Editorial
Sean Hocking
Consultant Legal Publishing Content Knowledge & Biz Development. Owner Cannabis Law Report, House of Butter, MP Records
New Zealand
Oh My God ....They've Arrested Gandalf!
"Even The Smallest Person Can Change The Course Of The Future"
For those of you who count the course of medical cannabis in $'s, deals and political clout you'd probably think that the recent arrest of "Green Fairy No.1" in the land of the long cloud is of absolutely no consequence to you.
You'd be wrong
As the opening line of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring says...
"The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air"
Let's backtrack a little.
Many moons ago, most would have guessed that NZ would sail through their cannabis referendum held on October 2020. But in the end the vote was close, 50.7% saying nay and 48.4% saying yes please.
Unfortunately Labour leader Arden made a political error by standing on the sidelines as conservative elements of the NZ Medical Assoc ran a scare campaign along with the right of politics and media leaving the country with a limited medical market, a growing criminal based black market and in the middle dedicated green fairies ensuring that the patients who really needed cannabis for health reasons received the best of the best at a fair price or for nothing.
NZ settled into this new pattern and essentially it has been quiet for years with the new status quo being little different from the old one.
That was until late last year when it began to become ever more obvious to the relevant authorities that the black market was getting out of hand and the raids started happening all over the country.
On top of this the limited NZ official medical market had in effect become an outpost of what is happening in Australia. The odd import deal, the odd European export deal with a press release or two thrown in about limited capital expenditure and how hunky dory things were, as quietly I presume , there were/are a small pool of people making some quite good money.
Then late last year fantasyinteruptus when Aether went bust and since then the woodworms have been pouring out. Read more here
The main players in the NZ medical market are
Rua
Cannasouth
JC Logistics t/a Medleaf Theraputics
Indica
Puro
Helius
My research on each company returns a reply of .. "Turnover Not Specified" but in 2023 it was estimated that industry turnover at at $NZ12 Million. Cost for patients can vary between $NZ150-400 a month excluding consultations and this with very limited government support and this is where the likes of Ganulf come in. Trusted, honest and indispensable?to many New Zealand patients.
Since Gandalf was raided last Tuesday he's had a host of people come out in support including Co- leader of the NZ Greens Chloe Swarbrick and former police officer who once busted him amongst many others.
The bust has re-ignited the legalization question in NZ and I suggest it'll be concentrating eyes on the existing medical cannabis industry in the country and asking questions about how they operate, what's their pricing structure and how they interact with medical cannabis companies across the Tasman..
Another company went down in the last 48 hours
It is indeed the little people out there who change things.
Elsewhere
I would highlight that Minnesota has finally decided to introduce a new bill to clarify that used bong water is not actually a drug. I'm not making it up.
An EU judge says Hungary’s opposition to EU decision on cannabis was illegal
On general drugs policy there's something going on in India that suggests Modi has a hand in starting off a new moral crusade to bolster support. Suddenly, within the space of 24 hours the governors of the Punjab, Maharastra & Himachel Pradesh have all been singing off the same hymn sheet and setting into play anti drug campaigns (whatever that means) with results expected in a matter of months (whatever that means) and comments about drug based corruption in police forces being a priority, good luck with that!
I find this especially interesting in Himachel Pradesh or HP as they love to say in India a state that is talking about developing a hemp and medical cannabis sector. Are they hoping to clear out the existing entrenched cannabis growers hidden in the valleys and culverts of the lower Himalayas in order to have more central control of the crop. Again .. Good luck with that.
Update .. Kerala just joined we're going to destroy drugs brigade.
Finally, just a bit of due warning. If there wasn't enough Trumpery going on I learn via a media report that he's going to re-open the case of the baggie of cocaine in a White House locker that we'd all forgotten about. I presume we''ll soon hear that Hunter and dad were doing lines together in the Oval office and because there's enough dumb Mf's out there who'll suck it up on X whilst ordering in their Ket & Meth that somehow all the rest of us will have to hear about it.
A new update today via Marijuana Moment on the White House front. we shall see!
Until next week
Sean Hocking
Editor & Founder
Cannabis Law Report
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Sean Hocking
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