MJBizMag May-June 2023 - 18

INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS National & International
Cannabis News
Paul Armentano, NORML's deputy
director, said in a statement.
Separately, the DC City Council
passed an expungement law that's
supposed to clear records of certain
low-level convictions by Jan. 1, 2025.
Voters in the nation's capital
Congress Allows DC Cannabis
Reforms to Become Law
Medical cannabis is expected to
be much more easily and widely
available in Washington DC after a
set of reforms that include lifting
a cap on dispensaries and allowing
patients to " self-certify " became
law this spring.
Congress had until March 22
to interfere with the Medical
Cannabis Amendment Act signed
into law by Washington DC Mayor
Muriel Bowser in January, but
the federal lawmakers took no
action, according to the National
Organization for the Reform of
Marijuana Laws (NORML).
In addition to allowing residents
to " self-certify " as medical cannabis
patients, which some observers say
amounts to a de facto adult-use
market, the new law:
*
Eliminates a cap on the number
of dispensaries allowed in the
district.
* Temporarily lifts plant limits for
licensed cultivators.
*
Allows for delivery services and
consumption lounges.
* Extends limited tax relief to
operators.
" Despite being under the thumb
of Congressional lawmakers,
members of the DC City
government continue to prioritize
policies that both advance
and protect the freedoms of
responsible cannabis consumers, "
16 May-June 2023 | MJBizMagazine
legalized adult-use cannabis in
2014, but the only legal access to
marijuana is via MMJ dispensaries.
Past efforts to regulate adultuse
retail have been blocked by
Congress, which has veto power
over local laws under the district's
Home Rule Act.
Canada Consults Possible
Amendments to Regulations
Canada's federal government is
launching a consultation that
could lead to amendments to the
country's Cannabis Regulations,
which govern the production of
legal marijuana.
The consultation opens the door
to possible cannabis regulatory
reforms in several areas, including
licensing rules, packaging and labeling
regulations, production requirements
and security requirements.
" Input received will ensure
that regulatory amendments are
informed by and responsive to the
cannabis industry, other interested
parties, and the public, " according
to the notice.
The consultation period is open
until May 24.
Germany MJ Imports Hit
Record, but Growth Slows
Germany imported a record amount
of marijuana for medical and
scientific use in 2022, according
to fresh data from the country's
Federal Institute for Drugs and
Medical Devices (BfArM).
While the top-line number
suggests the import business is
booming, a deeper look shows that
2022 posted the slowest annual
growth since the BfArM started
reporting cannabis import data
in 2018.
Moreover, a good chunk of those
imports appears to have never
reached patients, possibly because
of poor quality or product being
reexported to another country,
experts suggest.
In 2022, nearly 25,000 kilograms
(27.6 tons) of cannabis were
imported into Germany for medical
or scientific purposes, an increase
of 19% over the 20,769 kilograms
imported in 2021.
In 2021, Germany's imports rose
77% over 2020.
The growth rates for 2020
and 2019 were 46% and 80%,
respectively.
Industry sources say the data
doesn't paint a full picture of
the cannabis industry in Europe's
largest economy. They point to:
* Data on government
reimbursements for medical
cannabis products, which have
not been rising at the same
pace as imports.
*
An unknown amount of those
imports that likely were
reexported to other European
markets.
* The amount of cannabis shipped
to pharmacies, which appears
to be well below the amount
imported into Germany.
" This data does not in any way
reflect or mirror sales to patients in
Germany, " Deepak Anand, head of
international consulting at Denverbased
Gateway Proven Strategies,
told MJBizDaily.
" All it does is point to the fact
that the import of cannabis into
Germany for medical and scientific
purposes is increasing. "
MJBizMag May-June 2023

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