Last Week In Weed Issue 59
Published May 15th 2023
In this issue of Last Week in Weed, We look at Thailand’s election results and its potential impact on the future of cannabis in the Asian nation. The further dilution of German ‘legalisation’ plans and CSC rules, and finally. A new campaign calling for GPs to be allowed to prescribe ‘medicinal’ cannabis products in the UK.
Hazy Future: Exploring The Election Results In Thailand
The first story in this week’s issue of ‘Last Week in Weed’ comes from the Southeastern Asian nation of Thailand. Last week saw the country hold its first elections since the constitutional monarchy ‘decriminalised’ cannabis-related offences back in June 2022.
A record-breaking number of citizens thought to be over 70%, went to the polls on Sunday 14th May to exercise their democratic rights and make their voices heard. With some parties in favour and some against the country’s new approach to cannabis, this election is a critical one for the future of the country's cannabis consumers, culture, and burgeoning industry.
Early election predictions have The Move Forward Party, a youth-led reformist progressive democratic party, winning the most seats, the Pheu Thai Party in second, and the pro-cannabis Bhumjaithai Party lagging in third. If current predictions translate into results then the next Prime Minister of Thailand is likely to be the Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat as part of a coalition with the Pheu Thai Party and other smaller political parties.
The unprecedented turnout for both The Move Forward Party and the Pheu Thai Party is a rebuke and rejection of Thailand’s monarchy and traditional military-aligned parties in the nation’s Parliament. While they are both progressive parties, they are also both opposed to cannabis and want to see it re-criminalised for non-medicinal purposes in Thailand.
So what does this mean for the country’s nascent cannabis industry? Well, to be honest, we just don’t know yet. We do however know what the leaders of both parties likely to enter a coalition think about cannabis.
The chief opposition whip of the Pheu Thai Party, Sutin Klungsang said of cannabis ‘decriminalisation’ last year that "Cannabis damages the brains of young people... There will be serious social problems". Reaffirming his stance before the election saying that “We do not accept marijuana being used for recreational purposes and have stood by this policy all along”.
The Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat's stance is even tougher than his counterpart it would seem, as he believes that “We [Thialand] should comply with the United Nations’ Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.” The party leader has also previously said that he would like to relist cannabis as a narcotic and that the government should buy out current businesses’ stock for use in the country’s ‘medicinal’ industry.
In the lead-up to the election, the Bhumjaithai Party Anutin Charnvirakul pledged to formally regulate the country’s booming cannabis industry. An industry that according to the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce is projected to be worth over $1 billion by 2025.
These election results are more about the Thai youth attempting to modernise the apparatus of authority than a rejection of cannabis liberalisation in the country. Something I can understand as I would personally find it difficult not to vote to dismantle the British monarchy over cannabis law change if push came to shove.
Whatever the outcome and configuration of the country’s next ruling coalition. One thing we can know for sure is that attempting to re-criminalise the more than 1.38 million citizens that have already registered as cannabis growers is going to be a nightmare for the next Thai government if it seeks to re-criminalise cannabis-related offences. Not to mention policing the numerous cafes, coffeeshops, and other cannabis retailers that have grown exponentially since ‘decriminalisation’ came into effect last year.
German Draft ‘Legalisation’ Bill Details Leak
Germany’s new ‘traffic light’ coalition announced that it would be ‘legalising cannabis after the last election. In the months that followed the new government's formation, it had to backtrack on its plans several times.
Last week a draft version of the German cannabis 'legalisation' bill was leaked to the press. The draft included more details about how the coalition intends to enact its bastardised and EU-friendly ‘legalisation’ model, and it doesn’t look good.
The new government of Europe’s largest economy promised to ‘legalise’ cannabis to ‘curb the black market’ but looking at its revised plans, it's likely it will do the complete opposite. The draft bill contains information about how the government intends to restrict and in my opinion, over-regulate the market before it has even begun.
The leak reveals that this new iteration of the bill will prioritise the creation of so-called ‘cannabis social clubs’ above retail sales and dispensaries. The implementation of a multi-year limited retail pilot project in various municipalities is still on the cards but will be conducted under different legislation.
The leak confirms that the personal cannabis possession limit would be restricted to 25 grams on the street. It isn’t currently clear how much German adults would be allowed in their own homes. The consumption of cannabis in pedestrian zones will remain prohibited between 7 am and 8 pm, according to the draft bill.
The new limits on cultivating cannabis at home are truly laughable to anyone that has ever grown cannabis before. Consumers will be limited to growing up to three plants at home per year and only with seeds or cuttings purchased from the ‘cannabis social clubs’. It isn’t yet clear if this means that the German government intends to make cannabis seeds a controlled substance. I mean, how else could they possibly regulate this?
There is no mention of members being able to sell products to the CSCs or share their home-grown cannabis lawfully with others. The draft doesn't seem to contain any information about cannabis-related driving offences and how they will be impacted by the law change either.
The leak reveals that the main alterations to the original draft come in the form of tweaking the rules around the already heavily butchered proposals for ‘cannabis social clubs' in the country.
So what are the new ‘cannabis social club’ rules?
- CSCs limited to a maximum membership of 500
- German citizens are restricted to only joining one ‘club’ at a time
- Members are prohibited from consuming cannabis on site or within 250m of CSCs
- Members are limited to 25 grams a day up to a maximum of 50 grams per month (600 grams a year)
- Members under 21 years old are restricted to cultivars and products under 10% THC up to a maximum of 30 grams a month
- CSC cannabis products must come in neutral packaging and contain relevant information (Cannabinoid content, harvest date, cultivar name, etc)
- CSCs must comply with limits on pesticides and fertilizers
- CSCs will be allocated by the state a minimum distance from schools, sports grounds, and playgrounds
- CSCs and grow sites must be secure or fenced off with anti-theft measures in place on site
- CSC must provide all seeds or cuttings to be grown at home (maximum 3 per household per year)
- CSCs must draft a ‘health and youth protection concept’ and employ a trained ‘addiction and prevention officer’
- CSCs must keep a record of cannabis varieties sold, the number of plants cultivated, and each member's purchasing habits
- CSCs must share data with the government annually
While I 100% agree with the recording and limiting of pesticides and fertilizers in cannabis products and accurate labelling. Many of the other proposals put forward in the draft legislation make no sense to me.
The fact that consumption is banned at these so-called ‘cannabis social clubs’ means they are not ‘cannabis social clubs’ at all. They are 'private member cannabis cultivation associations' at best.
As I always say ‘legalisation’ isn’t liberation folks. I mean, think about it what will be the criminal sanction or penalty for growing 4 plants or more at home? Will German adults continue to get violently raided as they do now? What will happen if someone is caught possessing over 25 grams on the street or smoking a joint at 7:58 pm in public?
Unless the new government plans to create a new police task force or organisation with the power to enter all homes, I cannot see how any of this is enforceable.
‘Legalisation’ was meant to be the mechanism by which the criminalisation of cannabis culture and its consumers ceased, an end to the prohibition of cannabis-related offences. However, this concept has been corrupted, commodified, and co-opted by opportunistic capitalists looking to cash in on the global ‘green rush’.
Ultimately, the revised ‘cannabis social club’ rules and ‘legalisation’ plans revealed in the leaked documents are, in my opinion, a complete betrayal of German cannabis consumers and voters. Their decisions at the ballot were influenced by the belief that their candidate would ‘legalise’ cannabis and end the criminalisation of their culture not kowtow down to the international pressure.
The draft bill was submitted to a ‘departmental vote’ at the end of April to be reviewed by other ministers and ministries. ‘Pro-cannabis’ members of the German traffic light coalition expect the bill to pass later this year.
New Campaign Calls For GPs To Be Allowed
To Prescribe Unlicensed ‘Medicinal’ Cannabis Products
The final story in this week’s issue comes from the UK and the launching of a new ‘medicinal’ cannabis campaign. The new campaign titled ‘Protect Our Patients’ is a joint venture between the Cannabis Industry Council (CIC), the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society (MCCS), Volteface, and Maple Tree Consultants.
The campaign, officially launched at Cannabis Europa on May 2nd, is calling for the expansion of regulation to allow NHS General Practitioners (GPs) to prescribe unlicensed ‘medicinal’ cannabis products. Currently, GPs in the UK can only prescribe licensed cannabis-based medications and only specialists can prescribe unlicensed ‘medicinal’ cannabis products.
“The current model for medical cannabis where only consultants can prescribe is simply not working in the interests of the majority of patients. We are calling for a meaningful, yet uncontroversial change for GPs to be allowed to prescribe medical cannabis to their patients.
This change can be made in a relatively straightforward manner, and we will be setting out details in due course. We urge the industry to unite around this important agenda to protect our patients. - Prof Mike Barnes
The campaign claims that there are currently 1.8 million self-medicating individuals producing or purchasing cannabis from the legacy and criminalised market to treat their conditions/ailments. In 2018 the law changed to allow for the limited prescribing of schedule 2 ‘unlicensed’ ‘medicinal’ cannabis products by private for-profit clinics. Joining the already approved ‘licensed’ cannabis-based medications such as Sativex, Epidiolex, and Nabilone that have been lawfully available to be prescribed by NHS GPs for over a decade now.
Around 1,000 patients now annually receive prescriptions on the NHS for these highly profitable patented licensed cannabis-based medications. While since the 2018 law change just three NHS prescriptions have been filled by NHS GPs for ‘unlicensed’ ‘whole plant’ medications, all for children receiving cannabis oil to treat intractable epilepsy.
It is believed that 20,000 private patients are now prescribed ‘unlicensed’ cannabis products annually with products including cannabis vape carts, oils, and flowers. A long way off the estimated 1.8 million ‘self-medicating’ consumers believed to be in the country.
So why the huge disparity? Well, there are many barriers currently preventing these consumers from becoming full-time ‘lawful’ ‘medicinal’ cannabis patients. These include a lack of awareness of the current system, the continuous financial burden, poor quality, inconsistency, irradiation and lack of basic information about the products.
We also cannot underestimate the impact that trauma caused to consumers by healthcare professionals vilifying and demonising them for their cannabis use before the law change had on them. There is a general destain, distrust, and dislike of anything or anyone less educated about cannabis than themselves telling them how to consume it.
How about the fact that many ‘self-medicating’ individuals are ‘self-sufficient’ either growing their own or supporting someone else that does? Then there is the continued prohibiting of their preferred consumption method of combustion – something I have on rather good authority the clinics knows the majority of their patients are still doing.
The champions and co-signatories to this campaign believe that the main issue is none of the aforementioned ones, but the fact that NHS GPs cannot prescribe unlicensed ‘medicinal’ cannabis products. They seem to believe that just allowing GPs to prescribe will magically solve all of these problems, spoiler alert, it won't!
There are currently 36,500+ fully qualified GPs in the UK that could potentially become prescribers of unlicensed ‘medicinal’ cannabis products if this campaign is successful. This would likely dramatically increase awareness of ‘medicinal’ cannabis and the private for-profit cannabis dispensing system. It would also increase the sales force, sorry potential prescribers, of the ‘Medicinal Cannabis Industrial Complex’ from a few hundred (at best) to tens of thousands.
My fear as it has always been is that the ‘Medicinal Cannabis Industrial Complex’ is either consciously or unconsciously being used as a Trojan Horse by investment groups and vested interests to bankrupt and ultimately privatise the National Health Service. The prescribing of licensed cannabis-based medications is already costing the NHS a fortune. What would 1.8 million additional patients do to our already ailing health service?
For example, a private prescription for Sativex costs the patient up to £500 per month. The same product on an NHS prescription costs the patient just £9.65 (The Prescription Charge) making it a ‘no-brainer’ for the patient. However, this costs the NHS around £300 per month per patient.
I get that the patients would be personally financially better off, but the consequence of medicinalising all our ‘self-mediating’ cannabis consumers without prior serious investment would be a death sentence for our already flat-lining NHS.
Over time it will cost the NHS tens of millions to subsidise their access. This will inevitably result in a further decline in the quality of care, continued loss of free services, higher taxes, and the completion of the ultimate Tory wet dream – the privatising of the NHS. The big winners in this scenario would undoubtedly be the ‘medicinal cannabis industrial complex’ and the vulture capitalists that fund it.
One way to avoid harm to the NHS by providing that necessary investment and subsidising patient access could be to decriminalise, regulate, and tax the 'adult-use' market.
My final thoughts of concern are the optics and language surrounding this campaign. The seemingly deliberate usage of the word ‘our’ instead of ‘the’ patients is a huge red flag to me personally. It completely changes the meaning of the statement from a potentially altruistic one to a possessive, conservative, and monopolistic one. The same too for the use of the inaccurate word ‘medical’ as discussed in this Weed World Magazine article.
I also feel it important to highlight that the launching of the campaign at Cannabis Europa, a several hundred-pound ticket event held in the centre of London, perfectly embodies the elitism, classism, and pomposity of the ‘Medicinal Cannabis Industrial Complex'.
Written By Simpa For The Simpa Life
