The Wonderful Year of Cannabis, By Dario Sabaghi

Cannabis and a wonderful year..

The Latin term annus horribilis (horrible year) has been used many times by newspapers during 2020 to indicate a particularly difficult year. The COVID-19 outbreak and the following global economic crisis changed the world drastically last year. But for cannabis, 2020 has been an annus mirabilis: a wonderful year.

 

Cannabis advocacy achieved outstanding results at international level last year. The recognition of the benefits of cannabis for medical purposes brought international institutions to improve their regulatory framework.

 

When the COVID-19 outbreak sparked around the world, most retailers had to shut down their activities. But in those countries where cannabis is legally sold, cannabis shops didn’t close. For instance, before the Netherlands ruled restrictive measures to contain the spread of coronavirus, many people queued in front of coffee shops to purchase cannabis products. These retails remained open for take-away and delivery services. Also in the U.S., states where cannabis is legal to have agreed to keep cannabis businesses open, recognising cannabis as an essential good as the food.

 

Although the recognition of cannabis retails as essential businesses, one of the most important achievements for cannabis advocacy in 2020 has been the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) approval of the WHO recommendation to reschedule cannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs last December. This approval is important because CND acknowledges the medical benefits of cannabis and it will boost regulation on medical cannabis around the world. However, CND didn’t approve the other 5 accommodations regarding cannabis, including less strict regulations regarding the legal situation of THC and CBD. Although remaining illegal for recreational purposes, cannabis has been officially recognized as therapeutically valid and not harmful as opioids including heroin.

 

Another important achievement in 2020 in terms of legislation is what is happening in the US legislation. Although cannabis is still illegal at the federal level, more and more states are legalizing cannabis for medical and recreational purposes. Arizona, Montana and New Jersey legalized cannabis this year in conjunction with the US Presidential vote, while Mississippi its medical use and South Dakota both of them.

 

Furthermore, The US House of Representatives passed a bill to federally decriminalise cannabis through Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019 (MORE Act). It would decriminalise cannabis by removing it from the Controlled Substances Act, and create a shared federal-state control of cannabis programs, but this doesn’t mean full legalisation. This bill would ease the cannabis research, expunge certain cannabis offences and solve problems related to taxation. The bill must be voted by the U.S. Senate in January 2021, where the Republican majority may complicate its approval. However, the success of the MORE Act and the many state-based cannabis regulations are bringing the US out of the war on drugs.

 

On the other side of the ocean, the Europe Union (EU) is operating to improve the industrial hemp legislation. Low-THC products are sold in the majority of European countries. However, there is no uniform legislation regarding the sale of CBD products and low-THC cannabis flowers. However, the EU Parliament voted to increase the THC level of industrial hemp from 0.2% to 0.3% in October 2020. Such improvement advocated by the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) would boost the European situation because it allows more varieties to enter the market and it brings Europe in line with the limits used in the US regarding the industrial hemp. However, the final decision on the amendments to increase the THC level will be under the responsibility of the negotiations between the Council of the European Union and the European Commission.

 

But the most important achievement in Europe is the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), which has ruled that CBD is not a narcotic, as it doesn’t have any psychotropic effect or any harmful effect on human health. This ruling follows a case of a Czech company that appealed to the CJEU because the French authorities banned the sale of their CBD products in 2014. The decision of the CJEU will impact the whole European CBD market because advocates think that the ruling could set the fertile ground for a legal CBD market, as CBD is currently sold in a legal “grey zone” due to the lack of legislation.

 

Even the production of academic papers regarding cannabis research went over any expectations in 2020. Researchers published more than 3 thousand papers regarding cannabis, according to PubMed.gov, increasing the positive trend of cannabis research during the past years. One of the most important goals of cannabis legislation around the world should be ease research on cannabis with a focus on its effects on human health. But at the same time, more and more studies are finding out new aspects of this plant unknown until now.

 

As we have seen, 2020 has been a productive year for cannabis in terms of legislation at the international level. COVID-19 outbreak highlighted how cannabis got out of its niche and stigma and bias regarding this plant are weaker than before. Many lawmakers mostly in Western countries are debating to legalise or decriminalise cannabis to get economic advantage from it. The impact of the pandemic on the economy is driving countries to elaborate measures to make a profit from legalisation. The U.S. and Canada are vivid examples of how cannabis legalisation can generate tax revenues, create more job opportunities and reduce costs in terms of health care and justice systems.

 

Profitability is just one thing to expect in 2021. Thanks to the approval of cannabis recommendations from the UN, legislators will likely clarify all regulations regarding medical cannabis, depending on countries. The cannabis market is expected to grow and put new products in the market. Advocates are likely to follow the trend to overcome social stigma and inform people about the benefits of cannabis. However, there will be many obstacles to challenge. The cannabis industry is not detached from the global economic crisis expected in 2021. Although the cannabis market adapted to the coronavirus pandemic dynamics for a while, its future will depend on the lawmaking decisions and how other economies will rebound in the post-pandemic period.

Written and Published By Dario Sabaghi in Weed World Magazine issue 150