Royal College of Psychiatrists debate cancelled after no one would argue for criminalising users
A debate at Royal College of Psychiatrists on whether criminalising people who use cannabis protects against mental ill health was cancelled because no one agreed to argue that current UK law protects the health of people who take the drug, according to the British Medical Journal.
Instead, only David Nutt, the pro-cannabis professor of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London, spoke on 23 January at the Royal College of Psychiatrists in London.
The motion to have been debated was “Decriminalising cannabis use will lead to higher rates of mental illness.”
Israel approves medical cannabis exports
Israel has approved exports of medical cannabis after months of stalling. It is estimated that state revenue could benefit from the move to the tune of $1.09bn per year.
There are currently eight companies cultivating cannabis for medical purposes in Israel, and dozens more have made applications to join the industry.
Exports are expected to start taking place in three to four months, with Europe, the biggest market in the world for medical cannabis, expected to be the primary market.
Super Bowl rejects cannabis ad
US cannabis company Acreage Holdings says CBS has turned down its proposed 30-second advert for the Super Bowl. CNN said a source close to the network said that CBS does not currently accept any cannabis-related advertising.
George Allen, president of Acreage Holdings, said the ad focused on the benefits of medical marijuana.
“We’re disappointed by the news but somewhat unsurprised,” Allen said, adding that media companies were unwilling to show cannabis ads as long as cannabis remains illegal for recreational and medical use on a federal level.
$54m spent in first month of Canada legalisation
Statistics Canada has reported that $54m (£31m) was spent on cannabis in the first month following legalisation.
The figures understate the potential of the market for several reasons. Sales in Ontario, the most populous province, are limited to online orders until 25 stores open in April, while demand is hugely outstripping supply.
With cannabis-infused edibles and other extractables set to hit the market later this year, George Robinson, chief executive officer of RavenQuest BioMed, has said Canada’s cannabis supply shortage could last more than five years, with producers needing to grow as much as 6 million kilograms of pot annually.