Global Cannabis: Montreal's Baby Boomers & Millennials Pot Use, South Africa As New Amsterdam & More

Canada: More Baby Boomers And Millennials In Montreal Are Consuming Cannabis

A lot has changed since Canada legalized recreational marijuana five years ago. For starters, weed consumption increased from 17% to 23% in 2022, writes Montreal CTV News about a new cannabis survey.

While the enquête québécoise sur le cannabis research saw no change in use among teens and young adults, there’s been a notable increase in consumption among people aged 35 to 55 years and up.

The research also confirmed that the frequency of marijuana use is stable, while methods of consumption are changing with oral drops, beverages and capsules becoming more popular. The number of Montrealaers who admit obtaining marijuana from the illicit market dropped to 7% in 2022, from 27% in 2018.

"Legalization has not led to a trivialization of cannabis consumption," said the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal. "On the contrary, more Montrealers believe that cannabis consumption entails health risks."

See Also: Global Cannabis Insights: A Snapshot Of Substance Trends And More

Morocco: King Mohammed VI Appoints Head Of National Cannabis Agency 

Moroccan King Mohammed VI recently granted the title of general director of the Morocco National Agency for Regulation Cannabis-Related Activities (ANRAC) to Mohamed El Guerrouj, who has been its interim director since Sep. 2022. El Guerrouj has a lot of experience in agriculture and development, writes High Times, citing Morocco World News.

In 2021, the country’s Parliament initially voted to legalize marijuana for industrial, medical, and cosmetic purposes. ANRAC was created in 2022 to be in charge of Morocco's cannabis industry.

In March this year, Morocco set in motion the country's first laboratory for medical and industrial marijuana.

Guam: Cannabis Control Board Concerned Over Sole Laboratory Applicant’s Approval 

Guam’s Cannabis Control Board is concerned that one applicant for a marijuana testing facility may have difficulty obtaining approval from the government, writes GuamPDN.

Under the island’s industry regulations, a laboratory that would test locally cultivated marijuana for contaminants must be established before cannabis products reach the market.

While there are 12 organizations trying to open shops, cultivation centers and manufacturing businesses, there is only one organization attempting to open a local cannabis testing lab – Pacific Analytical Services.

Cannabis Control Board chair, attorney Vanessa Williams, said the lab applicant is having trouble getting clearance from the Department of Land Management. 

South Africa: Government Hinders Efforts To Develop Marijuana Tourism Hotspot

“As Amsterdam bows out, what will be the new capital of cannabis tourism?” asks 

National Geographic magazine, noting that South Africa and Thailand are the front-runners to replace Amsterdam.

Unfortunately though, in spite of legalization, authorities in South Africa don’t support the development of the industry, writes Jeremy Berke on Cultivated.

Some examples of how the government is standing in the way of industry growth include:

• It can take up to 22 months to get through the licensing process for medical cannabis cultivation or export, and approval is not guaranteed.
• The police are still widely arresting marijuana consumers, and keeping criminal records on past cannabis users.
• Indigenous groups who have farmed marijuana throughout history are often criminalized.

“It’s expensive, the application form is vague, and decision-makers are clueless about intimate details of cannabis,” said Seremane Moyo, a cannabis lawyer in South Africa. “Do you want a dozen cannabis tourists from New York to get here into South Africa and spend their holiday in custody for sharing weed cakes?”

• Continue reading on Cultivated.

Fiji: Medical Marijuana Only For Export 

Fiji’s chief business adviser for the Ministry of Trade Ateca Round recently reminded members who attended consultations on establishing the medical cannabis industry for export purposes only that no local consumption would be allowed.

She added that if established all operations would be conducted by experts. The motivation to establish medical marijuana operations is to diversify its economy, writes FBC News.

Uruguay: Technical Dialogue On Cannabis Policies Starts In Montevideo 

This week, the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction is co-organizing a technical dialogue on cannabis policies with the Uruguayan Junta Nacional de Drogas in Montevideo. The event is one of several activities under the COPOLAD III program to empower drug policy and evaluation systems.

Participants will be able to take part in on-site study visits to key Uruguayan institutions and organizations working on marijuana. Among these are regulatory authorities, private companies, law enforcement entities and non-governmental organizations. A seminar on Thursday will focus on cannabis policy models and evaluation in Europe and the Americas and will be open to key organizations and institutions in the country.

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