Beau Whitney: Press the Cannabis Regulatory Reset Button at the UN Level
Worldwide, one of the deepest problems in trying to regulate cannabis is that it is being defined in pharmaceutical terms and not recognized as a plant medicine. This will only be fixed at a United Nations level says leading cannabis economist Beau Whitney, in order to create a meaningful framework for regulation.
Global South Needs to Set Up its Own Cannabis Trade Networks to Avoid the Trap of Canna-Colonialism
Africa and other developing cannabis economies need to collaborate and create their own markets. They need to do this to avoid falling into the trap of canna-colonialism, whereby their regulatory systems are designed to serve European medical cannabis interests instead of their own.
UN Failing in its Mandate as War Against Drugs Turns into War Against Human Rights
The release of the World Drug Report has highlighted how the war on drugs has become a war on human rights and how the United Nations has failed to live up to its mandate. Punitive responses to drug taking are creating more harms and not providing any solutions.
Bath University Study: Legalizing Cannabis Doesn’t Drive Up Usage, But Commercialization Does
Decriminalising the possession of cannabis or strictly regulating access to the drug do not appear to drive up usage, but when the drug is sold commercially the number of users increases and more mental health problems are seen, a UK academic review has found.
Cannabis Remains Europe’s Illicit Drug of Choice, But Impact of Evolving Market on Public Health Still Unclear
Cannabis remains the most commonly consumed illicit drug in Europe yet the public impact of the evolving market is still unclear. That’s according to the European Drug Report 2026 which estimates that 25 million European adults (8,7% of the population) used cannabis in the last year.
FIFA Bans World-Cup Shaped Bongs For Copyright Infringement
Toronto cannabis shop Cosmic Charlies has been ordered by FIFA to destroy the world-cup-shaped bongs on sale on the grounds of copyright infringement. Does Cosmic Charlies care? No, because they’re riding high on the publicity.
ICS 2026 to Challenge the American and European Muscle Power in Determining the Rules of the Regulatory Game for Everybody Else
International cannabis thought leaders from across the world are to descend on Cape Town at the end of the month for ICS 2026. Organizer Sean Hocking tells Cannabiz Africa that the Back to Basics theme is aimed at breaking North American and European dominance in determining the world’s cannabis regulatory systems.
Canadian Cannabis Retailers Hope for High Scoring Fifa World Cup
The 2026 FIFA World Cup marks the first time that part of the tournament will be held in a locale where cannabis is legal. Although fans can’t light up at the matches hosted in Canada, the potential for increased foot traffic has cannabis dispensaries excited and lawyers advising shops on how to avoid a legal red card.
Dollars Make a Difference: South Africa Should Wake Up Fast to the Potential of CannaTourism
South Africa is sitting on a proverbial gold mine of tourism opportunities for the international cannabis community. But clearer guidelines are needed in order to make tourists feel more comfortable in order to tap this market,
Japan Bans the Cannabinoid CBN After Tests Show it Causes Animals to Hallucinate
Japan’s cannabis regime allows for hemp-derived CBD and CBG products, but anything to do with THC is a no-no. Now the Japanese government has banned the compound cannabinol (CBN) after it has been discovered to have hallucinatory properties during animal testing.