and the gradual vision loss may go unnoticed for an extended period. Regular eye examinations, [...]

President Zelensky has signed a bill legalising medical cannabis in Ukraine, with patients expected to have access to regulated medicines as early as 2024.  In what has been described as a ‘great victory’, on Tuesday 13 February, President Zelensky signed into law legislation permitting the prescription [...]

As reported by Business of Cannabis   The European Commission (EC) last week partially approved a new ‘European Citizens Initiative’ focused on cannabis reform, in a move marking an increasing acknowledgment of the changing landscape in regards to cannabis regulation across the European Union (EU). This [...]

Jersey lawmakers have passed new legislation which is described as a ‘step towards’ the decriminalisation of possession of small amounts of cannabis and other Class B and C drugs. In a vote on Wednesday 7 February, the Jersey States Assembly unanimously approved an amendment to the [...]

In a new study, 38% of dog owners surveyed in Denmark reported giving their pups cannabinoids, with 77% reporting at least some ‘positive effect’. In recent years, cannabis has become more widely used for recreational and medical use in humans, and many cannabis-based products are also [...]

Via Business of Cannabis Spain’s newly appointed health minister has said that the country’s long-awaited medical cannabis law will be ready ‘in the coming months,’ as she makes good on her promise to kickstart progress. Mónica García Gómez used her first appearance in Congress to reaffirm [...]

In a new extract from the Principles of Cannabinology Handbook, Viola Brugnatelli and Fabio Turco, examine whether cannabis could play a role in tackling the global obesity crisis. Obesity has evolved into a significant public health crisis, with alarming global prevalence rates and with profound health [...]

The Cannabis Industry Council (CIC) has committed to supporting UK veterans in accessing medicines for conditions such as PTSD and chronic pain.  Leaders at the CIC have joined over 11,000 other organisations across the country in signing the Armed Forces Covenant, which pledges to support the [...]

New studies challenge some longstanding myths about cannabis and its effects on driving and motivation, while others examine cognitive function, cancer and CBD in cats       In recent weeks new research has been published exploring the relationship between cannabis and driving impairment, motivation and cognitive function in [...]

Ireland’s Health Research Board (HRB) has published the findings from its review of evidence for the safety and efficacy of prescribed medicinal cannabis. The report, which was published on Tuesday 23 January, found evidence to support the use of prescribed medicinal cannabis for certain conditions for [...]

Via Business of Cannabis Australia and New Zealand are undergoing contrasting reforms in their medical cannabis regulations. New Zealand aims to lower product quality standards for domestic producers to facilitate exports, while Australia seeks to elevate standards for international producers to ease imports. According to Prohibition [...]

Researchers at LVR University Hospital Essen in Germany have announced the results of a new study on the efficacy of medical cannabis in treating chronic depression. According to the findings, patients showed significant improvement with the reported severity rate of their depression reduced significantly, with no [...]

New UK research is said to lay the foundations for further exploration of cannabis as a potential treatment for Long COVID. Researchers at Drug Science have published the findings from a world-first trial examining the potential of cannabis to manage the debilitating symptoms of Long Covid. [...]

It is a well-known fact that cannabis can cause the ‘munchies’ but now researchers have revealed why that is—potentially paving the way for new treatments for appetite disorders.  Scientists at Washington State University, have discovered a mechanism in the brain that promotes appetite in a set [...]

Via Business of Cannabis Last week the Czech government published a draft version of its highly anticipated cannabis regulation bill, sparking outrage due to the apparent omission of plans for a full commercial market. With much of the European cannabis industry still reeling from Germany’s decision [...]

Federal health officials in the US have acknowledged the ‘accepted medical use’ of cannabis for the first time, in documents confirming a recommendation that it be reclassified as a lower risk drug.  The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released documents which confirm [...]

The legalisation of adult-use cannabis in Canada is not linked to increased rates of psychosis in the short-term, new research shows, but longer studies are needed.  A new study has found that following the legalisation of adult-use cannabis in Canada, there was no short-term increase in [...]

German associations have called for wider reforms to medical cannabis regulations to ‘reduce bureaucracy’ and open up access for patients.  In July 2023, Germany’s federal government commissioned the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) – the body responsible for determining which medical treatments are covered by the country’s [...]