The thread connecting the Erva Daninha operation to the current price compression in the Portuguese cannabis export market does not begin in Lisbon or Berlin.

According to an industry source with direct knowledge of the scheme, the criminal network that would eventually lead to a sector-wide regulatory crackdown allegedly operated through a mechanism that exploited the loosest link in Portugal’s export chain. Some non-EU countries are said to have issued import permits, which were used by European operators with export permits on the Portuguese side, who sent these documents to Infarmed for approval and shipment of the product. The Portuguese authorities finally called their counterparts from the countries in question to verify the documentation, the paperwork was not completed. The main actors, the source says, cashed in and left. “The worst thing is that Portugal was seen as the epicenter of pharmaceutical production in the world. They lost their reputation.”

Investigators determined that the criminal organization, aware of flaws and weaknesses in Portugal’s cannabis export inspection and control system, bought pharmaceutical companies and created authorized wholesale and export entities, then used false documentation and certificates to ship thousands of kilos to illegal markets. Europe and Africa.On May 20, 2025, the National Anti-Drug Trafficking Unit of the Judicial Police carried out 64 search and seizure orders from the north to the south of the country and on the island of Madeira, arresting several suspects. The operation was called Erva Daninha.

Legitimate operators were careful to distinguish themselves from the actors they were investigating. Nuno Martens from Takodana He said he welcomed the attack. “I don’t understand why people are afraid of this. It’s a good thing that the PJ is doing these raids. If there are things that need to be investigated, that’s good.” The real challenges of the market were soon to materialize.

the conclusion
In the months that followed, several licenses were revoked. Infarmed tightened oversight and added new paperwork requirements, creating an ever-changing regulatory framework that made scaling, exports, and day-to-day operations significantly more difficult. It all startedAs one Portuguese producer said, when Infarmed began to inspect the company more closely May police raid.

One processor’s journey shows how the frozen product eventually became a pricing weapon. According to the source, the companies whose licenses were revoked had between 10 and 14 tons in inventory. Initially written off as a loss, the tide quickly turned when Infarmed reinstated those licenses and lots were released. According to the source, the operators did not want that product anymore, it was already registered as a loss, so the logical conclusion was to remove it as soon as possible. This is how significant amounts of cannabis flowed into Germany at one euro per gram, forcing prices down.

According to market data, by autumn 2025, GACP-certified high-THC flower in Germany was already between €0.75 and €2.30 per gram, while EU-GMP-certified material commanded a clear premium of €2.15 to €3.55 per gram. By the spring of 2026, prices had fallen further. High-THC GACP flower ranged from €0.60 to €2.50 per gram, while EU-GMP high-THC flower softened to €2.00 to €3.48.

Reclaiming reputation
The reputational damage had already spread beyond the prices. Grower active in Portugal said MMJ Daily The trust issues created by the raid exacerbated everything that followed. “They had certain certificates, but they thought they were authorized and they made movements that were not there.” Now when operators want to structure deals through Portugal, the answer from international partners is: Except for Portugal. Malta’s medical cannabis business grew by 1,000% last year.

In early April 2026, at least eight more cannabis operators were removed from Infarmed’s listings, in what analysts described as an unprecedented drop in all. license categories. Whether these departures reflect non-renewal of administration, business failure or the ongoing effects of the 2024 freeze is not yet entirely clear.

A sign of recovery is emerging, however. Another source familiar with the sector points to a new digital UN verification system for import and export documentation, which will be rolled out by the end of April 2026, as a potential turning point. The system is already receiving positive early reviews from operators who have seen it in action. If he delivers on that promise, the source believes Portugal’s reputation could begin to recover within the next three months.

A trafficking ring that allegedly used fake import permits and European export licenses led to the police operation. The police operation resulted in a regulatory crackdown. The crackdown froze tens of tons of legitimate products at Portuguese facilities. The frozen product, once launched, hit the German market at a price that reset everyone else’s expectations. The main actors, according to the source, are still at large.

A Texas judge has issued a temporary restraining order preventing the new state from being enforced Regulations restricting access to hemp-derived products such as THCA combustible flower.

Friday’s ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by a coalition of hemp industry leaders and advocacy organizations that effectively outlawed the state’s Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). ban the sale and manufacture of certain hemp consumable products.

Guerra Gamble Travis County District Court’s order suspends restrictions on hemp products for 14 days while the broader legal case is reviewed.

“This case is based on a constitutional separation of powers issue,” Jason Snell, an attorney for the Texas Hemp Business Council (THBC) and the Hemp Industry & Farmers of America (HIFA), said at a hearing Friday, calling the new restrictions imposed by regulators “illegal rules.”

“Here we are today, with regulators trying to do what lawmakers couldn’t and didn’t do, and that’s illegal,” he said. “What the legislature refuses to decide cannot be imposed by rulemaking. Rulemakers cannot exceed their authority and impose rules that are more restrictive than those enacted by the legislature.”

“Thousands of people lose their products, their lifetime investments, their businesses, their jobs, everything they put their heart and soul into,” Snell said. “They are already disappearing and may disappear forever unless this illegal regulatory framework is stopped.”

Zachary Berg, the state’s attorney, suggested at the hearing that the new rules are needed to comply with a federal law that is set to redefine legal marijuana under a restrictive new definition that will begin in November.

Under state law passed by the legislature and governor in 2019, the suit says cannabis products are legal if they contain no more than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC. But regulators at DSHS and HHSC recently approved a “total delta-9 THC” limit using a post-decarboxylation formula that includes tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) in the calculation.

Texas lawmakers passed legislation to severely restrict hemp products in the 2025 session, but Gov. Greg Abbott (R) vetoed it and did not make it into law.

The hemp industry lawsuit, which also lists Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) as a defendant, also calls into question large increases in business license fees that were approved by regulators. Under the new rules, the cost of a manufacturer’s license increased from $250 to $10,000 per facility, while the retailer registration fee increased from $150 to $5,000 per location.

On Friday, the judge did not order the removal of the new fees, however.

“These measures do not impose the policy choices of the Legislature; they supersede them,” the industry complaint says. “And they do so against the backdrop of a constitutional legislative process that ran its entire course — from the legislative passage of Senate Bill 3 to the governor’s veto, two failed special sessions — and produced an ambiguous result: no new law. Texas law does not allow agencies to override that result through rulemaking.”

“Texas has long promoted itself as a national leader in economic growth and regulatory stability. It is a state committed to fostering innovation, supporting legitimate businesses, and maintaining a predictable legal environment in which businesses can operate and invest,” he says. “Consistent with this vision, Texas has chosen to authorize and regulate the manufacture, distribution and sale of consumer hemp products (“CHP”) through a comprehensive statutory framework enacted by the Legislature in 2019.

“Plaintiffs acknowledge this framework and the State’s interest in ensuring that CHPs are produced and sold in a safe, responsible and lawful manner,” the lawsuit states.

In addition to an immediate temporary restraining order to block enforcement of the new rules, the plaintiffs are seeking a temporary and permanent injunctive relief. A hearing on the preliminary injunction request is scheduled for April 23.

Separately, Texas officials recently conditionally approved more new medical marijuana business licenses As part of a law being implemented to significantly expand the state’s cannabis program.

In the last month, Texas voters approved a question to legalize marijuana that showed up in the state’s Democratic primary voting.

A statewide survey released in February found that Texas voters don’t like how state leaders and lawmakers have handled marijuana and THC policy issues. In the poll, many voters (40 percent) said they disapprove of how their elected officials have approached the issue, according to the poll. 29 percent said they approve of how cannabis issues have been handled, while 31 percent said they had no opinion either way.

A separate survey released last year proved this A large number of Texas voters want the state’s marijuana laws to be “less stringent.” And among the issues examined by members of parliament in the last special sessions, the voters said that a proposal to deal with the regulation of hemp was one of the least important.

Meanwhile, the lieutenant governor and speaker of the House recently announced that the state will continue with their own ibogaine research program The drug companies did not submit proposals to meet the requirements and standards for receiving state funds under a recently passed law to begin clinical trials with the psychedelic.

Greenhouse growers are working in conditions where crop yield and energy use must be managed simultaneously. According to Timo Spruijt, Chief Customer Officer at RED Horticulture, this requires a shift from fixed lighting schedules to approaches based on plant light responses.

“Lighting is moving from static control to measured and predictable strategies,” says Timo. “That starts with understanding how plants react to light and translating that into everyday decisions.”

© RED Horticulture

This approach is based on photobiology, which links plant development to light conditions. Two parameters are central: intensity and spectrum. Light intensity affects photosynthesis, biomass accumulation and yield, while spectrum affects morphology, flowering, rooting and nutritional composition. Paul Vailhen, photobiologist at RED, points out that these factors must be managed together. “Focusing on one parameter without the other limits how plants use light. The interaction between intensity and spectrum determines photon efficiency.”

He explained that growers can use this knowledge to target harvests more precisely. “When photobiology is applied in practice, lighting becomes a management tool rather than a fixed input.”

Three areas
To support this, RED Horticulture organizes its offer around three areas: luminaires, control platform and agronomic orientation. These components are intended to respond to changes during the day and during the cultivation phases. “The needs of the plants are not constant,” says Timo. “Lighting strategies must follow these variations.”

The MyRED platform is used to translate greenhouse data into lighting decisions. Growers can monitor performance and adjust lighting strategies through a dashboard. “The platform allows producers to define and modify their light recipes and evaluate the results,” explains Timo. “It links crop data with energy use.”

He added that implementation goes beyond software. “Support continues after installation. We work with growers to set goals, apply strategies and adjust over time.”

Energy use
Energy use is a major factor in greenhouse operations. Timo connects lighting strategies directly with consumption. “Understanding how intensity and spectrum affect power use helps growers manage their energy input,” he says. “This could lead to changes in the way lighting is applied during the day.”

Automation is also part of today’s greenhouse practices. The system can adjust the lighting throughout the day according to predefined strategies. “Automation reduces manual adjustments and keeps light levels consistent,” says Timo. “It also allows control over the entire light output.”

He noted that automated control can contribute to additional energy savings beyond the performance of the luminaires. “When strategies are applied dynamically, further reductions in energy use are possible.”

Research
This is another part of the research approach. Through the Photobiology and Agronomy Research Center (PARC), RED Horticulture conducts trials under controlled conditions. Timo explains how this relates to commercial production. “Trials allow strategies to be tested before implementation. Producers can then apply these results with a clearer view of expected outcomes.”

The goal is to make photobiology applicable to different crops and growing environments. “The same principles can be adapted to different varieties and production systems,” says Timo. It concludes by returning to the role of knowledge in greenhouse management. “Understanding photobiology is the starting point. From there, growers can build lighting strategies that match crop requirements and energy constraints.”

For more information:
RED Horticulture
World Horti Center
Europe 1
2672 ZX Naaldwijk
+31 174 705 617
horticulture.red/