Yo, what’s good, fam? It’s ya boy, Dan, here to drop some knowledge on the latest happenings in the European cannabis scene. So check it, in late October 2023, Switzerland gave the green light to the first-ever cannabis dispensary in Europe. This ain’t no regular dispensary though, it’s gonna be run by the Swiss Institute for Addiction (ISGF) and Health Research and the Sanity Group. But before they start slinging that good herb, they gotta do a study to figure out how to do it right.
They callin’ this study the Grashaus Project, and it’s goin’ down in late 2023. They gonna open up a flagship store in Allschwil and another one in Liestal. They tryna figure out how to deal with them high-risk users, like folks with mental health problems. They wanna make sure they can hook ’em up with the right care centers in their hood.
Leading the charge on this study is Prof. Dr. Michael Schaub from ISGF. And Finn Hansel, the CEO of Sanity Group, said they wanna support this pilot project and use their expertise as a cannabis company to promote research and destigmatize that good ganja. They tryna make sure they sell weed in a safe way that protects people’s health, especially the youth.
Now let’s talk about Germany, my peeps. The Traffic Light Coalition, made up of members from the Social Democratic Party, The Greens, and the Free Democratic Party, is makin’ moves to legalize weed by April 1st next year. Right now, if you caught with more than 25 grams of weed in Germany, you could get charged with a crime. But if these new rules go into effect, you can carry up to 30 grams in public and 50 to 60 grams in private. They still workin’ on the laws, so things could change, ya heard?
Germany been workin’ hard since 2021 to make weed legal. They tryna push back against that black market and keep our kids safe. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said they gotta make sure there’s less black market so our kids don’t get caught up in it. We all know that good kush is gonna be out there on the streets, but they tryna regulate it and keep it outta the hands of the little ones.
Now, let’s talk about that illegal cannabis market in Europe. It’s still poppin’ off, my friends. Europe could be the biggest cannabis market in the world, but if they fully legalize it, that means there’s gonna be a huge underground market too. All them border squabbles and easy access points for neighboring poor countries make it tough for legal weed to thrive.
According to a recent report by the EMCDDA and Europol, the European cannabis market is growin’ like crazy. It’s worth around EUR 11.4 billion, and about 22.6 million adults in Europe are smokin’ that good herb. But here’s the catch – the weed out there is gettin’ stronger and there’s also this synthetic stuff called HHC that’s takin’ over the scene. That fake stuff is dangerous, my people, so we gotta watch out.
Now let’s head to France, where the government is takin’ a big step to improve medical cannabis access. Just last month, they made some amendments to their Social Security Financing Bill to include medical marijuana. They finally recognize that weed has some medical benefits, but there’s still some restrictions in place. Patients gotta try every other treatment before they can get access to medical marijuana.
But listen up, cause this is important – France integrating medical marijuana into their general law is a major move. They got a temporary authorization for medical weed that lasts five years, and they can keep renewin’ that authorization indefinitely. They also gonna authorize products on a case by case basis, so it’s not gonna be a free-for-all.
Alright, my peeps, that’s the latest on the European cannabis scene. It’s a wild ride out there, but we makin’ progress. Just remember to stay safe and keep fightin’ for that good green. Peace out!