UK / EU Cannabis Compliance

Portuguese Govt Finally Signs Off On New THC %’s In Hemp

Published

1 year ago

March 7, 2023

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The rules of industrial hemp have now been changed, once again, with the publication of Ordinance 64/2023 updating the THC limit to 0.3%, as it had been established by the European Commission in December 2021. The Portuguese government’s amendment ignored requests from farmers, traders and the entire hemp sector, proving to be quite conservative: it limited itself to transposing the European directive late, updating only one point. The measure should have come into force on 1 January 2023, but we are in Portugal: the Ordinance was signed by six Ministries and took more than two months to see the light of day.

The Portuguese hemp sector today agreed to a new change in regulations for the cultivation of hemp. Ordinance 64/2023, published in the Diário da República, simply transposed, into national legislation, the provisions of Regulation ( UE ) 2021/2115, which was approved by the European Parliament in December 2021.

On the other hand, the Portuguese Government has shown itself to be conservative in the changes, which failed to contemplate the changes claimed by sector associations, even after of judicial decisions that point hemp as a non-stunned product.

Minister of Agriculture was the last to sign the document

The document, signed by the six ministries responsible for regulation in this matter, makes the second amendment to the Ordinance No. 83/2021, of 15 April, namely with updates on the requirements for examining applications and procedures for granting authorizations for the cultivation of industrial hemp. The document ran through the six ministries for almost two months and changed only one point, precisely because the European Union obliged it to do so. The aim is to align country regulations with strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States under the Common Agricultural Policy ( PAC ), financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

However, the hemp sector, which anticipated the publication of an ordinance ( the provisions of the European Regulation are transposed into mandatory national legislation ), thus saw the legislator miss an opportunity to combine the transposition of European regulations with the demands of industry. The Portuguese government ignored the farmers’ demands regarding the imposition of a minimum cultivation area of 5,000 square meters, the restriction of agronomic practices, limitation of sowing densities, the prohibition of the practice of cultivation in greenhouses, the requirement of commercial contracts for farmers and the prohibition of using all parts of the plant, prohibiting access to flowers.

The amendment, carried out by the group of Ministers of Internal Administration, Justice, Finance, Economy and Sea, Health and Agriculture, seems to have been initiated by the Minister of Finance, on January 10, 2023, having followed for the Minister of Internal Administration on February 6. The document only received the opinion of the Minister of Justice on 20 February. From now on, just over a week was enough for the document to gather the signatures of the Minister of Economy, the Minister of Health, with the Minister of Agriculture, the last signature for later publication, which finally took place today.

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UK / EU Cannabis Compliance

German Medical Cannabis Associations Call For Wider Regulatory Reform

Published

4 months ago

January 14, 2024

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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 statutory health insurance – to amend the current regulations around medical cannabis prescriptions.

The G-BA is in the process of deciding four specialist areas for which the current approval requirement should no longer apply, making it easier to obtain insurance coverage for the medicine.

However, the country’s medical cannabis associations say this does not go far enough and have called for the approval requirement to be removed for all conditions in which cannabis has shown medical efficacy.

Medical cannabis has been legal in Germany since 2017 and can be prescribed by any doctor for patients with serious medical conditions. It is one of the few countries globally where the treatment can be covered under the public health insurance system in certain cases.

But currently, for patients with statutory health insurance, the costs of medical cannabis are only covered if previously approved by the insurance company.

This application process is said to be ‘daunting, lengthy and bureaucratic’ for doctors and patients, with 30-40% of applications being rejected.

https://businessofcannabis.com/german-medical-cannabis-associations-call-for-wider-regulatory-reform/

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UK / EU Cannabis Compliance

Portugal: Full Legalisation on the Horizon?

Published

1 year ago

April 7, 2023

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Cannareporter writes….

The legalization of cannabis may be introduced in the Portuguese Parliament and there may be political will and consensus for the approval of this regulation to be faster. In the “March for Cannabis” Manifestation, members of various parties, power and opposition, participated and revealed that it may be in 2023 that the proposal for the legalization of cannabis will enter parliament.

The staircase of the Assembly of the Republic building brought together, after the demonstration that headed from Largo do Camões, the various participants of the March for Cannabis, convened by the Mothers for Cannabis Associative Movement. It was at a time dedicated to interventions that the possibility of legalizing cannabis in the near future in Portugal was unveiled by various political leaders.

According to Francisco Themudo, National Secretary for the Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees of Socialist Youth, who addressed those present, he reasoned that there may be will, but above all, the necessary political conditions to move towards a comprehensive regulation of cannabis.

The leader stated that “smoking is an act of freedom, and that we have the right to do it safely”, defending a legal framework where the cannabis plant is not illegal. Fabien Figueiredo, former deputy for the Bloco de Esquerda and proponent of the bill to legalize personal consumption in 2021 But if there were any doubts, confirmation that, in the corridors of São Bento, cannabis is more than just talk, came from the Deputy of the Liberal Initiative, Rodrigo Saraiva. To the participants, the deputy said that it could even be in 2023 that the parliament will receive some proposals for discussion, “already with some prior consensus”.

Read full report

https://cannareporter.eu/en/2023/04/02/legalization-in-portugal-may-advance-later-this-year-with-political-consensus/?mc_cid=c0a48fdbf5

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UK / EU Cannabis Compliance

Spain Reaches Agreement on Future 1% THC Hemp Regulation

Published

1 year ago

April 7, 2023

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French cannabis media outlet Newsweed writes…

In the absence of agreement for immediate regulation of light cannabis in Spain, the Spanish Workers’ Party ( PSOE ) managed to get an initiative approved by Congress which opens the door to future cannabis regulation at less than 1% THC.

If the initial objective has been considerably reduced, the initiative will make it possible to develop a clear framework for « the production, marketing and consumption of » products derived from the entire hemp plant in Spain.

Finally regulate CBD hemp in Spain

The final text should regulate all aspects that affect the activities of the non-psychoactive cannabis production cycle, as well as regional legislation on agriculture, by developing more precisely the European directives for the cultivation of industrial hemp.

According to Lucía Muñoz, Member of the UP cited by Europa Press, « the ban on this non-narcotics cannabis is equivalent to the ban on non-alcoholic beer and undermines the competitiveness of Spanish agriculture. »

The text adopted by Congress launches work for the definition of a clear framework.

He therefore calls for « progress in promoting the regulation of industrial hemp in order to give legal certainty to production, the marketing and consumption of products derived therefrom, while respecting the powers of the autonomous regions and the principle of subsidiarity in terms of protecting public security, health and agriculture ».

Read the full article at

https://www.newsweed.fr/espagne-accord-future-reglementation-chanvre-1-thc/?mc_cid=c0a48fdbf5

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