Global Ganja Report

There is a growing consensus among hemp advocates that the 0.3% limit for THC content is arbitrary and is holding back the industry. And the man widely credited with arriving at this limit himself agrees.

The Contested Border
"It seems like it is pretty much pulled out of air. We ought to be looking to science to determine an appropriate threshold, determine the level at which cannabis is psychoactive and make that the standard."

This typical view is offered by attorney Patrick Goggin of Hoban Law Group, the international firm specializing in cannabis. Goggin is one of the industry's legal heavy-hitters, and has particular experience in the question of the contested border between hemp and marijuana.

The African continent, we are often told, has great resources and economic potential, but is held back by lack of development and infrastructure. It is certainly a sign of the times that we are now hearing this line not only from the oil and mineral cartels but the cannabis industry.

Activists in Oregon say that cannabis legalization in the Beaver State has failed to live up to its promise, and are preparing to place a remedy before the voters in the form of a new ballot initiative. They also view their proposed Legalization Justice Act as a model to be exported nationally. 

Legislation introduced in the House of Representatives would protect the jobs of federal employees who use cannabis in states where their use is currently legal. The measure is being hailed by advocates as a critical blow for workers' rights in the age cannabis normalization.

With approval of new regs, Alaska is set to become to the first state to officially oversee cannabis use at licensed retail outlets. Municipalities in Colorado and California have pursued this "Amsterdam model" by working around the state law. But The Last Frontier is once again breaking new ground in personal freedom for cannabis tokers.

Insurance companies in Canada are starting to cover medical marijuana, but high costs continue to be an impediment to access in the United States. Even in states that have legalized medicinal use of cannabis, the insurance industry will provide no coverage. Advocates are now starting to demand legislation to address this contradiction.

Despite his boast to have "ended" the drug war and pledge to explore cannabis legalization, Mexico's new populist president is seeking to create a special anti-drug National Guard drawing from the military and police forces. This plan is moving rapidly ahead—and the military is still being sent against cannabis growers and traffickers.

FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb has suddenly announced that he is stepping down, leaving lots of unfinished business—including the status of CBD under the agency's regs. Biotech stocks are taking a tumble on the news, while tobacco is bullish and cannabis is mixed.