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Australia: Members of Western Australia’s state parliament are planning to introduce a bill to allow possession of up to 50 g of cannabis and the growing of up to four plants at home, press reports. Brian Walker and Sophia Moermond of the Legalise Cannabis WA party are working on a draft that could be made public in the next three months. It would then be subject to public consultation and possible revision. They expect the revised version of the bill to be introduced in the upper house, the Legislative Council, in the second half of 2023. Walker expects public support for the bill, but said it may face a difficult passage since the state government has already said it has no plans to legalise cannabis.

France: A group of 31 senators from the Socialist, Green and Republican parties have issued a joint statement through the newspaper Le Monde calling for recreational cannabis to be legalised. They say “the situation is untenable”, that “the French are ready to debate the consumption of recreational cannabis”, and that they will try to table a bill in the coming months.

US - Georgia: A judge has sided with a CBD store in Catoosa County in a dispute with the sheriff’s department over the legality of CBD and delta-8 THC products, local media reports. The store owner sued after the sheriff sent a warning letter to CBD businesses threatening to prosecute them and seize “illegal” products. Although the court’s ruling allows the sale of most of the CBD and delta-8 products at issue, it does not allow the sale of edible products, which are not permitted in Georgia.

Guyana: The National Assembly has passed Industrial Hemp Bill 2022, which legalises hemp and hemp products, media reports. The bill allows for the cultivation and manufacturing of hemp and hemp products only by those licensed by the newly-created Industrial Hemp Regulatory Authority (IHRA) and will allow the minister of agriculture to promulgate regulations on their production and sale. Hemp is defined as “any plant of the genus cannabis and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis”.

US - Missouri: Secretary of state Jay Ashcroft has certified that a ballot initiative to legalise recreational cannabis in the state has gained enough signatures to appear on the November ballot. The initiative would legalise the possession, delivery, and sale of recreational cannabis to over-21s, impose a 6% sales tax on recreational sales, and allow for release of those convicted of certain non-violent cannabis offences and the expungement of their records.

New Zealand: After criticism from the industry for being too restrictive, the Health Ministry has said it will review the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme and release a consultation document later this month, press reports. The scheme came into operation in 2020, intended to improve patients’ access to quality medicinal cannabis.

Chile: The Senate Public Security Committee has approved modifications to a bill amending several laws, including Law 20,000 on Narcotics, that would allow the possession of up to five cannabis plants for personal use and up to 500 g of dry flower, and the carrying of up to 40 g.

Uruguay: The government is set to introduce a regulation under the Law on Access to Medical Cannabis, press reports. According to the authorities, it will focus on pharmacists’ prescription-based preparations rather than on flowers with high THC content. Daniel Radío, secretary general of the National Drugs Board (JND), said the regulation could be passed by the end of the year. He added that the government was exploring the possibility of making medical cannabis accessible to non-resident foreigners, who currently cannot access it in Uruguay.

Canada: The government of British Columbia has filed a lawsuit against three companies and several individuals for allegedly making millions through unlicensed online cannabis sales, press reports. The provincial government is seeking several properties as forfeiture of illegal proceeds from the companies, Shamrock Cannabis, Cankush, and Mountain High Marijuana.