Cannabis News Around The World: Hemp THC Limit In Zimbabwe, Medical Cannabis Studies In Europe

Zimbabwe Increases Hemp THC Limit

Zimbabwe increased the THC limit for industrial hemp from 0.3% to 1%, reported The High Times.

According to the Criminal Law Amendment Bill, 2002: "Industrial hemp means the plant cannabis sativa L and any part of that plant, including the seed 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 one per centum on a dry weight basis.”

The legislation also proposes to remove industrial hemp from the list of "dangerous drug."

In 2018, the African nation legalized medicinal marijuana and cannabis production for medical and scientific purposes.

“Zimbabwe is establishing an environment in which a wider range of line mixes and ultimately hemp varieties may be produced and supplied,” per the Zimbabwe Independent.

A Positive Response From Medical Marijuana Patients In France

In France, a medical cannabis study showed “an overwhelmingly positive patient response,” reported the Business Cann.

According to Data from the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM), 91% of patients reported being satisfied with the administered cannabis medication. "Of the 1,453 not taken out of the study, 792 were being treated for refractory neuropathic pain, 215 for painful spasticity from multiple sclerosis, 181 for drug-resistant epilepsies, 105 in oncology, 104 in palliative situations and 56 for spasticity," researchers said.

The study results were positive "for palliative care patients, specifically relating to insomnia and pain – 51% reported a ‘significant improvement’, and 45% reported a ‘moderate improvement’," said university professor and chair of the ANSM scientific committee on medical cannabis, Nicolas Authier.

Regarding cannabis legalization In France, 91% of patients said that they would support it.

However, ANSM’s director Nathalie Richard, said the purpose of this trial was "not intended to assess the effectiveness of medical cannabis, even if clinical data is collected" if not "to evaluate, in a real situation, the recommendations of the committee in terms of prescribing and dispensing conditions and the adherence of health professionals and patients to these conditions."

UK: A New Cannabis/Infant Epilepsy Real-World Data Study

In the UK, Drug Science (a UK scientific body), and Medcan Support (a patient advocacy organization) launched a new real-world data study “to explore the symptoms of rare childhood epilepsies and how medicinal cannabis can help them,” per Cannabis Health UK.

The study will build on the work that Drug Science research teams have done in childhood epilepsy since cannabis was reintroduced to the British pharmacopeia in 2018.

“We are pleased to work on this pioneering project with MedCan Support and Alta Flora and hope that the longitudinal Real World Evidence that we are now able to collect will advance the case for wide access to these transformational medicines," Drug Science CEO David Badcock.

The study will last for one year and the data collected will be analyzed by Drug Science researchers. It seeks to collect “high-quality, longitudinal data on the effects of prescribed cannabis oil for children with epilepsy, submitted by families through a mobile app.”

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