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In Asia Pacific

Implementing Thai Regulations on Cannabis and Hemp in Food Products

by , , and 2 Mins Read

Towards the end of July 2021, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) issued a notification under the Food Act regarding food products which contain cannabis or hemp parts as a publication in the country’s Government Gazette. The notification, among other things, sets forth the classification of food products containing cannabis or hemp parts (“Food Products”) and the related requirements with respect to food quality, standards and labeling requirements.The key elements of this notification are as follows: The Food Products shall be classified as specially controlled foods under the Food Act.The Food Products shall adhere to the standards regarding THC content,…

In Legislation (Existing)

USDA Issues Final Rule for Hemp Production

by 4 Mins Read

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) released on January 15, 2021, a final rule package designed to serve as the framework for a U.S. hemp industry that gained federal legal status a little more than two years ago. The 301-page package delivers some changes from an October 2019 interim final rule that provided initial guidelines to implement the 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act (known colloquially as the “2018 Farm Bill”). The 2018 law removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act and set a legal definition for hemp as 0.3 delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”) on a dry weight basis. The final rule package, which…

This article may also be found at https://www.law360.com/articles/1333792/2020-election-may-mark-a-turning-point-for-marijuana-law.
In Legislation (Existing)

2020 Election May Mark A Turning Point For Marijuana Law

by 8 Mins Read

This article was originally published by Law360 on December 2, 2020. “You have a row of dominoes set up, you knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is the certainty that it will go over very quickly.” —Dwight D. Eisenhower What did this election do for the marijuana industry? A lot. Four states — three traditionally red — voted to legalize recreational marijuana while a fifth, one of the reddest, voted to legalize medicinal marijuana. These reforms will likely create a domino effect, leading other states to reform their laws and will likely also…

In Asia Pacific

Draft Kratom Act Approved by the Thai Cabinet

by , and 2 Mins Read

On October 12, 2020, the Thai Cabinet approved in principle the draft “Kratom Act.” By way of background, kratom is an herbal extract that comes from a tropical tree that has stimulant qualities if used in high doses. It was previously controlled under the Thai Narcotics Act because of its addictive effects. However, following recent developments in the liberalization of cannabis and hemp in Thailand, the Thai government has also been considering liberalization of the rules regarding kratom. On March 10, 2020, the Cabinet approved in principle a draft amendment to the Narcotics Act, which was proposed by the Office…

In Legislation (Existing)

Draft of Further Amendment to the Thai Narcotics Act regarding Medical Cannabis

by 3 Mins Read

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…

In Government Enforcement

Podcast – Episode 4 – Legalization as a strategy to combat drug cartels?

by and 1 Min Read

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?

In Legislation (Existing)

COVID and Marijuana Legalization: Lessons of History

by 5 Mins Read

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”…

In Legislation (Pending)

Thailand’s Ministerial Regulation Concerning the Production, Distribution or Possession of Hemp Approved by the Cabinet

by and 2 Mins Read

By way of background, “hemp,” as regulated under the Narcotics Act, is currently defined as having tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in leaves and flowers not exceeding 1% per dry weight. Certified hemp seeds are seeds of hemp that has THC in leaves and flowers not exceeding 1% per dry weight. On 28 January 2020 the Cabinet approved the principles of the draft Ministerial Regulation re: Licensing and Approval for the Production, Distribution or Possession of Narcotics Category V Hemp (the “Ministerial Regulation”) as proposed by the Ministry of Public Health, which is intended to apply to hemp (as defined above), revoking the…

In Legislation (Existing)

Liberalization of Medical Cannabis in Thailand: What next?

by , and 3 Mins Read

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…

In Legislation (Existing)

Podcast Series – Episode 2 – On Federalism and Drug Law

by and 1 Min Read

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