Attending Europe’s first B2B cannabis event is your dream, and Berlin, Germany is your destination! You have the chance to join like-minded entrepreneurs and activists from around the world and immerse yourself in cannabis culture, business and politics for the marijuana conference of the year.

The International Cannabis Business Conference is landing in Europe in just over three weeks, and TICKET PRICES GO UP AT MIDNIGHT! Do not delay! The event is expected to sell out, so there is no need to wait to secure your place at a truly historic, ground-breaking event designed to inform, engage and continue the worldwide momentum for cannabis legalization reforms.

Come see and hear what the buzz is about for this monumental meeting of internationally-recognized experts in all areas of the cannabis world. Join the likes of actor-comedian Tommy Chong, the German Hemp Association’s Georg Wurth, United States Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, Harborside Health founder Steve D’Angelo, Magnolia Wellness’ Debby Goldsberry, NCIA director Aaron Smith, and “the Guru of Ganja” Ed Rosenthal, along with many, more! Find out the latest about Germany’s new medical marijuana program, how Berlin and several other localities are moving towards legalizing for all adults and what the future holds for the global cannabis trade.

Great progress is being made across Europe and the globe and the ICBC will have you up-to-date on the latest information that you need to know and will provide excellent networking opportunities for everyone in the industry, or thinking of joining. And, unlike many other conferences, the ICBC prides itself on keeping true to the foundations of the cannabis movement, keeping people out of prison and securing safe access for sick and disabled patients, so the event will also help empower activists politically so we can continue to dismantle the failed and harmful War on Cannabis country by country.

We want to see you there, so don’t wait any longer! Be part of the International Cannabis Business Conference this April 10-12 in Berlin, Germany! BUY YOUR EARLY BIRD TICKETS BEFORE MIDNIGHT tonight and SAVE $150!

This blog was originally published at www.internationalcbc.com and has been reposted here with special permission. 

The International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) strives to provide the latest pertinent information on cannabis laws and our event in San Francisco is no different as we are proud to give the California cannabis community the latest on the upcoming new rules and regulations. Additionally, we do our best to provide an outside-the-box perspective and this year’s keynote with punk rock icon Henry Rollins definitely follows in that tradition.

The San Francisco Chronicle interviewed Rollins regarding his positions on marijuana:

Q: So what message do you hope to carry to the canna-business people?

A: That legalization hopefully will be more to these people than a new financial frontier.

And while I don’t smoke marijuana, perhaps I’m one of the perfect people to speak at this thing. … This is bigger than your profit margin. This is bigger than making something legal. You are changing cultural perceptions of who uses cannabis.

To decriminalize something, a lot of the less-than-enviable forces of law enforcement do not have as much traction to demonize the poor guy, the nonwhite guy. And you can’t call these people “scum” or whatever.

Rollins has such a unique perspective on our culture and society and we are happy to bring his message to the cannabis community. Be sure to check out the full interview the Chronicle’s David Downs.

We are so pleased with our lineup for our San Francisco conference, and want to thank all of our speakers, attendees and exhibitors. Up next, is our Berlin, Germany, conference on April 10-12, so please stay tuned for more exciting news.

This blog was originally posted at www.internationalcbc.com and has been published here with special permission.

The California cannabis industry will be undergoing a huge overhaul as the state develops and implements new regulations for the state’s medical and recreational systems. The cannabis community will hear a lot about proposed rules over the next year and, unfortunately, a ton of misinformation will filter through the grapevine since the “telephone game” can distort the message. Four other states have undergone similar regulatory upheavals, but each state is different and the Golden State has its own set of issues to address.

Thankfully, Californians will be able to hear directly from the state’s marijuana czar, Lori Ajax, at the upcoming International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) in San Francisco on February 17th.  Ajax, who previously served as chief deputy director at the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, impressed medical cannabis pioneer Steve DeAngelo when she toured the Harborside dispensary and other industry professionals declared themselves cautiously optimistic about their new head regulator. The state’s head marijuana regulator will be joining many California cannabis industry experts as well as rock icon Henry Rollins and four-time NBA champion John Salley at the San Francisco event.

Most importantly, ICBC organizers plan on saving most of Ajax’s hour-long panel for questions and answers, giving attendees the opportunity to have their burning questions addressed. This unfiltered exchange should prove extremely valuable for entrepreneurs as they prepare their businesses for new regulations.

“We want to help conference attendees be as prepared as possible and bringing in the state’s cannabis czar is a great way to bring the most relevant and pertinent information directly to entrepreneurs and business owners,” stated Alex Rogers, lead producer of the ICBC.  “We are very excited to have Lori Ajax at the San Francisco ICBC and are thankful that she found the time to answer questions and address the concerns of the California cannabis community.”

The International Cannabis Business Conference will host its third event in San Francisco on February 17th at the San Francisco Hilton Union Square. Early bird tickets are available until February first at www.internationalcbc.com.

This blog was originally posted at www.internationalcbc.com and has been republished here with special permission.

Health Minister Hermann Groehe has stressed the move does not mean marijuana will be legal for non-medical purposes.

Groehe says: “Seriously ill people must be cared for in the best way possible” and that includes allowing the public health system to fund cannabis prescriptions for patients “if they cannot effectively be helped any other way.'”

Sports are huge in America, not only business-wise, but culturally. Sports were racially desegregated in America before the rest of our society. Athletes can have a profound impact upon our culture, we have seen this from numerous athletes, from Jesse Owens to Jackie Robinson to Muhammad Ali. It is very telling that more and more athletes, particularly former ones, are now speaking out about the need to improve our nation’s cannabis laws. Current athletes have their livelihood and careers at stake, so they need those like four-time NBA champion John Salley to speak out for them and Salley will be speaking out loud and clear at the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) in San Francisco on February 17th!

Too often, cannabis users have been portrayed as lazy and unmotivated and athletes help shatter this ridiculous stereotype. Cannabis use didn’t stop Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt from becoming Olympic champions. In fact, the biggest detriment that marijuana seems to have on an athlete is getting arrested or failing a drug test. Salley, who is best known for his time on the Detroit Pistons “Bad Boys” championship teams in 1989 and 1990, believes that his NBA career could have been prolonged if he had started using medical cannabis earlier.

John Salley joins the growing ranks of former athletes speaking out for cannabis law reform, including fellow former NBA star Clifford Robinson and former NFL pro bowlers Ricky Williams, Kyle Turley, Eugene Monroe and Mark Stepnoski. NBA champion (as a coach and player) Steve Kerr acknowledged his medical cannabis use as did coaching legend Phil Jackson. Hopefully, with more and more athletes speaking out, we’ll start to see sports leagues change their strict anti-cannabis policies.

It is great to have John Salley willing to speak out about his support for the cannabis community and industry and he joins rock icon Henry Rollins to make this year’s ICBC a unique, one-of-a-kind event that mixes together great business information and political activism. With California, the world’s 6th-largest economy legalizing cannabis, this year’s International Cannabis Business Conference in San Francisco is a must-attend event. Get your tickets now before prices go up on February 1st!

This blog was originally published at www.internationalcbc.com and has been reposted here  with special permission.

A new figure has been making the rounds that has ganjapreneurs and cannabis investors on the west coast sitting up in their seat. The number is $23.3 billion, and it’s the latest economic estimate on just how much cannabis stands to be produced in California now that plant is coming out of the proverbial closet of prohibition.

Where did this number come from?

Last week, The Orange County Register deduced data sourced from California Department of Agriculture, Drug Enforcement Agency, Leafly.com, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, and Priceofweed.com to estimate current marijuana market production and values. The paper came up with a huge figure – one which places marijuana at the top of the state’s crop production, and would account for more market activity than the next five agricultural commodities combined. (Milk, almonds, grapes, cattle, and lettuce in California account for $22.2 billion annually.)

Veteran drug policy expert Phillip Smith explains how the newspaper arrived at its conclusion, but suggests the number may be a little high:

“The newspaper extrapolated from seizures of pot plants, which have averaged more than two million a year in the state for the past five years, and, citing the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, used the common heuristic that seizures account for only 10 percent to 20 percent of drugs produced. That led it to an estimate of 13.2 million plants grown in the state in 2015 (with 2.6 million destroyed), based on the high-end 20 percent figure.

“It then assumed that each plant would produce one pound of pot at a market price of $1,765 a pound. Outdoor plans can produce much more than a pound, but indoor plants may only produce a few ounces, so the one-pound average figure is safely conservative.

“The $1,765 per pound farm gate price is probably optimistic, though, especially for outdoor grown marijuana, which fetches a lower price than indoor, and especially for large producers moving multi-dozen or—hundred pound loads.”

While the newest number estimating California’s entry into the legal adult cannabis market could be overstated, there is no doubt that marijuana is already the state’s biggest cash crop, and it’s only going to get bigger.

Find out more on February 17th at the International Cannabis Business Conference in San Francisco, at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square. Join industry pioneers, leaders, investors and entrepreneurs who are forging the path of this exciting new trade enterprise.

This blog was originally posted at www.internationalcbc.com and has been republished here with special permission. 

The current export limit is 100 kilos but this will soon be increased 350 kilos and go up again to 700 kilos in 2019, the Telegraaf said.

Until now, the production of medical marijuana has cost more than is reaped in sales but the increase in exports will generate cash for the treasury, the Telegraaf said.

Medical marijuana is not an official medicine in the Netherlands and is not included in the basic health insurance policy.

This blog was originally posted at www.internationalcbc.com and has been reposted here with special permission. 

Los Angeles will emerge as the marijuana capital of the world. The financial industry has Wall Street, the tech industry has Silicon Valley, and the cannabis industry will soon have Los Angeles. No disrespect to Denver, but Los Angeles is about to come out of the shadows and steal the spotlight. 

By some estimates Los Angeles’s medical cannabis market is already worth close to $1 billion, larger than Colorado’s entire recreational market. Unfortunately, most of that business operates in the shadows today. But that is about to change. 

“Unlike other places where cannabis is legal, Boston is within driving distance of many of the most populous places in America,” Dayton said. ‘This will make Boston the cannabis capital of the world in short order. This cannabis tourism will drive significant revenue, tax dollars, and job growth which will make legalization very attractive to neighboring states.”

“The Sacramento region should be to cannabis what Detroit is to automobiles in terms of both a center of innovation as well as production,” said Daniel Conway, who left his job as chief of staff to Sacramento Mayor and former NBA star Kevin Johnson to become Truth Enterprises’ managing partner. “This region has the ability to be to cannabis what Sonoma and Napa are to wine.”

Centering some of that business in the Sacramento region would take advantage of the area’s proximity to farmland and agricultural processing facilities as well as such population hubs such as the San Francisco Bay Area and tourist destinations like Lake Tahoe and the Napa Valley….

This blog was originally published at www.internationalcbc.com and has been reposted here with special permission.

For months, westbound commuters on Highway 50 were greeted with a towering billboard of pot culture icon Tommy Chong pitching his Chong’s Choice marijuana products and directing motorists to a Sacramento dispensary, the Horizon Collective.

…[But] State lawmakers are considering legislation – Assembly Bill 64 – that would amend California’s recently passed Proposition 64 recreational marijuana initiative by imposing stricter rules for marijuana advertising.

Proposition 64, which allows adults 21 and over to possess an ounce of marijuana and creates a framework for recreational pot sales by Jan. 1, 2018, banned marijuana advertisements on interstate highways crossing the border into California. The new legislation would extend the ban to prohibit marijuana advertising along any stretch of interstate or state highway in California.

This blog was originally published at www.internationalcbc.com and has been reposted here with special permission.

With the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) making its first appearance in Berlin in April, it is good for attendees to get up-to-date on the latest cannabis developments in Germany. Like many places across the world, marijuana is moving more and more mainstream in Germany with some major political advancements. Also, like many places around the globe, positive change can come much slower than it should.

Thelocal.de delivers German news in English and ran the piece “Five things to know about weed in Germany” covering: who can smoke; when will it be legalized; how much can you possess; how widespread is marijuana use; and what about stoner culture. From www.thelocal.de:

Who can smoke?

In the country of 81 million people, about 650 patients had been legally granted permission to use medicinal cannabis products from pharmacies as of spring of 2016.

How much can you possess?

The amount that an individual can possess without being prosecuted varies across the 16 states. In capital city Berlin, the rules are much more liberal, with the possession limit being 15 grams in most cases. In many other states, the limit is six grams.

How widespread is marijuana use?

A Eurostat study for 2015 showed that more German young men smoke weed than young women with roughly 18 percent of men aged between 15 and 24 reporting using cannabis in 2012, compared to a little more than 10 percent of women in that age group.

Head on over to www.thelocal.de to read the entire post. 

As cannabis law reformers know, it is often two steps forward and one step back, but the most important thing is to keep making progress. With recent political progress in Berlin and Düsseldorf, Germany is poised to legalize cannabis in the near future, but it will take a lot of work on several fronts. We hope that the ICBC will help add to the momentum in Germany and the country will see an increase in the number of patients, the mainstreaming of cannabis use overall and soon, legal cannabis commerce among adults. The future of the German cannabis industry is very bright and advancements in the European Union powerhouse will only help our international fight to end cannabis prohibition.

This blog was originally published at www.internationalcbc.com and has been reposted here with special permission. 

Cannabis law reform can move at a very rapid pace once the momentum for legalization takes hold. While it can be extremely frustrating that such an obviously failed policy like cannabis prohibition can exist, it is very important for advocates to appreciate the relative speed of our progress and to capitalize on our gains. The recent advances in Germany are just the latest example of great success on the international stage, with theDüsseldorf City Council moving forward with plans to legalize as just the latest example.

Deutsche Welle, Germany’s international public broadcast company, reported on DW.com:

The Düsseldorf City Council has taken advice from experts on plans to legalize the sale of cannabis. It hopes to use scientific research to gain the approval it needs from the federal government.

***

Berlin’s Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough council applied last year to the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices for a similar license, but the application was refused on the grounds that it was deemed to be in direct conflict with narcotics law.

Düsseldorf hopes to avoid the same fate by using a scientific study to clarify the effects of legalized cannabis. Should the study show that participants were not negatively affected by their ability to purchase the drug legally, the scheme would be rolled out to all adults.

It is very promising to see such advances in Germany, a world economic power with great influence in the European Union and beyond. With legalized medical cannabis and de facto decriminalization prevalent across the nation, several German localities are considering bold progressive policies that will help shape Germany’s federal policy.

As Deutsche Welle noted, representatives from other German cities, including Cologne and Münster attended the Düsseldorf cannabis policy meeting with experts, a sign that those locales are interested in implementing more sound marijuana policies. With Berlin moving forward with a plan to legalize cannabis coffee shops and Düsseldorf’s pilot proposal, it is clear that Germany will be a hotbed of progressive cannabis news in the months and years to come.

The upcoming International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) in Berlin will certainly delve into the latest developments in Germany and the EU. The ICBC is shaping up to be an extremely important international cannabis event that should not be missed by those in the industry or thinking of joining the cannabis industry in Germany or anywhere in the European Union. 

This blog was originally published at www.internationalcbc.com and has been reposted here with special permission. 

There are signs that cannabis legalization is progressing at a rapid pace are abundant around the globe these days. From electoral victories to cultural milestones to the news that advocates are laying the groundwork for future political success stories all around us. Of course, cannabis legalization is also major economic news and the recent report of a major international  business deal is yet another signal of the global progress to end prohibition.

The Globe and Mail reported:

Canopy Growth Corp. of Smiths Falls, Ont., has an agreement to buy pharmaceutical distributor MedCann, which has placed the Canadian marijuana company’s Tweed-branded cannabis strains in German pharmacies.

The purchase – subject to approvals – will be made with Canopy shares, which on Friday closed at $10.60 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

At that value, the transaction would be worth about $7.2-million upon closing.

Canopy Growth, potentially a billion dollar cannabis company, obviously sees the benefit of acquiring a major German cannabis distributor. With Germany making major advancements in cannabis policy, especially in Berlin, Canopy Growth, like many industry observers, understands that Germany, an economic superpower, will be a huge market in the coming years. As Germany goes, the rest of the European Union will likely follow, only adding to the great momentum that we are seeing around the world.

The International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) in Berlin on April 10-12, 2017, will be delving into the latest developments in Germany, Europe and the world. The ICBC is poised to be a very important event during an exciting time for the international cannabis movement. You can learn more about the upcoming ICBC at www.internationalcbc.com. 

This blog post was originally published by the International Cannabis Business Conference and has been reposted here with special permission.

Support for medical cannabis has skyrocketed across the globe in recent years as poll after poll has revealed a supermajority of voters favoring medical marijuana. In yet another sign of the mainstream support of medical use, the European Parliament recently hosted the International Conference on Medical Cannabis in Brussels, Belgium. Prominent European doctors, researchers, advocates and politicians spoke at the conference, advocating for sensible cannabis laws to be implemented across the EU.

Leafly reported on the conference:

Lying on an adjusted hospital bed, Dr. Franjo Grotenhemen, chairman of the International Association for Cannabinoids in Medicine (IACM), gave an insightful update on recent developments in Germany. “The German government has prepared a bill,” he said. “It was forced by court decisions to do this. But as a political leader, you say: ‘I was not forced, I changed my mind.’ So the politicians changed their mind in all German parties, that patients should have access to cannabis products if they need them.”

Most speakers focused on patients needs and the incredible results seen with cannabis treatment, but some also brought up legalization’s economic benefits. Saul Kaye, an Israeli pharmacist and cannabis activist, painted a picture of how his country benefits from its medical cannabis program, the oldest in the world. “For regulators in the room,” he said, “it’s no longer a question of if, it’s now a question of how and when you do it. Every decision you make has an implication in the value chain that you can create. This is an industry that is exploding worldwide, an industry that will make a lot of money and that is the driver. What you need to consider is whether you want to be part of that new initiative or whether you want to block it.”

***

In his closing remarks, a German member of the European Parliament, Stefan Eck, took a clear and strong position. “For 5,000 years, cannabis has been used for medical purposes, and in my opinion it is now time to legalize cannabis for medical purposes in the EU as well. I believe that, as soon as possible, we should at least implement a Europe-wide legalization of cannabis for medical purposes. This is the minimum. And we should always keep in mind that the ban on cannabis is absolutely illogical as long as other substances, like nicotine and alcohol, are allowed. I would like to thank you for taking part in this important conference and close by saying unequivocally: Legalize it!”

It is great to see such progress across the globe, and we look forward to helping the momentum for the international movement when the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) heads to Berlin, Germany, April 10-12, 2017. With medical cannabis legal through German dispensaries, Berlin seeking to legalize cannabis coffeeshops and German politicians like Stefan Eck fighting for legalization, Germany is certainly helping lead the way in the European Union. If the EU legalizes medical cannabis across the board, then adult-use will follow suit. These are exciting times for the cannabis law reform movement, and while there will be some speed bumps along the way, our progress around the world shows that prohibition’s days are numbered.

This blog was originally published at www.InternationalCBC.com and has been reposted here with special permission. 

Germany’s federal republic form of government allows for the country’s 16 different states to implement different laws so long as they don’t interfere with policies reserved for the federal government, such as foreign policy. Germany’s different states have different cannabis law, for instance, with some states decriminalizing up to 6 grams of cannabis, versus Berlin, which allows people to possess up to 15 grams. Berlin’s new progressive coalition government is now seeking to further liberalize the capital city’s marijuana policy by licensing cannabis coffee shops.

The Kreuzberg-Friedrichshain borough of Berlin voted to allow cannabis coffee shops back in 2013, but the plan wasn’t ultimately approved. This is the first time that the entire city of Berlin has moved forward with legalizing commercial cannabis sales. While Germany’s Federal Ministry of Health will have their say on the issue, it is important that Berlin is taking this step forward.

From Marijuana.com:

The new government has to prepare an application for the controlled cannabis delivery model and send it to the Federal Ministry of Health — the conservative ministry rejected the District of Kreuzberg-Friedrichshain application in 2015. However, in the time it takes for the document to be worked out, formulated and submitted, laws may change with the federal elections in 2017. The City Municipality of Bremen is a recent example of a city-state that pursued similar legislation. In April 2016, the new government of Bremen announced the decriminalization of up to three cannabis plants. They also relaxed the criteria for DUI rules and established their coffeeshop-pilot program.

If Bremen and Berlin decide to issue licenses for monitored cannabis shops, chances are there will be a limited number of state-controlled shops in Bremen and Berlin opening as soon as 2018 or 2019; their activities will be the subject of scientific studies. In addition, the new law on medical cannabis use is expected to lead to a rapid increase in patient enrollment starting in Spring 2017. If medical cultivation licenses for German companies are given out next year, Berlin and Bremen coffeeshops could receive legal, domestically grown medical-grade cannabis.

Berlin is a world economic power and the legalization of cannabis coffeeshops in the city would be a huge step forward for the international movement to end cannabis prohibition. Whether this particular coffee shop plan gets implemented, it is clear that Germany, led by its capital city, is moving towards ending prohibition. With medical cannabis already legalized, adult-use decriminalized, and Berlin’s coalition government seeking to legalize cannabis commerce, it is only a matter of time before Germany ends cannabis prohibition.

As Germany goes, the rest of the European Union will soon follow. I am certainly excited about learning about the latest developments in Germany and the rest of Europe at the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) in Berlin on April 10-12, 2017, as it seems like the perfect time for cannabis entrepreneurs and law reform advocates to converge upon this burgeoning cannabis scene. City by city, state by state, country by country, we are making amazing progress around the globe and it certainly appears that Berlin, Germany, will be helping lead our global fight against the failed and harmful policy of cannabis prohibition.

Featured photo by Bleppo.