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Germany: The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) is backing an amendment to the Narcotics Act to raise the THC limit for hemp from 0.2% to to 0.3%, which it says is the responsibility of the Ministry of Health. This was stated in a letter from the BMEL to the Prignitz-Ruppiner Landscape Conservation Association, which was made available to the Cannabis Business Industry Association (BvCW).

Switzerland: A pilot project to sell recreational cannabis in Zurich, previously planned for this autumn, has been postponed to the first half of 2023. According to the canton government, final approval has not yet been given by the Federal Office of Public Health and the delay is due, among other things, to the complexity of the project.

US - federal: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has named Norman Birenbaum, a former cannabis regulator in Rhode Island and New York, as senior public health advisor at the Center for Regulatory Programs, press reports. Industry experts are hopeful that the hire signals a step towards the FDA finally regulating CBD.

US - Georgia: A judge has ordered the only two licensed medical cannabis oil producers in Georgia to cease production until a lawsuit over the licensing process is resolved, press reports. Georgia law allows for cannabis oil with up to 5% THC for medical purposes, but the programme has not got off the ground, being mired by controversy and lawsuits for years.

Canada - British Columbia: The Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) will allow federally licensed cannabis growers in British Columbia to sell cannabis in stores at the cultivation site from 30th November. They must first apply for a newly-established Producer Retail Store (PRS) licence.

Morocco: The National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis Activities (Anrac) announced yesterday that it had issued ten licences for the cultivation, manufacturing, marketing, and export of cannabis products, press reports. The agency said it “continues to explore the opportunities offered by the cannabis market in order to develop this sector and promote the transformation of farmers from illicit activity towards legal, sustainable and income-generating cultivation”.

Russia: A Moscow court will hear US basketball player Brittney Griner’s appeal against a nine-year prison sentence for drug possession on 25th October, media reports. Griner was arrested at Moscow airport in February when she arrived to play for a Russian side, reportedly carrying vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. The US is believed to have offered to exchange Russian prisoners for US citizens, including Griner, but according to Russian officials no deal has been reached.

US - federal: Democratic senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii has filed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would allow military veterans to possess, use, and transport medical cannabis if authorised under state law. The amendment mirrors much of the language from the Veterans Medical Marijuana Safe Harbor Act, which was filed in the House in 2021. The NDAA is viewed as a must-pass bill because it funds the military for the year, though many amendments are filed and removed throughout the political process.

Ukraine: The head of the parliamentary committee on public health, medical care and medical insurance, Mykhailo Radutsky, has said there is not enough support in parliament to pass Bill 7457 on the legalisation of medical cannabis, media reports. The government supported the bill in June, however, it has not yet been discussed in parliament. Radutsky addded that at least 2m-3m Ukrainians needed medical cannabis before the full-scale war with Russia began in February, and that this number had increased significantly since.