![](\"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Thailand-Flag-Cannabis-Leaf-Grafitti-1.jpg\")
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In this week\u2019s cannabis news round-up, <\/strong>Thailand\u2019s minister takes steps to restrict non-medical cannabis use\u2019 Illinois\u2019 record-breaking adult use cannabis sales in 2023; Wisconsin\u2019s conservative approach to medical cannabis draws mixed reactions; and survey reveals patients find cannabis more effective than traditional medications for pain.<\/p>\n Thailand\u2019s Public Health Minister, Dr. Cholnan Srikaew, has taken a significant step to reform the country\u2019s nascent cannabis industry. His proposed legislation aimed at clarifying the use of cannabis, emphasizing its exclusive application for medical purposes only\u2014essentially ending the adult use market.\u00a0<\/p>\n The proposed changes roll back the policies put in place almost two years ago by the previous Minister of Public Health, Anutin Charnvirakul. On January 25, 2022, the country\u2019s\u00a0Food & Drug Administration<\/a>\u00a0approved an updated list of illegal drugs that no longer includes the cannabis plant. That moves was in response to a draft proposal from the\u00a0Public Health Ministry<\/a> and was approved weeks earlier by the\u00a0Narcotics Control Board<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Last Saturday, Dr. Srikaew said<\/a> the legislation would include measures to control and prevent non-medical usage. These measures might take the form of ministerial regulations approved by the cabinet or recommendations from a panel of experts.<\/p>\n \u201cThe new law will clearly stipulate that cannabis must be used for medical purposes only and will also encourage the use of cannabis for a range of health benefits,\u201d the minister said. \u201cRegarding the using of cannabis for recreational purposes, there\u2019ll be a clear measure to control and prevent this. The measure may come in form of a ministerial regulation passed by the cabinet, or from a panel.\u201d<\/p>\n He also touched upon whether the purchase of cannabis would necessitate a medical certificate, clarifying that this aspect hasn\u2019t been incorporated into the bill at this stage. Regarding existing legally registered cannabis stores, Dr. Srikaew clarified that no laws have been established to revoke licenses.<\/p>\n In accordance with Thailand\u2019s Narcotics Code, any products containing more than 0.2% THC by weight will be considered illegal. Thailand adopted a medical marijuana program in 2018 and\u00a0approved commercial cultivation<\/a>\u00a0in 2020.<\/p>\n According to data released by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), the Prairie State has hit a historic milestone, with adult use cannabis sales surpassing $1.6 billion in 2023\u2014a 15% rise compared to the previous year. The state collected $417.6 million in sales taxes from adult-use cannabis dispensaries, according to the Illinois Department of Revenue.<\/p>\n In a press release<\/a>, Governor JB Pritzker emphasized his administration\u2019s commitment to prioritizing equity in building an inclusive cannabis industry.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom day one, my administration has put equity first to build the most accessible cannabis industry in the nation,\u201d said the governor. \u201cOur work will continue to repair past harm while providing opportunities for communities across the state and creating a more prosperous future.\u201d<\/p>\n Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton underscored the positive impact of adult-use cannabis legalization on communities disproportionately affected by the failed war on drugs<\/p>\n \u201cThe benefits from these sales will be used to continue investing in our economic growth in historically disinvested populations,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n 42,124,741 cannabis items were sold in Illinois dispensaries during 2023. In-state residents contributed significantly to these sales, with purchases totaling $1,226,855,768.68\u2014a 14% increase from the previous year. December 2023 set a new record for monthly sales, surpassing $154 million and beating the previous record set in December 2022 by over $10 million. Sales to out-of-state residents reached $408,126,252.05 in 2023, although this marked a 14% decrease.<\/p>\n Currently, Illinois is home to 177 adult-use cannabis dispensaries, including 67 social equity dispensaries that prioritize marginalized communities. Additionally, 133 applicants selected in the 2022 social equity lotteries are in the process of obtaining full dispensary licenses from IDFPR, along with 55 applicants selected in the Social Equity Criteria Lottery (SECL) in July 2023.<\/p>\n Wisconsin Assembly Republicans have introduced<\/a> a cautious plan to legalize medical marijuana, receiving a lukewarm response from Senate Republicans and Governor Tony Evers.<\/p>\n The proposed bill restricts medical cannabis access to severely ill individuals with chronic diseases, excluding smokable cannabis. While open to a medical program, Governor Evers remains noncommittal on this proposal.<\/p>\n The bill must pass through the Assembly and Senate and receive Evers\u2019 signature to become law. Republican Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, who was considering a medical program, also refrained from clear support.<\/p>\n Democratic Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein sees it as a \u201csmall step in the right direction,\u201d but worries it\u2019s too restrictive.<\/p>\n Assembly Speaker Robin Vos suggests this proposal is the most Assembly Republicans are willing to support.<\/p>\n The bill proposes five state-operated dispensaries and given neighboring states\u2019 legal recreational cannabis, many Wisconsinites might opt to buy across state lines.<\/p>\n In 2022, sales to Wisconsin residents generated over $36 million in sales tax for Illinois, highlighting the potential economic impact.<\/p>\n New data published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine<\/em><\/a> has shed light on the experiences of patients with chronic pain and other conditions who have turned to cannabis for relief.\u00a0<\/p>\n German researchers conducted the survey<\/a>, targeting patients who had been prescribed cannabis or cannabinoid treatments since Germany legalized them in 2017, typically reserved for cases unresponsive to traditional therapies. The survey involved over 200 patients, most of whom suffered from chronic pain and used cannabis flowers or plant-derived extracts.<\/p>\n The findings align with previous research, as patients reported significant reductions in their daily pain levels when using cannabis as therapy. They also noted lower levels of anxiety and depression compared to their experiences with conventional treatments. Many participants expressed a higher degree of satisfaction with cannabis, describing it as \u201cmore effective\u201d than their prior therapies. An impressive 94% of respondents reported having a more positive attitude toward cannabis following their treatment.<\/p>\n \u201cThe results of this cross-sectional survey suggest that most surveyed outpatients treated with prescription cannabinoids in Germany subjectively experience health benefits and symptom reduction associated with these therapies,\u201d the study\u2019s authors concluded.<\/p>\n The post Week in Review: Thailand\u2019s Fateful Cannabis U-Turn<\/a> appeared first on Cannabis Now<\/a>.<\/p>\n
In this week\u2019s cannabis news round-up, Thailand\u2019s minister takes steps to restrict non-medical cannabis use\u2019 Illinois\u2019 record-breaking adult use cannabis sales in 2023; Wisconsin\u2019s conservative approach to medical cannabis draws mixed reactions; and survey reveals patients find cannabis more effective than traditional medications for pain. PHOTO ARTPROXIMO Thailand\u2019s Minister TakesContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":71715,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[159,50,1542,80,1051,65,139,128,1786],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71714"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71714"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71714\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":71716,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71714\/revisions\/71716"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Thailand](\"https:\/\/cannabisnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Thailand-Flag-Cannabis-Leaf-Grafitti.jpg\")
<\/a>Thailand\u2019s Minister Takes Unfortunate Steps to Restrict Non-Medical Cannabis Use<\/h4>\n
<\/a>Illinois Achieves Record-Breaking $1.6 Billion in Adult Use Cannabis Sales in 2023<\/h4>\n
<\/a>Wisconsin\u2019s Conservative Approach to Medical Cannabis Draws Mixed Reactions<\/h4>\n
<\/a>Survey Reveals Patients Find Cannabis More Effective Than Traditional Medications for Pain<\/h4>\n
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\nRead More: Week in Review: Thailand\u2019s Fateful Cannabis U-Turn<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"