‘Blockbuster’ Cannabis Drug for Chronic Lower Back Pain Set for Release in 2026
The first cannabis-derived product for chronic lower back pain VER-01, is to be launched this year by German pharmaceutical company Vertanical, It claims the new product is twice as effective as existing treatments and opens up a new and uncontroversial pathway for cannabis prescriptions.
Kiwi Hemp Overhaul: THC Limit Will be 1% and Farmers Won’t Need Permits to Grow
New Zealand has announced an overhaul of hemp regulations aimed at cutting red tape and encouraging more planting. The new rules see the THC limit in hemp raised to 1% and the permit system dropped for a looser regulatory regime.
Snapshot Summary of the the World’s Most Significant Cannabis Developments in 2025
The International Business Conference Berlin says South Africa’s cannabis landscape changed significantly in 2025 and was one of 13 major highlights of the year. As the new year dawns, the ICBC looks back on a year that proved to be significant for cannabis policy and industry in many parts of the world. Here are some of the top 2025 international cannabis stories.
Learning the Hard Lessons of the American Cannabis Market
Joao Duartte (pictured here), Business Developer at Decibel Engineered Systems in Almada, Portugal says Europe should take note of the hard lessons from the US cannabis industry – namely oversupply kills markets, price dropping bankrupts companies and fragmentation destroys scalability.
Statement from the White House: Increasing Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research.
This is the statement issued by the White House on 18 December 2025, accepting the medical benefits of cannabis and rescheduling its classification as a less dangerous drug. Although this does not allow federal legalization, the executive order is a deeply significant step in US cannabis reform.
The Culture War: Factions, Egos, and the War for the Soul of Cannabis
Ego has become the barricade that prevents cannabis from realizing its full potential. Infighting among growers, scientists, and newcomers only strengthens the architects of exclusion, leaving us fractured from within. Guest columnist Lee Hymers writes that perhaps a dose of humility is needed all round.
Medical Cannabis Marketing Now Positioning Cannabis as a Mainstream Healthcare Product Rather than Alternative Medicine
Leading international cannabis consultancy Prohibition Partners says the European medical cannabis market is maturing at speed, with providers focused on return on investment and a shift in marketing strategies. Cannabis is already well-known as an ‘alternative medicine’, but now marketing departments are looking at repositioning it as part of a cannabis ‘standardized healthcare’ package.
Global Perspective: New Markets, New Restrictions and the Rise of Telemedicine
Internationally, the cannabis industry is likely to see further advances in telemedicine as the main channel to market for medical cannabis in the year ahead, while Canada is likely to assert its leadership on the world stage. But watch out for new restrictrions kicking in in new markets and possible oversupply in 2026 – and keep an eye on Thailand
Snowballing Cannabis Research Gives Policy Makers the Evidence to Work With What We Know About the Plant Instead of What We Don’t Know
During 2025 over 4 000 scientific papers on cannabis were published, most with a focus on the therapeutic benefits of the plant. Advocacy group NORML says there is enough of an evidence base for policy-makers to start working with what we know about the plant instead of what we don’t know.
DTIC Seeks to Raise US$55 m to Create Eastern Cape Hemp Economy
The DTIC is looking to facilitate international funding for a hemp textile engineering company and two other major infrastructure projects in the Eastern Cape to kickstart the province’s cannabis economy. It’s seeking a total of US$55 million in foreign investment which it says will generate over a billion in value and create 12 000 jobs.