The
Italian Job
Italy’s supreme court has ruled that small-scale domestic
cultivation of cannabis plants is now legal. However,
the plants must be cultivated for the exclusive use of
the grower and are prohibited from being sold. Advocates for legalization are calling for further
legislation to be put in place, but the landmark decision has angered conservatives. The ruling
5-Star movement favors a more liberal approach to cannabis with senator Matteo Mantero stating
that: “The court has opened the way, now it’s up to us.”
Whole Foods?
Whole Foods has announced it is halting the sale of
CBD in stores as the giant chain awaits clarifi cation
from the FDA concerning cannabinoids in foods. Until
recently, Whole Foods, owned by Amazon, has only sold
cosmetic products containing CBD oil which would
not be affected by any potential changes. Does this
mean that Whole Foods were until recently considering
expansion into CBD infused foods? The chain,
headquartered in Austin TX, owns 500 US branches and
14 stores in Canada.
Higher Education?
Recent studies conducted by the National
College Health Assessment (NCHA) have
shown a decrease in binge drinking among
undergraduates in states where recreational
use is legal. The two studies of 850,000
college students from 135 colleges aged
18-26 were conducted from 2008 to 2018. It
revealed that students living in areas with
legalization were 46% more likely to have tried
cannabis than those who didn’t and 18% were
more likely to have used in the past 30 days. A
further 17% were likely to be frequent users.
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