CANNABIS TRENDS FOR 2023
Predictions for global cannabis trends in 2023
Writing for The Rolling Stone, Andrew Wilson explores some of his predicted trends for the cannabis industry in 2023.
Making his predictions based on experience working directly with operators worldwide, Wilson puts forward five key trends, including:
- New, small-scale craft producers setting up shop in Canada.
- Europe’s EU GMP standards will have a global impact on production.
- South Africa will solidify its lead in the amount and quality of the cannabis it produces.
- Latin America is about to boom. Specifically, Colombia may become key exporters to Europe and the rest of the globe.
- Thailand will become leaders in production in 2023 and beyond, as well as outliers in the strict broader Asian cannabis landscape.
Wilson writes: “The cannabis industry is globalizing, and 2023 is looking to be a big year for proving that cannabis can be a regulated and profitable commodity for the countries choosing to get involved.”
CANNABIS EQUITY PROGRAMS
California awards $15 million in grants to support local cannabis equity programs
Marijuana Moment reports that the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) distributed the $15 million to 16 cities and counties across the state through the Cannabis Equity Grants Program for Local Jurisdictions.
The grants range from $350,000 for San Diego County to $1,996,487 for Oakland, and are part of the state’s efforts to use cannabis tax revenue to fund new and existing equity programs for those who have been disproportionately impacted by the drug war.
The state also recently announced it would be attempting to expand its cannabis market beyond the state’s borders.
BIDEN PROMISES
President Biden: What happened to the cannabis pardons you promised?
None of the 6,557 Americans identified by the U.S. Sentencing Commission as being eligible for presidential pardons have received them, reports The Hill.
The publication highlights that three months following Biden’s pronouncement, the Justice Department’s website specifies, “The Application for Certificate of Pardon for Simple Possession of Marijuana is not yet available.”
Despite this, a number of states are going forward with the pardoning of ex-cannabis offenders and expunging their criminal records, writes The Hill, with 24 states having so far enacted laws providing explicit pathways to either expunge records.
