British Columbia Indigenous Shelf Space Program
To support the Indigenous peoples in Canada, the BC Liquor Distribution Branch is rolling out a program to highlight cannabis products produced by companies owned or located by indigenous peoples. The program will be voluntary for privately owned marijuana retailers and mandatory for government-run stores. Currently, there are 20 government owned stores and 236 private sector stores.
The Indigenous Shelf Space Program is expected to be in operation sometime next year. The BC Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) controls the mixture of private/public cannabis retail store models in British Columbia.
Peru Makes CBD Available with Prescription
Canadian company Khiron Life Sciences, who primarily operates in Colombia, has been authorized to sell medicinal cannabis products at private pharmacies in Peru. Their CBD product will be one of two available. The other is imported from the U.S. and sold at a pharmacy run by the Peruvian General Directorate of Medicines, Supplies and Drugs (DIGEMID).
There are still no THC focused products legally available in Peru.
Insurance Reimbursements for Cannabis Reaches 100k
The number of people looking to receive reimbursements for medical marijuana Germany has reached 100,000 according to data from German statutory health insurers (GKV). This number tallies all applicants between 2017 thru mid 2020, with an average of 62% being approved annually.
Approximately 90% of Germany’s population receive statutory health insurance (also referred to as national health insurance) from a GKV, so the total does not include the 10% of the population who have private health insurance.
Australia Latest Nation to Approve CBD Drug for Use
The CBD drug known as Epidyolex received the official thumbs up, down under. Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved its use for treating patients with Lennox-Gastaut or Dravet syndrome for patients 2 and up due to its ability to help with seizures.
The drug was approved in the U.S in 2018, known as Epidiolex, and in Europe in 2019. For the quarter ending June 30, 2020, Epidyolex and Epidiolex accounted for $117.7 million of British company GW Pharmaceuticals reported $121.3 million in quaterly revenue.
Ecuador Looks At Feeding Hemp Grain to Shrimp
In 2019 Ecuador was the top shrimp exporter on the globe, shipping over 600,000 tons. To feed that sea of shrimp they primarily use corn. But corn prices as of late are diverting many farmers away from it, choosing to plant other more profitable crops. The nations’ grain supply also relies entirely on imports.
Enter hemp. Low THC hemp grain could replace corn, and out pace other substitutes, to become the preferred shrimp food.
Whether or not the shrimp will benefit from eating hemp is unknown, but livestock who have been moved to hemp grain tend to eat less and gain the same amount or more weight, due to it being both high in protein and nutrient dense.
Andres Luque, Ecuadors big cheese of cannabis for the Ministry of Agriculture, is rooting for industrtial hemp, “Our long-term vision, as the Ministry of Agriculture, is to develop the industrial hemp industry.”, he stated in an interview, “Sincerely, for us at the ministry, industrial hemp is the horse we’re betting on long-term.”
