Category

Legislation (Existing)

Category

After the previous amendment to the Thai Narcotics Act came into force in February 2019, allowing the use of cannabis for medical purposes, the regulatory authority noted that there was room for improvement regarding the licensing process and the limited access for patients to medical cannabis. In order to facilitate patient access to medical cannabis, the Thai Food and Drug Administration held a public hearing on a draft amendment to the Narcotics Act. The public hearing ended in June 2020. The key elements of the draft amendment are: Licensed patients who have been approved by a medical practitioner or a…

On July 21, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued its draft guidance on clinical research for the development of drugs that contain cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds of botanical origin (as opposed to synthetic). The draft guidance isentitled “Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Compounds: Quality Considerations for Clinical Research, Draft Guidance for Industry.”  The guidance provides some clarity on the use of cannabis in clinical research in light of the changes made by The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Public Law 115-334 (the 2018 Farm Bill) which federally legalized hemp and cannabis derivatives that contain no more than 0.3 percent THC on a…

Adam Schleifer is a candidate for Congress in New York’s 17th congressional district. He previously worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles where he prosecuted violent drug cartels. In this podcast, he talks about why he believes that federal legalization of marijuana would be an effective means of combating drug cartels. Please join us for a fascinating discussion. Global Cannabis Compliance Podcast · Episode 4 – Legalization as a strategy to combat drug cartels?

The Great Depression and the need for tax revenue to fund the New Deal ended prohibition in 1933.[1] The economic fallout from the COVID crisis, according to some experts, could result in a “New New Deal,” and Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) recently said that 2021 would, like 1933, have an “FDR moment.”[2] Just as the first “FDR moment” included the (re) legalization of alcohol, there are indications that the next may include the legalization of marijuana. The COVID crisis has again highlighted fundamental tensions in marijuana law and policy in the United States. Several states have declared marijuana businesses “essential”…

The majority of states in America have legalized marijuana either for medical or recreational use—yet it remains illegal on the federal level. This poses regulatory challenges for financial institutions operating at the federal level and for some only operating in one state (because some are still subject to federal mandates, e.g., the Federal Deposit Insurance Act). Despite this disparate guidance, the multi-billion dollar U.S. cannabis market continues to expand. Dow Jones partnered with Baker McKenzie and FIBA, a nonprofit trade association of financial institutions from Europe, the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean to examine the provision of financial…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) announced on February 27, 2020, that it would give hemp farmers a 20-month reprieve from a regulation requiring growers of hemp to have crop THC levels tested at laboratories registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”). The requirement had raised concerns in the industry that DEA-registered labs would be overwhelmed with crop samples at harvest time, leading to delays that could cost farmers sales. Delay in Requirement for DEA Lab Registration The 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act (known colloquially as the “2018 Farm Bill” or simply the “Farm Bill”) removed hemp, defined as cannabis containing…

As popular as cannabis has become as a recreational and medicinal agent, that popularity and the nascent nature of the cannabis industry have created a difficult scenario whereby manufacturers and sellers of these products are being sued with increasing frequency. Without a doubt, the legal and regulatory landscape for cannabis is complex. Several dozen states have legalized marijuana for medicinal and/or recreational purposes, but marijuana remains a Schedule I drug at the federal level. The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (more commonly known as the 2018 Farm Bill) removed hemp (defined as cannabis products containing less than 0.3% THC on…

Although it may appear that the progress of cannabis liberalization may not seem to move as fast as most investors expect, from the experience of seeing the changes or drafting of the new laws which give significant impact to the industry or the public, we can say that the progress we have seen so far as from the time when this government came on board on 10 July 2019 has been quite impressive. Cannabis and hemp of certain qualities and specifications are now allowed under the laws for use for medical purposes, even though their cultivation and manufacture are still…

Robert Mikos is one of the nation’s leading experts on federalism and drug law. His most recent scholarship analyzes the struggle among federal, state, and local governments for control of marijuana law and policy, which includes a first-of-its-kind casebook, Marijuana Law, Policy, and Authority. In this podcast, he discusses the intersection of federal and state cannabis law, the prospects for federal reform, the SAFE Banking Act and other hot topics in the field. Global Cannabis Compliance Podcast · Episode 2 – On Federalism and Drug Law

The prospective relaxation of cannabis regulations in jurisdictions around the world offers opportunities for investment for UK businesses. However, investors should be wary of potential exposure under UK anti-money laundering (“AML”) legislation and consider taking appropriate safeguarding actions prior to any transaction. Pot luck: cannabis law in different jurisdictions In the UK, it is a criminal offence to produce or supply cannabis under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, punishable by up to 14 years in prison and/or an unlimited fine. There is a limited exception relating to supply for certain medicinal purposes which may be supplied under licence. However,…