A NEW survey of over 200 of Germany’s Cannabis Social Clubs finds the average number of members is 275, and the average age 36.
Conducted by the Hanf-App, which provides management software to the 220 clubs surveyed, it reports that the average monthly usage per member is 22.6g, or 6.2 kg per club.
Some clubs use up to 10 varieties a month and the average THC content is 18.6%, and for CBD, it is 5%.
Florian Pichlmaier, CEO of the Hanf-App said: “Clubs are doing exactly what politicians are demanding – age verification, documented supply chains, transparent structures, prevention, and youth protection.
“At the same time, legal jobs are being created, and the black market is declining in importance.”
There are now around 300 clubs in Germany and the Hanf-App is petitioning for more licences to be issued, especially in the more conservative-minded states such as Bavaria, as previously reported by Business of Cannabis.
UK Call For Evidence
The first wholesale review of the 2018 UK medical cannabis law change is now officially underway with the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (AMCD) publishing an open call for evidence.
It says the main objectives of this review are to consider whether the legislation had the intended impact, identify any unintended consequences and to determine how to mitigate these unintended consequences
The ACMD say they would like to hear from, in particular, healthcare professionals, researchers, businesses, patients and their families, regulators and police.
Anyone wishing to submit evidence should do so by October 17.
A new paper from The United Nations Development Programme says more than 500 million people currently live in legal cannabis jurisdictions.
Entitled the ‘Development Dimensions of Drug Policy: Assessing New Challenges, Uncovering Opportunities, and Addressing Emerging Issues’ it highlights the systemic failings of existing punitive, global, drug-control systems.
Its proponents say it is ‘groundbreaking in that it is the first in-depth analysis, from any UN agency, not only of the systemic failings of the punitive drug control system, but also exploring the implications of ongoing and future supply side reforms such as the legalisation and regulation of drugs’.
500m In Legal Cannabis Jurisdictions
It contends that reform of failed punitive drug control models is not only inevitable, but already happening. It highlights how more than 500 million people already live in legal cannabis jurisdictions.
Australian firm Zelira Therapeutics says its purchase of fellow Aussie outfit Health House international will help it ‘strengthen its distribution capabilities across Europe’.
Health House is an international distributor of medicinal cannabis and the owner of a medicinal cannabis consultancy in the EU.
Zelira CEO Dr Oludare Odumosu said: “The acquisition of Health House is a key development in Zelira’s global expansion strategy across Europe.
“Not only will we have access to the highly regulated European cannabis markets as well as GMP manufacturing facilities, but will be able to substantially expand our capabilities for clinical trials and validation of our medical cannabinoid products.”
Melissa Sturgess, the CEO of UK medical cannabinoid firm Ananda Pharma, will deliver a talk at next month’s Eighth Cannabinoid & Endocannabinoid Drug Development Summit in Boston, Massachusetts.
Entitled: ‘Advancing Botanical Cannabidiol Drugs: Insights from Endometriosis Clinical Development’ Ms Sturgess will argue the case for higher dosing over bioavailability modifications to improve drug efficacy.
Ms Sturgess said: “Endometriosis remains one of the most under-diagnosed and underserved conditions in women’s health – yet it affects millions.
“At Ananda Pharma, we’re proud to be pushing boundaries with our MRX1 CBD formulation, now in clinical trials, to bring real hope to those who have waited far too long for answers. I look forward to continuing the conversation around advancing innovation in women’s health.”
Flora Growth Enters AI Blockchain Market
The booming German cannabis market continues to attract investment from North America with Alberta-based Aurora cannabis unveiling a five-year operational upgrade at its EU-GMP manufacturing facility in Leuna, eastern Germany.
“This investment marks a significant milestone in our commitment to operational excellence and long-term growth in Europe,” said Alex Miller, executive vice president of operations, science and supply chain at Aurora.
“These upgrades will strengthen our supply chain resilience, expand our domestic capabilities in EU-GMP certified manufacturing, and position us to best meet the growing demand for high-quality medical cannabis in Europe with precision and efficiency.”
Aurora Leuna currently grows cultivars under the IndiMed brand, and this expansion will enable the site to grow additional cultivars available from Aurora’s leading genetics library, it says.
Nasdaq-listed cannabis firm Flora Growth is to rebrand to ZeroStack after raising $401m to support enter the AI blockchain market.
Flora built its business growing cannabis in Colombia and selling branded products before pursuing cultivation and distribution in Europe.
The finance comes through a private placement deal combining $35m in cash with $366m in in-kind digital assets, primarily denominated in Zero Gravity tokens.
