Gero Schneider’s Post

🌱 Promising developments for the German cannabis industry! This week I had the pleasure of attending the Parliamentary Evening of the German Cannabis Business Association (BvCW), celebrating the major milestone of the new #CannabisAct in Germany and discussing the future of the #CannabisIndustry in Germany. 🚀 Key takeaways from Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture Cem Özdemir’s keynote speech: 🔹 Essential reforms in #IndustrialHemp regulations are planned, including a cancellation of the "intoxication clause" which currently penalizes even very low levels of #THC in industrial hemp. This change is set to reduce regulatory burdens and boost the industrial hemp sector. 🔹 Progress is being made on the upcoming #Pillar2 regulation regarding the regulated distribution of #RecreationalCannabis in regional pilot projects, although there is still more discussion to be had. It's currently being debated to introduce Pillar 2 through a regulation rather than a separate law, aiming to expedite the process. (Although the government's debates on cannabis policy and current budget negotiations are heated, Minister Özdemir assured that his eyepatch had nothing to do with it 😉) It was a fantastic evening filled with engaging discussions with industry leaders and policymakers. Exciting times lie ahead for the cannabis industry in Germany! #Cannabis #Legalization #CannabisLaw

🇳🇱 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗾 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀. 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆. That’s why we’ve put together an article about the ongoing “weed experiment.” The Netherlands has long been known for its tolerant stance on cannabis, but the country's approach to legal regulation is evolving. A weed experiment, officially known as the “Closed Coffeeshop Chain Experiment,” is testing how legalizing the entire supply chain of cannabis will impact public safety, health, and crime. 💡 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁? In select municipalities, legal cannabis will be cultivated, distributed, and sold entirely under government regulation. Currently, while the sale of cannabis in coffee shops is tolerated, the production and supply remain illegal. This experiment aims to address that “backdoor” problem by creating a fully legal supply chain for cannabis. ❔ 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀 Since a couple months, designated coffee shops in participating cities started selling regulated weed. The government will assess the program over four years, focusing on its impact on illegal trade, quality control, and public health. 🌿 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿? This experiment is groundbreaking. If successful, it could lead to broader cannabis legalization across the Netherlands, setting a new precedent for regulation and law enforcement. While providing clean and safe access to cannabis for consumers. It may also serve as a model for other countries exploring similar reforms. We believe The Netherlands is on the way to reclaim their position as a global leader in the cannabis industry. Stay tuned for further developments! #cannarecruitment #cannabisindustry #weedexperiment #netherlands

"Belgium’s approach to cannabis regulation presents a fascinating case study in the complexities of drug policy reform. While the winds of legalization are blowing across Europe, Belgium remains in a state of cautious ambivalence. Here’s a deep dive into the factors hindering reform and the potential benefits a more progressive approach could unlock." #Belgium #Legalization #Regulation #QualityControl #Cannabis #Approach https://lnkd.in/ePrHHDCy

Knowledge is power.

🚨 Major Development in California's Cannabis Industry 🚨 Last week, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Rebekah Evenson made a landmark decision impacting California Cannabis Testing Labs (CCTL). Here are the key details: Court Ruling: Judge Evenson denied CCTL’s request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to reinstate its operations after its license was revoked by the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC). Background: Allegations: CCTL was accused of serious violations, including falsifying test results and manipulating lab equipment. These actions potentially allowed contaminated cannabis products, with dangerous pesticides and mold, to enter the market. DCC's Response: The Department’s findings led to several product recalls, raising significant concerns about public health and safety. Court’s Reasoning: Judge Evenson emphasized that while CCTL has a vested interest in continuing its business, the state’s obligation to safeguard public health outweighs the lab’s claims for due process. This case underscores the precarious nature of provisional licenses in California’s cannabis industry, which can be revoked at the state's discretion with limited recourse for recovery. Takeaway for Cannabis Businesses: Ensuring regulatory compliance and the integrity of lab operations is essential, but the DCC's revocation of provisional licenses without due process underscore a significant failure to uphold the basic rights of cannabis businesses, jeopardizing their operations with little warning and no formal hearing. This ruling serves as a crucial reminder for all cannabis businesses to maintain rigorous compliance and stay informed about regulatory requirements to avoid similar pitfalls. #CannabisIndustry #RegulatoryCompliance #CaliforniaCannabis #LegalUpdate #PublicHealth

🌿 The Role of Compliance in the Cannabis Industry 🌿 As the cannabis industry continues to expand, compliance and regulation remain some of the most critical factors for long-term success. Ensuring that businesses adhere to local, state, and federal regulations isn’t just about following the rules—it’s about building trust with consumers, investors, and regulatory bodies alike. Here’s why compliance is key: 🔸 Protecting Consumers: By adhering to strict safety standards for cultivation, extraction, and packaging, businesses ensure the quality and safety of cannabis products. This keeps consumers safe and helps create a more credible industry. 🔸 Staying Competitive: Regulations are constantly evolving, and businesses that stay ahead of the curve by maintaining compliance can avoid costly fines and shutdowns while gaining a competitive edge. 🔸 Securing Licenses: Operating within compliance is essential for acquiring and maintaining licenses to operate. Without proper regulatory alignment, businesses risk losing their ability to function. 🔸 Building Industry Credibility: Compliance helps to elevate the public perception of cannabis as a legitimate industry. It shows that businesses are committed to responsible practices, contributing to the overall professionalism of the space. For those entering the cannabis industry, understanding compliance regulations can be a huge advantage. Whether you’re in operations, marketing, or product development, having knowledge of the legal landscape is essential. How are you ensuring compliance in your business or role? Let’s discuss strategies to keep the cannabis industry both safe and sustainable for everyone. #CannabisIndustry #ComplianceMatters #CannabisRegulation #SafetyFirst #CannabisBusiness #CannabisGrowth #ProfessionalismInCannabis

🎷 The law, which takes effect on January 1, 2025, permits on-site facilities to expand their operations to include the sale of non-infused food and beverages and tickets to live performances. #NORML #cannabis #cannabisnews #cannabiscommunity #cannabispolicy #cannabislaw #cannabisresearch #cannabisindustry #marijuana #marijuananews #marijuanamovement #legalize #legalizeit #legalization #california

California hemp legal update: the Temporary Restraining Order aimed at preventing the emergency hemp regulations around hemp-derived intoxicating ingestibles has been denied. Regulators are taking a heavy-handed approach to getting offending products off shelves, so be careful if you are still selling any products in California. Violators could also face penalties and lawsuits from the attorney general and/or private companies taking aim against these products. A couple of takeaways from the opinion: -The State admitted that the existing law, AB-45, was vague and ambiguous as written and created a loophole allowing hemp products to exist because "nothing in AB45 limits the total dose of THC in each serving or package," such that a 2 ounce THC hemp cookie could contain up to 180 mg of THC, which far exceeds the allowable amount even under cannabis regulations. This, IMHO, is a significant admission given that the State has been enforcing their admittedly ambiguous law in a manner that is detrimental to hemp companies by attempting to, among other things, impose cannabis taxes on these companies and/or instituting litigation or embargoing products that were within the admitted loophole created by an ambiguous law (something I've been saying now for years ....). -The court rejects the argument that the regulations conflict with the federal Farm Bill (the regs prohibit ANY detectable amount of any kind of THC vs. 0.3% delta-9 THC). -The court also notes that it is "unclear" whether the regs prohibit transportation of prohibited hemp products through the state of California but concludes that, regardless, the petitioners did not show clearly that it would cause irreparable harm to grant a TRO. This raises an appealable issue or could be cause for further argument in a preliminary injunction or subsequent hearing. A copy of the court opinion is attached. Thoughts? #californialaw #hemp #emergencyregulations #cannabis #hemptro

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗰𝘁: 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗕𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗼 (𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟬𝟭) “𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘴” (𝘈𝘯𝘰𝘯) Much excitement has greeted the signing into law of the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act, which will formally regulate the cultivation, possession, and use of cannabis by adults in a private setting and, says the Presidency, lays the groundwork for regulatory reforms “to allow for the industrialisation of the cannabis sector.” But although the new Act has been widely reported in the media as though it is already in force, this is not correct – it will only come into effect when its commencement date is gazetted. It is not clear at date of writing when we can expect this to happen, but it could be a lengthy process. Until then the rather vague parameters for private and personal use, possession and cultivation set by the Constitutional Court in 2018 will presumably remain in place. In the interim, here are some highlights of the Act – 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 “𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘴” 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘈𝘤𝘵? “Cannabis” is defined for the purposes of the Act as meaning “the flowering or fruiting tops of a cannabis plant and includes products made therefrom” (i.e. “buds”, extracts, oils and the like) but the definition excludes “any seed, seedling, the stalk, leaves and branches.” 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 Convictions for possession and use of cannabis (dagga) will be automatically expunged, as will convictions for dealing based on legal presumptions rather than actually dealing. Where records have not been automatically expunged, they will be expunged on application.

🌿 Dive Into Our Latest Edition of The Cannabis Briefing: "Unpacking the Cannabis Act: Realities of Regulation and its Limits" 🌿 In this edition, we explore the dynamics of the recently enacted Cannabis Act (CanG), dissecting what the legislation can truly achieve and the challenges it faces. Discover the nuanced realities of cannabis regulation and why understanding these limits is crucial for effective policy-making. 🇩🇪 Read the German version here: https://lnkd.in/djJcHpJk 🇬🇧 Read the English version here: https://lnkd.in/drkX98cJ Stay informed and actively engage in shaping the future of cannabis policy. Subscribe for more insightful updates: https://lnkd.in/dxswq4Uj Enjoy the read, and let's continue the conversation on how we can navigate the complexities of cannabis legislation together! #CannabisBriefing #StayInformed #CannabisAct #CanG #PublicPolicy