Tag: Australia

Drug Testing Access at Australian Festivals May Have Prevented Past Deaths

February 5, 2024 · High Times

It’s already fairly well known that music festivals tend to come with plenty of illicit drug use. The activity is so common at festivals, and in dance scenes as a whole, that organizers and attendees alike are becoming increasingly more equipped to combat potential overdoses through a variety of measures. A new study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy underscores the impact of these harm reduction strategies and consciously incorporating them into events, looking at the amount of drug-related deaths… Read more.

Getting High Down Under

January 21, 2024 · High Times

Sometimes, you have to take it to the streets, literally. At least that’s the approach Australian cannabis activists Will Stolk and Alec Zammitt take when trying to generate awareness around the flaws in Australia’s current weed regulations. Stolk and Zammitt have been helping make cannabis a hot topic of discussion in Australia for the past eight years, rolling out annual 420 “Who Are We Hurting?” demonstrations that have captivated the ears and eyes of the Australian public. At the very least, Stolk and Zammitt aim to… Read more.

The Booming International Cannabis Trade – Germany, Australia, Israel, and the UK are All Importing Canadian Medical Marijuana

January 15, 2024 · Cannabis.net

There is a scent of reinvention that floats across the Atlantic to touch British shores. One of the leading Canadian producers of greenhouse cannabis, Village Farms International, has finally shipped its first official shipment for the UK arriving over years after in anticipation. Village Farms International, based in Vancouver British Columbia has recently taken a significant step into the booming United Kingdom Cannabis market. In a statement released on Wednesday, the firm revealed that two of its renowned cannabis brands, Pure Sunfarms… Read more.

50% of Australians Support Legalising Growing Cannabis Plants at Home

January 8, 2024 · Vice

Australian voters are more for than against decriminalising cannabis and legalising cannabis plants at home for personal use, as proposed by a bill introduced to NSW parliament. New YouGov data collected in December from 1,555 participants found 50 per cent of Australians supported legalising growing cannabis plants for personal use, 31 per cent opposed and 19 per cent were undecided. It also found 54 per cent were in favour of decriminalising cannabis, 33 per cent opposed and 12 per cent were… Read more.

Victorian MPs Back Cannabis Decriminalisation as Premier Admits Past Use

December 1, 2023 · vice

Victoria could be on the way to decriminalising recreational cannabis after Premier Jacinta Allan admitted to using the drug in the past and Treasurer Tim Pallas said he didn’t believe in a “criminal approach”. The Legalise Cannabis Party this week launched a campaign to make recreational cannabis use legal in three states and overhaul legislation that unfairly criminalises people – particularly First Nations people who are disproportionately charged with possession. In New South Wales between 2020 and 2022 they made up almost half of… Read more.

Victorian Parliament Okays Medicinal Cannabis Driving Trial

October 18, 2023 ·

The Victorian parliament has passed new laws that will allow medical cannabis users to get behind the wheel on a closed road. These new laws are part of a trial that will look into the impact marijuana has on a person’s driving ability. In 2016, Victoria was the first Australian state to legalize medical cannabis. However, individuals part of this program can still face legal consequences if they’re found to have tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in their system while driving. The difficulty with this is THC… Read more.

Australia, Israel top destinations of Canadian medical cannabis exports

September 5, 2023 · MJ Biz Daily

Australia and Israel were the top markets for Canada’s medical cannabis exporters last year, as the quantity of flower shipped overseas continued to surge, according to new figures shared by Health Canada with MJBizDaily. In the April 2022-March 2023 fiscal year, Canada’s exports of medical marijuana flower were 59,986 kilograms (roughly 132,200 pounds), a 48% increase over the previous year’s 40,640 kilograms. The vast majority of exports, however, went to only three countries, meaning exporters risk being dependent on a very… Read more.

Australia Becomes the First Country in the World to Legalize Psychedelics for Medical Prescriptions

July 8, 2023 · Cannabis.net

Last week, Australia made headlines around the world for being the first country ever that legally allowed MDMA and magic mushrooms to be prescribed by licensed psychiatrists for the treatment of mental health conditions. This is surprisingly good news albeit controversial, considering that medical marijuana laws are still lagging behind Down Under. Psilocybin magic mushrooms and MDMA have both been approved as medications by the Therapeutic Goods Administration; the former for certain kinds of treatment-resistant depression and MDMA for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These regulations became… Read more.

Physicians in Australia Can Now Prescribe Psychedelics for PTSD and Depression

July 4, 2023 · Ganjapreneur

Physicians in Australia can now prescribe doses of MDMA and psilocybin to patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and hard-to-treat depression, the Associated Press reports. The reforms make Australia the first nation in the world to allow doctors to prescribe psychedelics as medicine.  The move was announced in February but took effect July 1.  Both MDMA and psilocybin have been added to the list of approved medicines by the Therapeutic Goods Administration but will be expensive – about AU$10,000 (US$6,600) per patient for treatment, the report… Read more.

Australia is Punting Away $250 Million a Year in Tax Revenue by Not Legalizing Cannabis Says New Study

June 12, 2023 · Cannabis.net

Australia Is Missing Out On At Least $250 Million Each Year That Cannabis Isn’t Legalized, Says New Report Canada and Uruguay have long legalized marijuana. Is Australia next? Unfortunately, Australia seems to be delaying cannabis legalization and each year that they don’t they are losing out on $250 million. As of now, legislation has been introduced by the Greens to parliament with the hopes of legalizing pot around the country. The legislation is still out for public consultation though should it be given the green light, it… Read more.

Creso Pharma Acquires Australian Psychedelic Medicine Company

May 9, 2023 · Ganjapreneur

Creso Pharma has signed a deal to acquire 100% of Australia-based Health House International (HHI), which is focused on international distribution of medical cannabis products and possesses a number of licenses to store, distribute, import, and export controlled substances, including psilocybin and MDMA.   In a statement, Creso CEO Willam Lay said HHI “has an enviable set of licenses” that Creso can use to its “immediate benefit, and adds another growing revenue channel to the group.”  Combining Creso Pharma’s revenue and… Read more.

Australia’s medical cannabis sales might surpass Canada’s in near future

April 25, 2023 · MJ Biz Daily

Melbourne skyline looking towards Flinders Street Station. Australia.

Australia’s medical cannabis industry continues to experience brisk growth in patients and sales, and experts say the market could even surpass Canada’s medical sector this year. Australian patients generally access medical cannabis via two government-regulated programs: the so-called Special Access Scheme Category B (SAS-B) system or from an Authorized Prescriber, typically a physician. Australia legalized medical marijuana in 2016. According to Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) data, the number of SAS-B patient approvals for medical cannabis increased sharply every year from January 2018… Read more.

Study: 37% of Australian Medical Cannabis Users Have Prescription

March 27, 2023 · Ganjapreneur

A recent study by the University of Sydney’s Lambert Initiative found 37% of respondents who use cannabis medically received a legal prescription under Australian law. In 2018, that figure was just 2.5%. The researchers found that those who only used prescription cannabis tended to be older, female, and less likely to be employed. Professor Nicholas Lintzeris, the lead researcher for the third Cannabis as Medicine Survey from the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney, said the data… Read more.

Marijuana Goes Global: Key Trends In US, Philippines, Italy, Australia And Spain

February 21, 2023 · Benzinga

Cannabis Measures In The Philippines Kalinga Gov. James Edduba supports the immediate approval of the medicinal cannabis measure pending in both chambers of Congress. This move will help dissuade the spread of illegal hemp in Benguet and Kalinga. However, lawmakers "must ensure that the provisions for the medical marijuana measure should be favorable to the farmers," Edduba said, reported Manila Times. Additionally, Manila Former House of Representatives speaker and now Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez seeks to "delist cannabis from the country’s dangerous drugs,… Read more.