Victoria's Medical Marijuana Patients Can Now Drive Without Fear Of License Loss & More Cannabis Updates Around The Globe

Poland: Minister Of Health Signs Regulation Tightening Access To Medical Marijuana

Minister of Health Izabela Leszczyna signed a new regulation regarding narcotics and psychotropic substances on Oct. 29, significantly tightening access to medical marijuana. The new law will take effect seven days after the announcement, writes Bezprawnik, according to translation.

As previously announced, under the new law, medical marijuana prescriptions cannot be obtained through a telemedicine consultation, unless they are continuations of previously prescribed therapy. Only public facilities are allowed to issue remote prescriptions, while private clinics can't continue to prescribe the therapy remotely. The first medical marijuana prescription can only be obtained in person from a doctor.

The new rules come as the Ministry of Health says medical marijuana has been prescribed too easily.

New regulations will mostly affect less mobile patients, those living in smaller towns, and those who are unable to move around freely.

“The proposed content in the project aims to modify the amended regulation towards strengthening oversight over the prescription of controlled substances, thus reducing negative social phenomena associated with the misuse of these substances, including their excessive prescription, which leads to drug addiction requiring hospitalization or further pharmacological treatment," per the justification. "Besides the aforementioned health and social consequences, this also leads to increased public healthcare costs.”

In addition to cannabis products, the list of restricted substances includes morphine, fentanyl and oxycodone.

Read Also: Poland Ministry Of Health Supports Decriminalizing Possession Of 25 Grams Of Cannabis, Cultivation Of 3 Plants

Thailand: New Cannabis And Hemp Rules Expected To Be Finalized In A Year

Deputy Health Minister Dech-Is Khao Thong and his advisory team met this week with the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine to discuss progress on the Cannabis and Hemp Act, writes Hfocus, according to translation. Thong said he needs to review details and scheduled a clause-by-clause discussion of the draft law.

Dr. Somrak Chingsaman, director-general of the department said it is expected that the law will be finalized within one year under the current administration. Among key items of the new draft law are:

• Flowering parts are strictly for medical use.
• Allowed for research purposes.
• Products from flowering parts approved by the FDA can be used for consumption only, exempt from this law.

For other uses, such as textiles made from cannabis roots, branches, leaves, or stems, separate ministerial regulations will apply.

Improper medical use carries a 20,000-baht fine ($590) or one year in jail, while unauthorized sales will be punished with 100,000 baht or a one-year jail term.

In June, the Thai government decided to reverse its 2022 marijuana decriminalization decision by relisting parts of the cannabis plant as a narcotic, to go into effect January 1, 2025. While Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to allow legal the recreational use of marijuana, it has never been properly regulated, resulting in a proliferation of cannabis shops across the country. In July, however, Charnvirakul confirmed that then-Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin agreed that proper regulation is a better solution than cannabis re-criminalization.

Read Also: Thai Deputy Prime Minister Optimistic About Future Of Cannabis Industry

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Japan: Ultra-Strict THC Limits Set New Bar For CBD Products, Testing Global Suppliers

Japan recently imposed new rules regarding THC limits in CBD products and raw materials used to make them. The limits are among the strictest in the world, writes Hemp Today. New rules are expected to take effect in December 2024.

The limits imposed are said to be 200 to 300 times stricter that the threshold in most other countries which usually allow 0.3% THC limit for all CBD products categories. Under Japan's new rules, THC is allowed at 10 mg/kg (= 0.001% = 10ppm) for oils and powders, and even stricter limits apply to aqueous solutions (0.10mg/kg = 0.00001% = 0.1ppm) and food products (1mg/kg = 0.0001% = 1ppm).

Read Also: Japan: Updated Guidelines On THC Limits Don’t Address All Gaps, Says Expert

The new THC limits pose significant challenges for foreign CBD suppliers already operating in Japan. Global companies such as PharmaHemp (Slovenia), Elixinol and CBDfx (U.S.), Endoca (Denmark), and Naturecan (UK) promote their products as THC-free, but Japan’s strict standards for transparency and rigorous compliance will put these claims to the test.

Continue reading on Hemp Today.

Read Also: Japan Criminalizes Cannabis With 7-Year Prison Sentence, Medical Marijuana Remains Legal

Australia: Victoria's Medicinal Cannabis Patients Can Now Drive Without Fear Of Automatic License Loss

Medical marijuana patients in Victoria no longer have to fear that they will automatically lose their licence if caught driving with traces of the substance in their system, reported The Guardian. Now, magistrates can exercise sentencing discretion for drivers who test positive for THC, provided they have a valid prescription for medical marijuana and are unimpaired while driving.

Previously, any detectable THC would lead to a mandatory six-month licence loss and fine, impacting users who took cannabis as prescribed for conditions like cancer or multiple sclerosis. Starting March 1, prescribed users can now explain their circumstances in court, allowing magistrates to decide on licence retention. However, driving with any THC trace remains an offence; the reform only adjusts sentencing discretion.

The change comes after Legalise Cannabis Victoria secured an amendment in the upper house on Thursday night

"Roadside saliva tests can detect tiny traces of THC more than a week after consumption, but these minuscule remnants have negligible impact on driving ability," said Legalise Cannabis MP David Ettershank. "Under the old law the mere presence of this remnant chemical meant a compulsory loss of licence for six months and a steep fine, but the driver had only taken their medicine as directed by their doctor."

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• Australian Cannabis Producers Eye European Market, Especially Germany And France, Marijuana And Menstrual Pain Study Underway

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